SOMETIMES IT IS NECESSARY to talk about unpleasant things. To not have those conversations is to live in a fantasy world where everything is rosy all the time. This issue of Club Director includes articles on the impact natural disasters had on clubs in Florida and California this past year. You can write them off in the category of, “it’ll never happen here,” or you can learn from the unfortunate experiences of others. The intention of this issue of Club Director is the latter, of course.
We can never fully appreciate the impact these events had on the lives of the people involved. Can you imagine returning to your house and seeing a pile of burnt rubble? An entire neighborhood and the club that served as a center of community engagement gone? None of us is likely to have that level of empathy. By covering these stories, however, we just might help others jumpstart their disaster planning and navigate trouble more effectively should it come their way.
Club leaders have a lot on their plates these days, so it’s easy to push off planning for things that are unlikely to occur when there is so much to do in the here and now. But crafting a plan when the hurricane is turning your way, or the fires are on the hillside is too late. Leaders must plan when the sun is shining and the hills are green. As with any plan, it must be regularly updated and rehearsed so it kicks in when the moment of truth is at hand.
To an extent, membership in the National Club Association (NCA) is analogous to disaster planning; it may be over- looked when things are going well, but your rock when you need it. During your budget preparations, it is easy to think of membership dues as only a number, funds that could be saved and redirected to other activities. It can seem safe to assume your club won’t be impacted from poorly crafted or harmful legislation, that your property tax won’t skyrocket from reclassification, or the Environmental Protection Agency won’t want more over- sight on all the water on your golf course.
NCA is the only entity with full-time focus on your club’s right to exist. It provides legal and legislative monitoring, so your club can serve as a place where members can associate with other like- minded individuals. Our strategic plan is based on three pillars: Advocacy, Insight and Governance. NCA has an expansive advocacy program that works to protect your club and interests at the local, state and federal level. It is acclaimed for its insightful periodicals, publications and education programs focusing on industry trends, human resources, operations, and governance and planning topics. NCA’s reference series, including model bylaws and other tools and tips for effective governance, are building blocks club boards and executives can use to organize and execute at the highest level. NCA staff is extremely knowledgeable and known on Capitol Hill, and our board and commit- tees have some of the brightest and most experienced minds in the industry. If the answers you need aren’t at our fingertips, we can almost always connect you with someone who can help.
Like your club, NCA has overhead and administrative costs that need to be funded year-round. As with your club, the biggest line item in our budget is dues. If our message is to be heard, ClubPAC and the National Club Association Foundation also need resources. Thankfully, many clubs and individuals support these missions, as do our growing list of corporate partners. They see value in the work and they are willing to support them with their hard-earned resources. Membership and revenue are growing, but the truth is, we need more of you to get on board. The larger the number of clubs, members and employees in our universe, the more effective we’ll be in speaking out, communicating important information and helping you govern effectively. If your club is currently a member, we thank you—and encourage you to recruit your nonmember colleagues to join today.