National Headlines

e-mail Dr. Dorman

Don't Be Listless

      by Dr. Bill Dorman

National President

 

In Lee Iacocca¹s book about the fall and rise of the Chrysler Corporation, Iacocca, he talked about the importance of making lists. The ³distance² created by putting things on a piece of paper to be dealt with more objectively is helpful in prioritizing. It¹s time to make a goals list for the next six months, and the next year, of NBS membership. What¹s on your list? And more importantly, what¹s on your chapter¹s list?

It¹s a great time to make that list as a group. Where can your chapter improve? What would help strengthen ties among your members, and your success on your campus? How can you be more effective in helping your members? Don¹t be bashful. Get the ideas out there first, then take the time to look at their feasibility. It only works if you have something to work with.
Next, share your list with your regional director. Discuss it more completely with your chapter adviser, and some of your professional members.
Get more people into the mix. There are many experienced people who just might know how to help you accomplish some of those items on your list.
They may have already tried something and can share their advice on how things worked and didn¹t work. And they may have a wider network than you thought. You never know unless you ask.

For a start, use the model chapter guidelines from the website
(http://www.nbs-aerho.org/docs/2005_Model_Chapter_Program.pdf) as a starting point for discussion. These are the tried and true activities that build strong chapters by recognizing what a strong chapter should be doing.
Examples like guest speakers, fund raisers, raising chapter membership, inter-chapter activities, community service activities, etcŠ Yes, you really can do these things.

I was writing to a former chapter president today, on line. Remembering what she was like as a student leader. She met with me for a half hour before each chapter meeting (she hated being up in front of the group, but coped by being SUPER prepared with an agenda for every meeting). It just takes a little time, a little preparation, a little forethought. It pays off.
Chapter leadership, it¹s time to exercise some leadership with your members, and with yourself. And take some initiative to make next year a better year. Put that on your list.
 

e-mail Ms. Bhatnagar

What a Convention!

byVinti Bhatnagar

National Vice President for Student Services

Convention this year was a phenomenal success and although it has already come to an end that does not mean that the activities of chapters should end as well. We still have plenty of time left in the semester to continue holding NBS events and even to start getting prepared for next year. Now is the time to start asking yourself what you would like to get out of NBS, because what you get out of it is exactly what you put in. Take your reins and run with the ideas that you have. The value of the organization is in your hands. You are NBS, you are the constituency; you are the administration. You have the power to take the organization to new heights, whether it is on the national, regional, or even local level.

I was amazed by all the willing and enthusiastic individuals who stepped forward during convention to help out with various odds and ends. I guess this organization and the people in it will never cease to amaze me. With all the talented individuals in the organization, it just blows my mind to even try to comprehend what we collectively are capable of achieving. There is plenty to do. Get to know the newly elected officers in your own chapters, your regional director, your new Student Advisory Council representative, the national officers, other chapters, and even just other members in general. Ask if there is anything you can do to help. I know planning is already underway for national convention in Chicago next year. See if the host school in your region needs any help with regional convention. Just giving national office constructive feedback about the organization is all the help in the world.

So in this final stretch don’t just look ahead, look around. I know I’m looking forward to ending this year with a bang and beginning the next with the ball already rolling. I look forward to working with you all to make this organization everything it should and can be.

e-mail Dr. Mims

 Looking Ahead to Chicago:  Plans Underway for NBS65!

by Dr. Bruce Mims

Vice President for Alumni and Professional Services

WOW! What a great National Convention in Washington!

Hello to everyone and thanks for electing me to serve as your next Vice President for Alumni and Professional Services.

First of all, a great big “Thank You” goes out to Dr. Terry Adams at the University of Miami, who recently concluded her service to NBS in this position.  She has worked very hard “behind the scenes” to assist me in the transition and I hope you’ll take time to thank her for the time and energy she has devoted to our organization.  Thank her, too, for organizing the excellent Professional Panel session in Washington that featured Washington attorneys Steve Wadyka and Jonathan Band.  It was a very productive and educational two-hour meeting with two professionals whose practices specialize in Copyright Law and its “fair use” implications.

Plans are underway already for reorganizing our annual Professional Paper and Production Competitions for our 65^th Annual Convention in Chicago.  I will begin work very soon with President Bill Dorman to examine ways we can publicize these competitions to attendees at the upcoming national convention of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA), which meets in Las Vegas in late April.  I hope to generate interest among both NBS members and non-members in the competition and to elevate its stature in the academic and staff communities.  To that extent, I encourage you to phone me or email any comments and suggestions you have to offer as we begin the planning process for Chicago.  My office phone at Southeast Missouri State University is 573.651.2126 and my email address is bmims@semo.edu.

Spring showers and spring flowers remind me that graduation day draws closer.  I’ll close my first report in Signals Online with a note of encouragement to Chapter Advisors and to Alumni and Professional Coordinators to mark your calendar and be certain to submit your Graduation Report Form to the National Office at the conclusion of your semester. 

e-mail Dr. Spurlock

by Dr. Jeff Spurlock,

National Vice President for Communication 

The 2006 national convention in Washington, DC is now history but what a wonderful conference it was.  Students from all over the country were able to network with broadcast professionals and with NBS members from other schools.  This was the second national convention I attended and it was, by far, the best.

 Now we need to look ahead to Chicago in 2007.  Please keep in constant communication with your regional directors and with your national officers for updates on the upcoming national convention and regional conferences as well.  Have your model chapter checklists handy so that you can keep current what items you need to accomplish in order to receive this prestigious honor.  There were only seven model chapter recognitions handed out at the 2006 convention.  Let’s see a lot more in Chicago.

 Have a great rest of the spring summer and a successful summer.

e-mail Ms. Morrow

Is Your Chapter Ready for Next Year?

                                                    by Marilee Morrow

     National Vice President for Chapter Development

Hello!  Now that my routine has returned to normal after attending my first NBS national convention, I must write that it’s a pleasure to be elected as your newest National Vice President for Chapter Development.  My Washington, D.C. convention experience was wonderful!  In short, I was quite impressed by the event and the incredible accomplishments of our members.  

Anyhow, my college is nearing the last third of its semester – the time when most students are just running on fumes.  However, it’s obvious to me the momentum of the energy from the national convention is still running strong.  While a lot of other people are getting ready to call it a day, the members of my chapter met this past Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. – the only time when everyone could attend – to hear about convention activities, nominate candidates for next year’s officers and toss around ideas for NBS only productions, activities and fundraisers. 

It’s my hope your chapter is also still feeding off the energy from the convention in Washington, D.C.  Here are some ideas, if you have not already done so, on how utilize this energy and get ready for next year:

-         Ask returning members to help recruit new members to continue to build your chapter.

-         Do you have friends at other schools without an NBS chapter?  Encourage them to start a chapter at their schools.

-         Review the Model Chapter Criteria Check Sheet to help you plan next year’s activities.  Keep in mind, the Model Chapter Program is a way to encourage a high level of achievement for each chapter.

-         Collect contact information for your graduates and fill out the graduation report form.  Remember:  Student members who pay for two (2) or more years of membership will receive one (1) year of professional membership free upon graduation if the chapter turns in their names and updated permanent addresses are part of the report.

-         Collect summer contact information for all returning members if you want to contact them over break.

-         Plan your fundraisers for next year to help you to attend both your regional and national conventions.

-         Start planning your submissions for next year’s production competition.

-         Get your members excited about next year by scheduling a social event to CELEBRATE the end of another successful school year!

As many of you know, I’m fairly new to the organization, so please feel free to offer any advice or ask any questions at your convenience.  If I don’t immediately know the answer to a question, I will contact the right people to make sure we get the correct answer and I’m ready to answer that question the next time it’s asked.  I’m here to help you be successful.  You can call 740-376-4828 or e-mail at Marilee.Morrow@marietta.edu

e-mail Mr. Wilson

Happy New  Year

by Jim Wilson

National Executive Director

I want to thank everyone who’s effort made the 2006 National Convention possible. Many people have written to say they got a great deal out of the event. We had some very impressive speakers and panelists.  The amount of good advice dispensed at the convention was enormous.  I’m glad our members are saying they took advantage of the opportunity. 

In NBSland, the completion of a national convention means it’s time to start a new year.  It’s time to save electronic media productions and scripts for submission to next year’s contest.  It’s time to start thinking ahead to the regional and national conventions.  Most importantly, it’s time to start planning your local operations for the coming year.  Next year’s successful chapters have begun planning already. 

If you wait to late August to start thinking about your regional convention production submissions and attending your regional convention, you will likely miss the deadlines.

If you wait to September to start recruiting your chapter membership, you will lose some good potential members to other organizations.  The time to plan is NOW!

We should be posting the national calendar shortly.  Please take some time to get your game plan in order so you can begin the action right away.

The national office will be distributing materials to help you recruit new members.  If you don’t get e-mail on the materials check out the “Headline” section of the NBS website for more information.  Our intention is to distribute materials to chapters that want the materials in April.  We will have another round distributing promotional material in August.  However, we want to get the material to chapters that want it now.

On the national front, we will be making some significant changes to online registration.  We will be sending e-mail messages and posting informational updates in the next couple of weeks.

We will also be distributing membership rosters shortly.  Please check the rosters closely.  We have been told that there are names missing as a result of online registration problems.  Let’s make sure we get those cleared up.  Please bring those to our attention.  Also remind members whose dues have expired that it’s time to renew.

I hope the coming year brings good things your way.  I think this is going to be one of our best years in a long time.