December 2009 Meeting Minutes - Governing Body

This past October, the Governing Body met in Chicago. Over the course of two long days, reams of paper, whiteboard diagrams and several tweets, we covered quite a bit of ground on how to improve and move the organization forward. In two days, we managed to tackle a variety of topics. Here are some of the highlights:

Firearms

The Governing Body unanimously approved changes to the Policies & Procedures (which you can download that include the guidelines for the Firearms Safety Course. Ask your Regional Representative or Member Representative for information on finding and attending a course.

Grants / Development

We are in talks with development directors and grant writers from all aspects of the sponsorship and grant world. In line with that, we are creating a detailed company profile for the Society of American Fight Directors that will help us tailor how our organization fits in the world of giving, as well as target specific resources and venues for support.

NSCW

We brainstormed with Mike Mahaffey, our new NSCW coordinator. In a nutshell, we’re pumped, and you should be too. Mike is bringing a lot to the table, and this year’s 30^th anniversary workshop will be stellar. Find more information about who is slated to teach and what workshops are being offered at NSCW information page.

Member Retention

The big topic of the weekend, particularly the second day, was on member retention. We acknowledge that the largest part of our membership base is made up of Friends, Actor Combatants and Advanced Actor Combatants, some—or most—of who have no desire to become Certified Teachers or Fight Directors. We want to recognize and celebrate our largest pool of members, and help that aspect of our organization grow.

This is where you come in. We want to know, for those of you who have been with the organization through thick and thin, why is membership in the Society of American Fight Directors important to you? What makes you want to continue with the organization as a Friend or Advanced Actor Combatant? What benefits or features could we offer to you, in recognition of your years of service? Send your thoughts to secretary@safd.org