That knocking on your door?

It's your neighborhood Catholic Press Association, and have we got a deal for you!

  Before any of us volunteer for anything, we usually like to know what we're getting ourselves into.  When we do volunteer, we want to come away with a sense of satisfaction - to feel we've contributed to the common good.

   That's just what's behind this message from the Catholic Press Association. It's an invitation to us to volunteer - with lots of information so we will volunteer - plus some best practices to help ensure success and satisfaction.

  You may remember that I wrote you in June to tell you about a new plan to reinvigorate the Catholic Press Association with an updated structure. It is an answer to the age-old question of "What does the CPA have to offer me?"

  What you’ll see is the result of many months of deliberation by a representative committee of CPA members, the Board of Directors, and our new administrative staff (who were hired for their strong experience in the modern workings of professional associations). The new, two-tiered structure of councils and committees aims to make our association more efficient and effective.

   Fair warning, though: There is a lot of information to peruse - but it shows the many ways we might share our gifts so that the CPA is more vital and valuable to all its members.

    All of the material is posted on this Web site, www.catholicpress.org, and it will be part of a special issue of The Catholic Journalist.  But to help me keep my promise to keep you connected with what's happening with your association, the Board of Directors wanted you to have this information quickly. And there is another reason, too.

    We would love to have our new councils up and running by September, and our committees soon after.

   Please take some time reading files on the Web site. Think about how a committee or council charge fits into your interests, into the talents of someone with whom you work, or perhaps the gifts of another CPA member. Whether you have served on a CPA committee in the past or, even more so, if you haven't, give some thought to the talents you'd bring to a CPA council or committee.

   Take a look at the expectations and the terms of service. The goal here is tap the tremendous depths of experience and talent of our members - lots of our members - and to make our involvement in our association as satisfying and fruitful as possible.

 First things first: Where did this come from?

   The CPA Constitution and Bylaws have an entire section (Article X) on committees. While the power to execute policy and regulations rests with the Board of Directors, the committees have long been seen as a way to garner more member input and insight. And they have done an admirable job through the years. However, many have voiced ideas about how this structure could be improved.

   The ad hoc Organizational Structure Committee (OSC) met July 18 at a retreat house in the Chicago area to refine the proposal that was first presented to members at the Brooklyn convention. Along with yours truly, current members of the OSC are:

*   Helen Osman, (chair), past CPA president, USCCB Communications Department:

*   Peggy Zezza of the Pittsburgh Catholic;

*   Deacon Randy Grosse of the Omaha Catholic Voice;

*   Mary Breslin of the Joliet Catholic Explorer;

*   Brad Collins of Extension magazine;

*   Tom Conway, CPA executive director;

*   Karen Hurley, CPA assistant executive director.

   The next day, the OSC worked with the CPA Board of Directors to refine the proposal even more.

   The result is that the Board approved this reorganization of the CPA structure so that all the committees will no longer report directly to the Board of Directors and the president.

   Committees are now clustered under three councils - for Governance, for Education, and for Communication & Advocacy - which will support the committees in specific ways. Councils will prioritize issues for the committees' work, review and possibly refine committee recommendations before passing them on to the board of directors for consideration.

   The structure works in reverse as well, with the board able to make requests of the councils, which in turn can ask committees to do needed research or leg work.

   Much to digest, because we have much to do

   In the links on the Web site you'll find a set of charges for councils, another set of charges for committees, and two similar documents - a Manual for Councils and a Manual for Committees - which are intended to clarify expectations of members of councils and committees.

   The councils all have a similar set of charges.  Each committee has very specific charges. Some committees are sure to require subcommittees because the tasks are so demanding.  We worked with this thought in mind: What does the mission of the Catholic Press Association call us to do?

   Again, please be looking for some way that you think you'd be able to contribute your talent. If you see an area that's of interest to you, please use any of these reply methods:

    *   Open the Referral form, save it in your documents, complete the form and email it to cpaoffice@catholicpress.org.

   *   Send an e-mail with your name and interest to Karen Hurley, assistant executive director: khurley@catholicpress.org.

   *   Call Bob Zyskowski: 651-291-4453.

   Pass along names of others you think would help, too.  We need lots of hands to lighten the workload.

 Peace,

Bob Zyskowski

President,

The Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada