Organizational Restructuring

USPS Ad Hoc Reorganization Committee
November 30, 2021

Our current organizational structure of Squadrons, Districts, and National leadership was created decades ago when we were a much larger organization and we needed a hierarchical configuration for communication and coordination.  Today however, total membership is much smaller, there are fewer Squadrons/Clubs and Districts, and telecommunications is far more advanced.  Some Districts are no larger than Squadrons, Districts are consolidating, and too many Squadrons/Clubs dissolve each year.  Commensurately, the number of educational courses completed continues to erode.  A contributing factor is that our modus operandi has not kept pace with how today’s boater learns, interacts with others, and depends on technology.  As a result, we are challenged to recruit and retain members.

The Board of Directors has created a geographically diverse ad hoc group under the leadership of NXO Craig Fraser including David Allen, Allan Bombard, John Crawford, Bob David, Myles Gee, Paul Mermelstein, and Ralph Ziegler.  This committee presented ideas for restructuring America’s Boating Club at the Virtual Annual Meeting in February 2021, the Governing Board meeting in September 2021, the DEO online meeting in October 2021, and at various District conferences this Fall.  As a work in progress, feedback was solicited and continues to roll in.

Predictably, there is some concern from members who enjoy participating in District and/or national activities and worry that we will lose that social interaction.  Committee members understand; we have the same experiences and have made friends in our own Districts and at national events.  It pains us to contemplate major organizational change, but we also recognize the following facts:

We are carefully considering a range of major organizational and functional changes to improve the delivery of services in order to attract and keep members.  We recognize that changing the organizational structure alone will not suffice.  We also need to increase the volume, efficiency, quality, and communication of educational, boating, and social programs that we provide to our members.  Our goals are to:

·         Increase the attraction of America’s Boating Club for both member recruitment and retention

·         Meet the needs of members to keep them satisfied and engaged

·         Preserve and strengthen squadron/club capabilities to serve their members

·         Bolster the capabilities of local Squadrons/Clubs to market and teach boating education

·         Where necessary, directly provide education to individual members such as cyber-members and Squadron/Club members who do not get adequate education locally

·         Increase opportunities for members to participate in boating events and social activities

·         Reduce red-tape and bureaucracy to streamline services, administration, and coordination

·         Improve communication to Squadrons/Clubs and to all members

We recognize that, by definition, boating events and social activities must be localized.  Active Squadrons/Clubs should be free to offer what they and their members want.  However, many Squadrons/Clubs do not boat much anymore and social activities are often limited to dinners and other gatherings.  From our market research, member exit surveys, and common sense, we know that we need to have a much higher level of boating events and social activities to attract and keep members satisfied.  Consequently, any organizational change must supplement local Squadron/Club event planning and the conduct of boating and social activities in locales that conveniently interest participants.

There is a range of options for addressing reorganization potentials, each with their pros and cons, including:

·         Do nothing

·         Rely on Districts, but allow more freedom

·         Eliminate Districts and provide services directly from National to local Squadrons/Clubs and to individual members

·         Consolidate Districts into about a half dozen regions with new systems and procedures that will integrate and synergize both national resources and local Squadron/Club leadership

·         Some combination of the above

The Reorganization Committee continues to work on this challenge and evaluating options.  We have prepared a needs assessment survey that will be sent to all members in order to obtain direct input and better evaluate where we need to improve and what we need to change.  We will incorporate this data along with feedback and suggestions that continue to arrive.  Additionally, we will examine how we do business, current processes and systems, resources, and organizational functionality.  Subsequently, we will determine and recommend the most appropriate course of action for review by the BOD and appropriate committees, before presenting to the Governing Board for approval.  The work continues; stay tuned.
 

Updated 13 December 2021
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