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Most officials associations spend the training portion of their meetings going over rules or mechanics that are important for the season. However, one topic that should definitely be a training session is writing game reports. The documentation of what happened after an ejection or other significant event is often used by state office leaders and school administrations to not only determine what happened (since they most likely weren’t in attendance at the game) but what to do next, be it a suspension or more to the offending party. What couldRead More

Does your association develop a budget each year? It’s an essential part of running a successful officials association. Whether you’re setting up a budget for the first time or looking for some suggestions on doing it the right way, it all starts with gathering the numbers. The first step in preparing a budget is to compare the current year’s budget to actual results to gain an overall understanding of the finances of the association. If no budget was prepared in previous years, then a good starting point would be toRead More

By Jerry Grunska Woody Allen once said that 90 percent of success is achieved by just showing up. Not so far-fetched, but add another phrase … showing up and doing the job. All of us have seen people goof off at work. In fact, some people seem to devote much if not all of their energy to avoiding responsibility. Well, we can dismiss them right upfront for lacking leadership qualities. But what genuine attributes do we recognize in bona fide leaders? Some people talk a good game but don’t playRead More

By Jerry Grunska If you coast, you’re toast. We often use expressions like that to remind officials that they should continually seek ways to improve themselves. The same idea can be applied to associations. Are we treading water? Have we become stodgy? Are we overlooking or ignoring ways to advance our purpose? Do members have ideas useful that we haven’t tried? Are there some blind spots in our policies and practices? Can we do something about these questions when the sport(s) we serve is/are not in season? Let’s take thatRead More

By Tim Sloan The time has come. “Max” has been on your board of directors since you were in the second grade. He was instrumental in leading the transition to four-person mechanics in football and his fingerprints all over negotiating game fee raises into the low double digits. In fact, the association wouldn’t be anything like it is today if it weren’t for Max. Just ask him. No, wait; you don’t have to ask him. He takes up a third of every board meeting and 20 minutes of every trainingRead More

It often takes a tragedy to remind us that the other members of our association are not just officials, but human beings as well. When a member suffers a personal loss, the association can be a much-appreciated source of support and sympathy for the grieving member. In the same way, members appreciate it when their peers recognize joyful events or accomplishments in their lives. Learn how to handle those situations. Someone in the association (it doesn’t have to be an officer) should be designated to be responsible for what isRead More

By Tim Sloan Particularly when you’re running a larger officials association, it’s a great idea to get some of your membership working on committees to support your mandate. Among the many plusses is that you can get people involved with certain projects who have a passion for them. Motivation is important to most success. If recruitment is a big deal, for instance, then there is no better person to choose than someone who doesn’t mind doing the spade work to give that initiative some legs. You can probably also findRead More

By Jerry Grunska No man is an island; no board is an entity unto itself. If we start from that premise, the first step toward evaluation is to admit that it might be a good thing. Board members should ask themselves: Do we have a sensibly defined purpose and can we examine the elements of that purpose ourselves and come up with useful answers? For talking points, let’s say a board has a written mission statement that says it will serve schools with qualified officials. The document also says itRead More

Choosing the people who will run your association is an important task. Remember that the most talented officials in the group aren’t necessarily best equipped to make decisions regarding how the association conducts its business. As with any other association affairs, it’s crucial to follow the bylaws when election time rolls around. If your association does not have bylaws, or has bylaws but they do not spell out election procedures, here are some things to keep in mind. Step 1 — Members must be informed well in advance when andRead More

By Lawrence Tomei Envision two chapter meetings being held simultaneously in adjoining meeting rooms. The first is a regularly scheduled Tuesday night session with no rules interpreter, no mechanics coach, no assigning secretary and no agenda. Most members have forgotten (or long since lost) their rulebook and casebook. There is a board but someone forget to bring the chalk. Stragglers show up 10 minutes late and the session begins with a raucous debate of whatever rules and mechanics questions are of interest at the moment. Someone calls the meeting toRead More