INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER FORMATION HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER FORMATION HANDBOOK 1

2 Thank you for your interest in forming a RIMS International Chapter. Before reviewing this document, please reference the Key Terms section on page 7 to familiarize yourself with important terms used at RIMS. A proposed chapter must go through the following Chapter Formation Building Blocks as a minimum requirement for chapter formation and to be granted a chapter charter. A charter can only be granted to a new chapter with the approval of the RIMS Board of Directors (BOD). These Building Blocks may not necessarily occur in the complete order indicated and in some instances may happen simultaneously. RIMS Membership & Chapter Services Department is available for assistance during the entire formation process. Please contact chapterservices@rims.org to inform RIMS of your intent to form a chapter and to request assistance. INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER FORMATION BUILDING BLOCKS Identify Interest Speak to local risk managers and determine whether or not there is a need and interest in forming a local RIMS Chapter. If there is a desire to form a local chapter, contact RIMS Membership and Chapter Services Department (chapterservices@rims.org or ) to receive guidance regarding the chapter formation process. A new chapter must have no fewer than 10 corporate members Please review RIMS membership structure on page 7 to familiarize yourself with who qualifies for corporate membership. RIMS considers the primary deputy the keeper of the corporate membership. For chapter formation, that individual is considered the corporate member. A proposed chapter must have a minimum of 10 corporate members in order for a charter to be considered. The initial class of 10 or more members will be considered charter members of the chapter. A list of all charter members; membership application; and letters of commitment must be submitted to RIMS at the time of charter consideration. Chapter charter members can fall into one of three categories: Corporate member, which may transfer to the new chapter (Members transferring to the new chapter must do so in writing on their company letterhead). Corporate member not affiliated with a chapter. Newly recruited corporate member (membership applications must be completed and submitted to RIMS. Application will be processed upon approval of chapter charter). If a company will only join upon the formation of a chapter, a letter of commitment can be submitted. 2

3 Appoint Officers In order for the proposed chapter to function efficiently, it will need leaders willing to do the work necessary to ensure your chapter's success. The proposed chapter should designate a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and RIMS Delegate. Each of these positions must be held by a RIMS deputy member or prospective deputy member. In addition to these positions, the proposed chapter may also designate several other board members to serve as directors at large. Click here to access sample position descriptions. RIMS Associates of the Society, Student, Educational, Retired, Honorary or Affiliate members are not eligible to serve as members of your chapter board or directors at large. Select a Chapter Name A proposed chapter must select a name for itself. RIMS requests that you choose a chapter name that is recognizable or unique to your geographic area. The name of the main city in the area or an internationally recognized landmark works best as a chapter name (i.e. Mexico Chapter, Japan Chapter). Set Chapter Dues Aside from RIMS membership dues, RIMS members might also pay chapter dues. Your chapter will have the choice to either collect chapter dues directly or have RIMS handle the billing of chapter dues. Chapter dues collected by RIMS must be made by check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Bank Transfers. Payment must be made in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank, payable to Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. Payment to RIMS chapters will be made in U.S. dollars via Bank Transfer. All chapter dues collected by RIMS are done so with an individual s/corporation s membership application or annual renewal. Chapter dues are then returned to the chapter no later than 30 days after receipt. RIMS chapter dues vary widely from chapter to chapter. Before deciding on a dues rate for your chapter, some thought should be given to your expected annual expenses. Dues range from $10 to $250 per member. Some chapters set low dues in order to attract members. Other chapters have high dues, which allow them to subsidize monthly meetings and events. Your chapter must set dues amounts for the following membership categories: o Corporate Deputy o Associate of the Society o Student o Educational o Retired 3

4 o Affiliate Members All RIMS chapters must confirm their chapter dues rate annually to RIMS. A notice will be sent out once a year and will need to be returned by the deadline indicated in order to make the dues changes for the following year. Prepare Chapter Constitution and Bylaws Prepare and approve your chapter's constitution and bylaws. Click here to download the "Model Chapter Constitution and Bylaws". The sample Constitution and Bylaws is consistent with the RIMS Constitution and Bylaws. Occasionally, the Board of Directors amends the RIMS Constitution and Bylaws. Whenever the Society's Constitution is amended, your chapter's Bylaws should also be amended. Your chapter s Constitution and Bylaws may be narrower than the Society's but it may not be broader. Each year at the RIMS Annual Conference & Exhibition, RIMS holds a House of Delegates Meeting. The officer from your chapter assigned to be the RIMS Delegate is responsible for attending this meeting. Your RIMS Delegate should keep you informed of all changes discussed at the meeting that may affect your chapter Bylaws. Since the Bylaws are the guiding document of your chapter, all charter members and future chapter officers should familiarize themselves with this document. Set Up a Meeting with RIMS Set up a face-to-face meeting or teleconference with the RIMS Chapter Services Manager (chapterservices@rims.org or ) to discuss the formation of your new chapter. This will give you a chance to ask important questions, settle outstanding issues, and review the final steps of applying for a charter. RIMS Chapter Services Manager may also set up an additional meeting with a member of the RIMS Board of Directors. Create Membership Development Plan There is a direct link between membership development, membership retention and the success of a chapter. In order for your chapter to see long-term success it is necessary to have the Chapter Board focus on membership development for your chapter. In order for a new chapter charter to be considered by the RIMS Board of Directors, a Membership Development Plan must be submitted along with the letter of request. This plan should explain the intent of your chapter to solicit new members and to retain existing members, as well as provide a few examples of how your chapter plans on meeting these membership development goals. o Here is an example: Our chapter agrees to actively solicit new members with a growth expectation of ten member companies in three years and five additional member companies in the two years after that. In other words, a growth from ten 4

5 member companies to twenty-five member companies in five years. In order to accomplish this goal we will reach out to at least eight non-member companies per year. We would also develop a chapter Web site to update our members and potential members on chapter activities on a regular basis. In order to retain our chapter s members we would develop a chapter value statement that we could send out in thank you letters each year to our members. The value statement would discuss the benefits members receive from our chapter, i.e. networking opportunities, local educational opportunities, a local spin on hot topic issues in our industry, etc. A potential for growth is important in order to keep up the momentum of the new chapter; however, flexibility is an important factor in any membership development plan. It is important to pursue all possible leads for your chapter through both retention and recruitment efforts. Membership development is essential to succession planning and the ongoing success of your chapter s programs and events. Involve all RIMS membership classes (Associate of the Society, Educational, Student, Affiliate, and Retired) in your chapter. These members can act as board advisors, committee members, speakers, chapter administrators, webmasters, etc. RIMS Membership and Chapter Services Department should be used as a resource. If you need assistance in creating a membership development plan for your chapter, please contact RIMS at chapterservices@rims.org. Submit a Letter of Request A letter, accompanied with the supporting documents, must be submitted to the President of RIMS at the RIMS office address asking to be accepted as a newly formed chapter. This material must be submitted 60 days prior to the RIMS Board of Directors meeting in which the request will be reviewed. The RIMS Board of Directors meets approximately 10 times per year. A list of names of the charter members with membership applications or letters of commitment, a list of the chapter s Board of Directors, a list of prospective members, a copy of the membership development plan for your chapter, and a copy of the new chapter's Constitution and Bylaws must be submitted for approval. When your proposed chapter has completed and submitted the items above, your request for a charter will be put before RIMS Board of Directors. RIMS Membership and Chapter Services Department will notify you regarding the RIMS Board of Directors decision. Sign International Chapter Charter Agreement Once a chapter s submission for formation has been approved by RIMS Board of Directors, the chapter will need to complete and sign the International Chapter Charter Agreement and return to RIMS within 30 days. The agreement will be sent to the chapter within 14 days of the RIMS Board of Directors decision. 5

6 RIMS Connection After approval of your chapter s charter, it is important to remain connected to RIMS. This will help to ensure the long-term success of your chapter. It is also important to stay in touch with RIMS Membership & Chapter Services Department with updates regarding your chapter board, Bylaws, meetings, etc. RIMS can assist your chapter with ideas on speakers, programming, leadership issues, etc. Contact RIMS Membership and Chapter Services Department at chapterservices@rims.org or by calling

7 Key Terms RIMS The Risk Management Society, often called RIMS or just the Society, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the practice of risk management. The Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS) is a global not-for-profit organization representing more than 3,500 industrial, service, nonprofit, charitable and government entities throughout the world. Founded in 1950, RIMS brings networking, professional development and education opportunities to its membership of more than 10,000 risk management professionals who operate in more than 120 countries. Member An individual who has completed a RIMS membership application with payment and has been accepted as a member by RIMS Staff. Chapter Currently RIMS has 80 chapters including 10 in Canada, 1 in Mexico and 1 in Japan. RIMS Chapters are individually incorporated with their own set of governing bylaws and a Board of Directors separate to RIMS. All RIMS members are required to join their local chapter. Members living outside of a 150 mile/km radius of a chapter are not required to join a chapter. Society Dues RIMS Membership dues do not include chapter dues. Chapter Dues Chapter dues are dues set forth by the chapter and paid by each chapter member in addition to their Society dues. Chapter dues are either collected by RIMS or the chapter directly. Classes of Membership: o Corporations or Other Legal Entities: Membership is available to individuals managing the internal risk management functions for their organization. Society Dues covers the cost of two individuals. Additional members may be added at an additional cost. Membership is not transferrable. o Associate of the Society: Associate membership is available to individuals who provide products or services to those in the risk management profession and/or do not perform the internal risk management functions for their organization. For example: underwriter, consultant, attorney, accountant, actuary or outsourced risk manager. This is an individual membership that is transferable. o Student: Full-time undergraduate or graduate student working towards a degree in risk management, insurance or business who does not qualify within any other class of membership. 7

8 o Education: Full-time professor or dean in a program providing risk management, insurance or business education. o Retired: A fully retired Deputy or Associate of the Society member. o Affiliate: Available to any Deputy or Associate member upon separation from their current place of employment. Affiliate Membership is renewable once, or for a maximum of 2 years from the date of separation. Membership terminates upon acceptance of employment. 8