LEADERSHIP TEAM

Overview

• The Leadership Team (LT) holds office for a 1-year period (October 1-September 30). A new team is chosen every year. Volunteering on the LT helps the chapter while you increase the visibility and exposure of yourself and your business. The LT and the Membership Committee both meet monthly. The President attends a monthly Presidents' meeting and the VP participates in a monthly conference call.
• The Leadership Team consists of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Member Success Coordinator, a Membership Committee, Education Coordinator, Visitor Host(s), and an Alternate. At the end of their term, the President, Vice President and Member Success Coordinator, and Treasurer receive compensation by having their membership extended for 1 year.
• Massachusetts has a number of assistant directors who assist the chapters. Ours is Rose Gschwentner.
• The Executive Director of BNI for New England is Patti Salvucci (978-443-6800, patti@bni.com).

President

• Runs the weekly meeting according to BNI policies.
• Runs the monthly Leadership Team meeting.
• Attends a monthly Presidents' Meeting.
• Communicates between BNI Assistant Director and the chapter.

Vice President

• Tracks and records statistics (one to ones, referrals, attendance), enforces the attendance policy and chairs the Membership committee.  The VP is a voting member when necessary.
• Runs the meeting in the absence of the president.
• Tallies the BNI Bucks, which is our way of recording the income generated by members for other members in our group. 

Treasurer

• Submits new member applications and renewal applications/checks to BNI Mass.
• Maintains the Chapter bank account, collects quarterly room dues and pays our bills. 
• Keeps our financial records and reports to the LT about our bank account.

Member Success Coordinator

• Coordinates the Speaker Schedule and emails members in advance of their speaking date.
• Introduces speakers prior to their talk and checks to make sure they have their door prize.
• Conducts an orientation for new members and pairs new members with a more experienced mentor in the group.
• Connects members having trouble in the group with an experienced member to be more successful.

Membership Committee

• Sets expectations, evaluates the involvement of existing members, and identifies need for new members to help our chapter be effective. It looks at new and renewing members' quality of work and their fit with BNI expectations and participation.
• Processes applications, conducts reference checks, screens and interviews prospective members, and clarifies the category being applied/accepted for.
• Evaluates the participation of existing members (including attendance, referrals, fit, complaints).
• Processes renewal applications of current members.
• Intervenes/mediates regarding complaints between/about members when necessary.

Education Coordinator

Coordinates the weekly educational information for members during the meeting.

Visitor Hosts

• Arrives early to set up visitor table and BNI signs.
• Welcomes visitors, screens for professional overlap with current members, and introduces visitors to members.

ATTENDANCE

• We have 2 6-month periods for attendance, which run from October 1st-March 31st and again from April 1st - September 30th.  Attendance is not concurrent with an individual's membership year.
• A maximum of 3 absences are allowed per 6-month period, plus 3 absences with a substitute.
• 3 times coming late =1 absence, 3 times leaving early = 1 absence.
• Contact the President or VP if you will be absent.
• You may receive a phone call after your first absence and a letter after your second and third absences from the Membership Committee. After that, you may forfeit your BNI seat.
• A medical leave of absence may be taken for up to 8 weeks, with the prior approval of the Membership Committee.
• If you need to leave early or if you have extenuating circumstances around attendance, please let the VP know (ahead of time whenever possible).

Lateness

• "Late" is after 7:10 am (by the clock on the wall) or after the president starts the meeting. Make a point to come earlier (e.g. 6:45) to network.
• A member who comes in late gives a testimonial about someone in the group rather than his/her 50-second, but may still give an 8-minute.
• A first time visitor who comes late is allowed to give a 50-second presentation.
• A substitute who comes late forfeits his own 50-second presentation, but may give the 50-second for the member he represents.

Substitutes

• You may have substitutes a maximum of 3 times during a 6-month period.
• If you know you will miss a meeting, ask someone to substitute for you.
• You may ask family, friends or coworkers to substitute.
• The chapter keeps a list of people who are interested in substituting. Some are former chapter members; some are from other BNI chapters.  Inform the membership committee is you know someone who would like to included on our substitute List.
• You can locate members of other BNI chapters who are available to substitute by going to www.BNIMass.com, clicking on Members at the top of the screen, and then clicking on Substitutes.
• Substitutes should be prepared to give your 50 second presentation, as well as their own, unless they represent your agency (the same profession) or are in conflict with another member. If so, they may only give a presentation for the member they're subbing for.
• Make sure you explore whether your sub might have a conflict with an existing member. It's always a good idea to let members in related categories know about the sub in advance, to check out and prevent possible conflicts.
• Inform your sub of arrival time, meeting structure and ways the sub will be asked to participate (50 seconds, saying something about the meeting at Referral time, bring business cards and put them around the table in advance).
• If a sub doesn't come even when a member has arranged for coverage, it is counted as an absence.
• A person may not act as a substitute for more than one member at any given meeting.

Holidays and Snow Days

• Meetings are held every Tuesday morning except for the Tuesdays following holidays: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and between Christmas and New Years.
• If Brookline Schools are closed for snow days, the chapter doesn't meet. If the town or city a member resides in has school closed for a snow day, a member may miss the meeting and not have it counted as an absence.

Documentation of Attendance and Referrals

• The VP tracks weekly attendance, lates, referrals, one to ones, and numbers of visitors.
• This is recorded online at www.BNIMass.com in the VP report (also called the PALS report).
• Members can access it by logging on, and going to VP Report. View and Print for a month. The VP can print out reports that cover several months (called Cumulative Reports).

MEETING STRUCTURE

General

• Turn off beepers and cell phones before the start of the meeting.
• Get your coffee before the meeting, not during.
• Be prepared: Wear your BNI member badge. Bring your BNI cardholder. Bring your calendar and paper to take notes during meetings. Keep a folder or notebook for important emails and information.
• Keep extra referral slips and green "thank you" slips in your business card holder.
• Make sure the card file has a supply of your current business cards. The box will go around once during the meeting. If you will be away, ask another member to make sure the file has a supply of your cards. Business cards are kept in alphabetical order by members' names.
• During Referral Time, limit talking about referrals and testimonials to one to two sentences. Keep them positive and brief.
• Business related announcements are made during the Announcement slot at the end of the meeting.
• Give referral slips to fellow members before or after the meeting; don't pass them during the meeting, as courtesy to your fellow members.

Purpose and Overview

Each week a scheduled member presents the Purpose and Overview of BNI near the beginning of the meeting. This can be a brief statement of what BNI is about, using BNI literature or resources. It can also be a time the member talks about what BNI means to him/herself or why s/he is a member. This provides the "opening remarks" which set the tone for the meeting.

3 Minute and 8 Minute Presentations

• The Member Success Coordinator/Member Success Coordinator maintains the speakers' schedule, and provides 6 weeks advance notice to speakers.
• New members give 3 minute presentations after they have completed their MSP training.
• All members are scheduled and expected to present 8 minute talks about 3 times a year (depending on the overall size of the chapter). 8 minute presentations allow members to go into more depth about their profession.
• If a member needs to reschedule, s/he must arrange a substitute/trade with another member and inform the Member Success Coordinator.
• Speakers are encouraged to invite guests when they are speaking.
• 8 minute speakers give door prizes, and should spend $15 to $20 on a gift. Whenever possible, door prizes should be related to the work that the speaker does. Taking someone out to lunch is not an appropriate gift.
• BNIMass policy is that speakers may not present if they forget to bring a door prize.
• Occasionally, an 8-minute slot is used for small group/meeting stimulant activities or for chapter business.

Member Bio Sheets

• Members giving 3 and 8 minute presentations are introduced by the Member Success Coordinator.  S/he uses Member Bio Sheets to introduce them.
• Member Bio Sheets can be downloaded from www.BNIMass.com by logging in to the Members Only section.
• Scroll down to Share and Download Files, click on View Files to Download.
• Select Forms, and then find the Member Bio Sheet.
• If you prefer, you can copy the form from the MSP booklet, and complete it legibly by hand.
• Update it every time you speak (especially "My burning desire is..." and "Something no one knows about me...").
• Email it or give it to the Member Success Coordinator in advance.

One to Ones (Dance Cards)

• Members are encouraged to meet with one member each week for a one-to-one, and expected to do a minimum of 2 one-to-ones a month.
• After members do one-to-ones, they are encouraged to do the 60-second for the person they met with (i.e., trade 60-second spots) in the following week.
• List the names of people you had 1:1's with during the previous week on the attendance sheet and dance card sheet, as the VP records numbers of 1:1's.

Room Dues

• Room dues pay for renting the meeting space and chapter activities. Room dues are due by the beginning of each quarter.
• A late fee of $5.00 is added when room dues are not paid on time.

MEMBERS

Visitors

• Visitors and substitutes should be welcome and treated with great respect. We never know whom they know and what kind of referral source they might be.
• If you bring a visitor, let the Visitor Hosts and President know in advance if possible.
• Fill out a referral slip on the day the visitor first comes to get credit for bringing a visitor.
• Make sure you explore whether your visitor might have a conflict with an existing member. It's always a good idea to let members in related categories know about the visitor in advance, to check out and prevent possible conflicts.
• BNI policy is that an individual may visit or substitute only twice before becoming a member. Brookline BNI Networkers allows substitutes to come more than that, though we recognize that someone who comes regularly and receives the benefits of membership should be encouraged to become a member.
• When you invite visitors or substitutes, let them know about the structure. Tell them to come early, be prepared to give a 50-second (and what that includes), and bring enough business cards and materials that they may distribute (to everyone) before the meeting. Tell them about the Referral portion of the meeting, and prepare them to stand and speak about how they feel about the group, the meeting or the experience.
• If it appears that someone may have a conflict, s/he can stay to observe, and only introduce himself. E.g. "We welcome Sue to the meeting. We're exploring whether there's a conflict. If not, she's welcome to come back. If there is, she'll be welcome at another chapter." Visitors coming to network for jobs (who appear to have a conflict) are allowed to introduce themselves (nothing more) and observe.
• If when a visitor gives a 50-second, it becomes clear that there is a conflict with a member, let the visitor finish. Then politely and professionally, let the individual know there has been a conflict, and address it then. If appropriate, try to connect the individual with another chapter.

Applicants

• Visitors are encouraged to come twice before submitting an application. However, they should not come to meetings while their applications are pending.
• Applications with checks should be submitted to the Membership Committee.

New Members

• The Member Success Coordinator/Treasurer enters information about new members on www.BNIMass.com. Once this is done, new members receive an email from BNIMass with a username and a password for the BNIMass website.
• New members should sign up for SuccessNet, the national BNI enewsletter on the BNIMass website.
• New members must attend a Member Success Program (MSP) within 60 days of joining, before they may give their 3-minute or 8-minute presentations. This is a 2-hour introduction to BNI. The calendar for MSP's is located on the BNIMass website under Programs-MSP at the top of the home page.
• Notify the Member Success Coordinator after you've completed your MSP.

Renewals

• Members are notified by the Membership Committee 1 to 2 months before their membership year is up for renewal.
• The Member Success Coordinator gives members the renewal form.
• Renewal involves meeting with a member of the Membership Committee, completing a Member Evaluation form and submitting a BNI renewal form with a check to the Treasurer. Renewal is a time to revisit participation (attendance, referrals given and received, participation in 8 minute presentations, fit, complaints) and expectations. It is not automatic.
• There is a $20 late fee if the renewal is submitted to BNIMass late. If it is 30 days late, a new application must be submitted with a $75 fee.

Categories

• Each member selects one specific category for his or her "seat". If an individual does more than one category in his or her work, s/he may talk about the other category as long as no one is in that seat. I.e., a person who does both graphic design and website design must choose one or the other as his/her category (if both are open). S/he may talk about the other if there is no one in that seat, but may not mention it if the other seat is filled.
• A member may change his/her category at a later date to a different open category with approval from the Membership Committee. The individual holds the seat, not the individual's company. I.e., if an individual works for a firm that has people in other categories, s/he needs to find ways to collaborate/maintain a collegial relationship with chapter members in those categories.

Issues with Individual Members

• If a member has an issue or conflict with another member, s/he should speak first with the other person and try to work it out. If it can't be resolved, it should be brought to the Membership Committee. If there are issues or questions about a member's participation, the Membership Committee will contact the member to discuss.
• The Membership Committee as a whole meets to approve/make recommendations about individuals. If the individual in question sits on the Membership Committee, the meeting will convene without that person present.
• The Membership Committee sends form letters to members when issues need to be resolved, i.e. to inform of attendance problems, or when being asked to leave the chapter (called "opening a classification").
• Members can't be asked to leave during their membership year UNLESS they've been put on probation and it hasn't worked out, been spoken to by the MC with the info in writing, or have received "form" letters because of absences, etc. The assistant director must review and approve the decision.
• If someone is asked to leave, the chapter may be told only that it's a Membership Committee decision based on what's best for the chapter because of liability and confidentiality.

RESOURCES

Chapter Library

The chapter has a number of BNI books, tapes and CD's about networking. They are available to borrow from the Chapter Librarian before or after the meeting

Projector

The chapter owns an LCD projector which members may use for presentations during meetings. A designated member keeps the project and brings it WHEN REQUESTED to the meeting.  Inform him/her when you need it for a presentation in advance of the meeting.  The projector is not available for personal use.
 
Parking
There is metered parking along Beacon Street. Three hour parking is indicated by red bands on the meters, and is located on the westbound side of Beacon Street below Charles Street. Two-hour parking meters are located closer to Coolidge Corner.  Plan to put enough quarters for 2 hours so you don’t need to step out during the meeting.
 

BNI Massachusetts – www.BNIMass.com

• The Member Success Coordinator enters information about new members on this site.
• After the new member's information is entered on the BNIMass website s/he will automatically be assigned a username and password, which s/he receives via email.
• If you haven't received a password, you can choose your chapter, click login, choose your name, and have your password emailed to you.
• Each member is responsible for making sure his/her information is current on the site.
• You can make some changes at the website (user name and password, some phone numbers, website URL, logo, memory hook, availability to substitute) by going to Members Only, and clicking on Members Edit/Add.
• To change your category, company name, address, email, office or fax numbers, you must contact Paula at the BNIMass office directly (Paula@bnimass.com or fax at 978-443-4171. You can find the Request Changes to Your BNI Member Listing form on the BNIMass website under Members Only, Share and Download Files, click on Forms.
• Click on the top right on Members Only. Login with your user name and password.
• Check out Share and Download Files for some good resources, including the Member Bio form.
• VP Report is where you will find statistics on each member and the chapter, by month.
• You can search for members of other BNI chapters willing to substitute by searching on Members, then choosing yes for Substitute at the bottom of the screen.

BNI International – www.bni.com

• Subscribe to SuccessNet, BNI's e-newsletter. You can do this on www.BNIMass.com by clicking on SuccessNet on the right side of the homepage, and entering your email address.
• The site has an Internal Roster for chapter members only on the Chapter Roster page.
• If you need to make a revision, email the President and he/she will direct you to the right person.
• The member profile template allows the following information:

1. Member name and profession
2. Memory hook
3. Photograph of choice (dimensions will be cropped or resized to no larger than 200x200 pixels)
4. A couple of paragraphs of general information
5. Complete address and contact information
6. You do not have to have a member profile and/or you do not have to include all the elements listed above. For instance, you may omit the photo altogether or choose to have it be of a product rather than be a self-portrait.
7. Spell check your information, as it is copied and pasted into the template exactly as it is received.
8. If you can, scan in your photographs and email them.