As this summer moves on our thoughts turn to the forthcoming BPW year.  Although several of our local organizations meet year around there are many that take a recess during July and August. Also many have planning meetings in August.

      Whenever your local does the planning for next year I would like to remind members that each local organization is encouraged to host a creative membership event within their community. In accordance with President Knight’s goal for this year in building new membership and retention of members, local organizations are encouraged to compete within their districts for a $100 prize for the most new members. 

    In addition to the recruitment of new members each local will be required to use Module 1 of the IDP Leadership course (also known as the Individual Development Program) as a membership orientation tool.   

     Module 1: Get on Board  covers the history of BPW, current opportunities of BPW membership, our objective, mission, vision and legislative platform 

     The purpose of Module One is to introduce the IDP Leadership course, provide a networking opportunity for participants, and to provide information about the past, present, and future of BPW/USA and other BPW programs.  

     The objectives and outcomes for the Module are as follows:   

v    Participants will learns that BPW is a well established organization dedicated to women’s issues in the areas of pay equity/finance, women’s health, and women’s civil rights.  

v    Participants will learn about the current BPW legislative platform.  

v    Participants will understand the structure of BPW from the national organizations to the state federations, regions and local organizations. 

v    Participants will understand the variety of ways they can become involved in BPW and how membership will benefit them.   

Resources:  There is a new IDP Leadership CD, which will be good until 2007.  

I am encouraging local organizations to go to www.bpwusa.org and order the new CD.  Cost is $19.95, however it has additional materials for marketing, (letter templates, sponsorship letter templates, brochure templates and a flyer template) clerical forms and a new PowerPoint presentation.

If you need help with presenting Module One, there are 24 members who are trained IDP facilitators.  I will email any local organization or District Director a copy of the list. My email address is dabanian@core.com.   

Furthermore, if you are planing to host an IDP event please let me know.  As the state IDP Chair I will do my best to help make it a successful event for you, and I would like to be able to coordinate this event as it is presented around that state.  We’d like to have a state calendar of times and locations! 

Judy Dabanian, IDP Chair 

Did you receive your Michigan Business Woman in the mail yet?  They have been sent from the printer.  If you did not receive a copy, make sure that (1) your dues are current with BPW/USA, and (2) your member profile is up-to-date on the BPW/USA website.  You won’t want to miss the next issue.