How the Chapter Functions

Through your AAII Communities account, you can choose which chapter or chapters to join or drop. By joining a chapter, you will receive chapter-specific announcements.

As mentioned on the Our Relationship to AAII web page, local chapters are run by a board of volunteers, who give of their time, energy, expertise, and wisdom.  Chapters cannot exist without volunteers and their spirit of giving.

The main responsibility of the board is to provide for regular chapter meetings by procuring a meeting venue, recruiting speakers, communicating with chapter members, collecting money, and paying for expenses.  In addition, our chapter runs its own website and oversees Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings.

Chapter board positions may include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Program Chair, Facility Chair, Webmaster, Marketing Chair, Hospitality Chair, and Special Interest Group Leaders.  To serve on the board, volunteers must be members of AAII.  Currently, six people serve on our chapter’s board.  Since there are more positions than volunteers, board members often do double or triple duty.

A chapter cannot thrive unless you become involved:

  • Attend chapter meetings regularly.
  • Come to Special Interest Group meetings.
  • Actively participate in meetings by asking questions of our speakers, conversing with fellow attendees, and sharing your knowledge, wisdom, and experiences.  Relationships and interaction are the heart of the local chapter.
  • Invite your family members, friends, neighbors, and professional acquaintances to join you for meetings.
  • Volunteer.  Please consider volunteering to spread the work of the board.  As the saying goes, many hands make light work.  Volunteering is a great way to meet people in the chapter, influence its direction, and be first in line for special events, like lunching with speakers.

AAII’s require chapters to generate revenues to cover their local expenses.  The primary way our chapter does this is to charge for admission to attend monthly meetings.  We try to keep costs and admission fees as low as possible to make our meetings as accessible as possible.  The more attendees we have, the less each individual needs to contribute to cover expenses.

Recently, we have also made recordings of meetings available for purchase for those who cannot attend meetings live.  Again, this helps the chapter raise money for its expenses.  (Those who have already paid to attend a meeting in-person or virtually get free access to recordings.  See our Past Speakers web page.)

As part of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our chapter can also accept donations, which will be used exclusively for chapter expenses.  (For-profit companies are not allowed to accept tax-deductible donations or volunteer labor, though they can receive non-tax-deductible gifts.)  Donations help reduce the admission fees we have to charge and help us recruit excellent speakers from around the country.  If you give to charity, believe in the chapter’s mission, or even want to express gratitude for the service the chapter provides, please consider donating money to the chapter.  You can do so by cash, check or on our Square account (coming soon).  For larger amounts, please donate by check so the chapter can avoid (3%+) credit card fees.  Contact [email protected] for more information.

For questions and comments, please email [email protected].