Guest Author: Eileen Morgan Johnson, ASAE
Even the best families have problems, and that reality extends to relationships between associations and their chapters. Although tensions can arise in a variety of areas, from governance to public policy, most can be cured with clear communication.
Associations and their components are often likened to families. Members of the boards of the association and components might say things like “we’re all one family” to reinforce their common purpose. But even the most loving families can have problems, and the same is true for the relationship between associations and their components.
A variety of legal friction points can arise in parent-chapter relationships, including standards for affiliation; resistance to dues increases; views on the chapters’ role in the parent’s governance; competition for conference speakers, sponsorship dollars, and donors; and differing policy positions.
