[Oafcs] Starting a letter about the Academy Model

Tue Dec 3 08:08:05 EST 2013

Candy, If you start a letter here are my major concerns. I encourage OAFCS members to add statements so Candy can construct a letter. Since Mexico took the question approach perhaps we can take an approach that gives our concerns and our experiences.

1.       The Academy model relies on other professional organization to affiliate with it to build a broad base of membership. As a member of many of the organizations the Academy would want to join I cannot imagine they would pay to be an affiliated member. Most organizations work hard to provide focused benefits to their members and maintain their members. I do not get a sense that conversations and assurances have been requested from the other organizations that this kind of affiliation is desired and they will pay for this affiliation. As a long time member of FCSEA, ACTE (NATFACS and NATEFACS), KON, OATFACS, AAFCS/OAFCS  and many others, there are threads of common concern but the threads are not strong enough to last long. Because our mission is to build strong families we can find embedded common concerns in any group but if it is not the organizations core concern they will not put their energy there.

In OAFCS the leadership planned held a common annual meeting with organizations that had similar family goals. We had strong, dedicated leaders attempting this task. For several years the leadership of the organizations worked long hours to achieve programs with common threads. In the end each organization represents an academic area for study that thinks differently and approaches family problems and questions in different enough ways that the affiliation falls apart.  On the surface there is a common goal but the way we go about it is significantly different enough to keep us apart.

2.       The Academy model does not address finances of AAFCS and how it will operate in the new model. Without a clear plan for finances the Academy will not serve the members for which it was intended. I have been a long term member and elected officer of NATEFACS. NATEFACS for a long time operated inside ACTE to meet FCS teacher educators core academic and research needs; it was a strong group and an annual event you did not miss.  In addition NATEFACS built an Honor Roll to recognize its members and develop a significant scholarship fund to support new students coming to the universities. ACTE reorganized its affiliate groups and took over all the programming and the scholarship money. When we lost the management of our own members and how we meet their needs we lost the strength of the group.  We no longer see and monitor the scholarship to make sure it is invested and managed soundly. It is still awarded but the questions about the strength of the scholarship fund goes unanswered.

Ruth E. Dohner, Ed.D., CFCS
Associate Professor
206 Campbell Hall
1787 Neil Ave.
Columbus Oh 43210
614-292-5714
dohner.1 at osu.edu<mailto:dohner.1 at osu.edu>
www.go.osu.edu/fcsed
<http://www.go.osu.edu/fcsed>

From: oafcs-bounces at listserv.ohio.edu [mailto:oafcs-bounces at listserv.ohio.edu] On Behalf Of Candace Fox
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2013 4:05 PM
To: oafcs at listserv.ohio.edu
Subject: [Oafcs] FW: NMAFCS's Response to Academy Model

I am forwarding a letter that addresses the concerns of the New Mexico affiliate's board. Many of our thoughts parallel their statements. At our last board meeting, I encouraged each of you to write to the AAFCS leaders. Would you like to send something similar believing that there is strength in numbers????

I regret that I did not keep track of your comments at the meeting but perhaps Kathy did? Or shall we start a list and work from there?

Let me know your thoughts via 'reply to all' please.

Thanks to all of you for all you do--and for caring about our profession!

Candace K. Fox, PhD, CFCS, CFLE
Professor and Department Chair
Family and Consumer Sciences Department
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
800 Martinsburg Rd
Mount Vernon, OH 43050
740-392-6868, ext. 3722
________________________________
From: Marie M.Duryea [mariemduryea at gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2013 12:02 PM
Subject: NMAFCS's Response to Academy Model
Dear AAFCS Affiliate Leader,
Below is a copy of a letter that the New Mexico Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NMAFCS) has sent to our AAFCS leaders.  We wanted to include you in our thought processes regarding the proposed Academy Model.  If you have questions and concerns, we urge you to contact our AAFCS leaders as well.

Sincerely,
Laura Pace
Kate Mundy-Castle
NMAFCS President 2013-2014
NMAFCS President-Elect 2013-2014
lpace at fms.k12.nm.us<mailto:lpace at fms.k12.nm.us>
katehmc at gmail.com<mailto:katehmc at gmail.com>

New Mexico Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

December 2, 2013
Dear AAFCS Leader:
On November 20, 2013, the Board of Directors (BOD) of the New Mexico Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NMAFCS) held a telephone conference call to discuss the power point presentation of the Academy of Family and Consumer Sciences Model provided to our NMAFCS President-Elect by AAFCS.  During this call, the Board members raised a number of questions and concerns. These are clustered into five areas below.  We would like to share these with you.  In return, we hope that you will provide responses to our questions.
 1) Origin:  AAFCS is a member driven organization.  Why were AAFCS members in the various state affiliates not given the opportunity to provide ideas or input regarding whether the Academy model was an appropriate direction for the Association prior to the Houston Convention?  Have any AAFCS members been involved in developing the Academy proposal?  Who is driving the creation of this new umbrella organization?  Who will be leading this new alliance?  Where has the Academy model been successfully used?  What organizations are working with AAFCS to plan this new alliance?  Transparency is important for members to trust and embrace newly proposed changes.  Currently, this seems to be lacking in AAFCS's communication with its affiliates.
 2) Identity:  When we become the Academy, AAFCS will no longer exist.  Our 105 year-old organization simply will go away.  We feel we are truly losing our central Family and Consumer Sciences national organization.  Why can't AAFCS remain as an organization and become one of the partner organizations in the Academy?  What assurance do you have that current AAFCS members will become Academy members?
 3) Financial:  No financial information has been provided in this power point presentation.  Will AAFCS monies be used to develop the Academy?  Some of these monies are restricted, designated funds.  Many members gifted their inheritances to AAFCS, not to the Academy.  Can these monies legally be used to build a new organization?  What will be the cost for the various types of membership (as mentioned on slide19) - individual members of a partner organization, institution member of a partner organization, individual member (direct), and institution member (direct)?  We would like to view the financial plan for development and implementation of this model, as well as information on what AAFCS funds would be utilized for this endeavor.
 4) Commitment:  On slide 25, wide-spread support is mentioned.  Who are these supportive entities?  Have any of the partner organizations been contacted to join the Academy?  What evidence have you received that they are willing to join?  Is there a place where AAFCS is sharing this type of information with its members?  How much are the partner organizations being asked to pay to join the Academy?  What is the value-added component for a partner organization to entice them to join the Academy?
 5) Affiliates:  How will they be organized under the new Academy structure?  How can a media center be an affiliate (slide 22)?  Will affiliates include people from all partner organizations? What will happen to the present affiliates?  What will be their roles?  How will affiliates be funded?  Will affiliates be "partners" or become a "member organization" from each state?  Do the affiliates prefer to be associated with the Academy or AAFCS?  Do affiliates support the Academy model?  The New Mexico Affiliate is very concerned about what will happen to our state organization.
Several NMAFCS members have read "Race for Relevance".  One of the main points is: for organizations to survive and THRIVE, they must provide personal and/or professional value to their members.  Current benefits for members have not been enough to attract people to join AAFCS.  What additional benefits and value will Academy members receive that will entice them to become/remain members?  On page 81, the authors state, "Is an association's mission to be bigger or to serve its members?"   They also state that bigger is NOT better.  How will changing from AAFCS to the Academy (getting bigger) enhance members' benefits and the value they receive from belonging?
In conclusion, these are the five (5) main areas of serious concern that the BOD of NMAFCS discussed.  We realize that forming this new structure is a huge undertaking.  NMAFCS would like to be an integral part of this development process.
We look forward to your timely response regarding our concerns and questions.
Sincerely,
Laura Pace
Kate Mundy-Castle
NMAFCS President 2013-2014
NMAFCS President-Elect 2013-2014
lpace at fms.k12.nm.us<mailto:lpace at fms.k12.nm.us>
katehmc at gmail.com<mailto:katehmc at gmail.com>

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