Have You Visited a Regional Chapter Summit?

March 21, 2017 - EAA chapters all across the country have been taking part in regional chapter summits. These summits offer a wonderful opportunity for the chapters within your region to discuss the challenges and successes that chapters have experienced.

The most recent chapter summit held was the Fifth Annual Chicagoland EAA Chapter Leaders’ Conference, on February 4, 2017. EAA Chapter 790 originally formulated the idea for the Chicagoland conference during the summer of 2012. The first conference was organized with the intent of helping area chapters understand when each other’s events would be. This would allow all of the chapters to have an aviation-packed calendar of events without stepping on each other’s toes.

Although the chapters met to discuss a large-scale calendar of events, the conference turned into much more. Discussions on chapter programing, member recruiting, and fundraising began to sprout out of the event. Chapters were able to discuss specific challenges they had faced, along with the steps taken to meet those challenges.

Now in its fifth year, the Chicagoland Chapter Leaders’ Conference is not alone. Each April, the Minnesota Pilots Association hosts the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering. During that gathering, EAA Chapter 237 of Blaine, Minnesota, hosts the Minnesota EAA chapters for their annual chapter summit. Additionally, the Indianapolis area chapters hosted their own chapter summit during the spring of 2016.

A typical chapter summit will take place on a weekend and take four to eight hours, depending on how much material is covered. Below is the agenda from the 2017 Chicagoland EAA Chapter Leaders’ Conference.

AGENDA

1. Leadership succession planning and filling board positions.
2. Growing and retaining chapter membership.
3. Working with chapter volunteers (for general events and activities as well as for board positions).
4. Protecting our local airports.
5. Using Young Eagles credits.
6. Eagle Flights.
7. Share 2017 event information.

There was also a breakout session for Young Eagles coordinators.

If your chapter is interested in hosting a regional chapter summit, consider hosting the event at your home airport, so that chapter leaders can arrive by air.

To invite regional chapter leaders, visit www.EAA.org/findachapter. Once on the Find a Chapter webpage, use the drop-down boxes to search all of the EAA chapters in your region. You can then find each chapter’s contact information. Additionally, you can contact the EAA chapter office to assist you with reaching out to regional chapter officers.

If you have any questions about current chapter regional summits or if you are interested in hosting your own, contact David Leiting at dleiting@eaa.org.