Chapter Recognition - 10 Part Series to Improve Your Chapter

April 2019 - In 2019 EAA will be rolling out the Chapter Recognition Program. This program is designed to help chapters improve the experience for their local members, and to recognize our many outstanding chapters. Chapter recognition will be based on 10 criteria and how many of those criteria a chapter meets.

The 10 criteria are as follows

Each month, EAA will highlight one of the criteria and show your chapter how to take advantage of a potential new opportunity.

1.         Current chapter leaders who have attended chapter leadership training.

2.         The chapter membership is growing or holding steady.

3.         The chapter offers an EAA IMC or VMC Club.

4.         The chapter participates in the Young Eagles or Flying Start program.

5.         The chapter has an EAA-approved flight advisor or technical counselor.

6.         The chapter partakes in the annual EAA Chapter Survey.

7.         Chapter leaders regularly read EAA’s ChapterGram.

8.         The chapter has used a ChapterBlast or ordered promotional materials.

9.         The chapter hosts at least two public events per year.

10.       The chapter owns or leases a facility.

April's Criteria — Promoting Your Chapter

"I was never invited" or "I didn't know there was a chapter nearby." Those are the top reasons EAA members give as to why they have not joined a chapter. Luckily, EAA has multiple resources to help you promote your chapter to local members and nonmembers alike. Although EAA cannot give out the email addresses of members to chapters, the staff in Oshkosh is able to send an email on your chapter's behalf. These emails are called ChapterBlasts.

A ChapterBlast is a promotional email sent by EAA on behalf of your chapter to invite regional EAA members to your chapter event. The email will be sent to all EAA members within roughly 50-75 miles of the chapter event.

A ChapterBlast is the perfect way to invite new EAA members to your meet-and-greet, fly-in, open house, or pancake breakfast. Break down the barrier, raise chapter awareness, and extend a personal invite to members in your area.

Many chapters have found success in the ChapterBlast email program. For example, EAA Chapter 141 used a ChapterBlast to help promote its annual Spurwink Farm Fly-In Pancake Breakfast in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

"We had 65 planes and one helicopter fly in for the event, plus lots of local people who drove in. It certainly was a full house, and our members sure were busy all morning," chapter member Diana Chase said. "This was our 21st Spurwink Farm pancake breakfast, and this year it was a record crowd!"

Each chapter is limited to three ChapterBlasts per year, and requests must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the event.

To request a ChapterBlast, please fill out the request form here.

In addition to ChapterBlast emails, promotional materials are available to chapters and squadrons to help show people what EAA is all about and encourage their involvement in the chapter. These promotional materials assist your chapter or squadron in providing a quick overview to people of the various divisions and programs offered by EAA. They can be a great addition to your chapter booth at an open house event, to put in racks at your local FBO, or distributed at your own events.

You can access EAA promotional materials here.

To receive credit for this portion of the chapter recognition program, your chapter must request at least one ChapterBlast email or place one order of promotional materials.

If you have more questions about EAA’s promotional materials or ChapterBlast, please email us at chapters@eaa.org.