Posting Confirmed Chapters on Our Website
A Message from Guy Rodgers, Executive Director

Please read this email very carefully. It contains numerous details that are important to the next phase in launching our chapter organization.

We have been investigating the very best way to facilitate connecting chapter leaders to people who go to our website to inquire about chapters in their area. Our goal is to provide the most user-friendly means for this to happen, while still protecting the privacy of chapter leaders.

As you note in your chapter start-up packet, I mention that many organizations list name, address, phone and email contact information for their grassroots leaders. For obvious reasons we will not do that.

After looking at several different ways to set this up, we have determined that the best way is the way that is described in your chapter starter packet. The alternatives we reviewed were either too complicated or too fraught with potential errors in communication, and they didn't provide any additional privacy protection to a chapter leader who wants to reach out and bring in new people to build the chapter.

So to review, here's what's going to happen.

1. Our target date to post chapter locations on our website is the second week of January.

2. We will post a U.S. map with instructions for people to click on any state to see a list of chapters. (Note: we have some chapters starting outside the U.S. There will be a mechanism for people to find those as well.)

3. When an inquirer clicks on a particular state, they will see a pop-up that lists the cities/towns where confirmed chapters exist, and an email address to contact the chapter leader. Note: I recommend you create a unique email address for this purpose, and not use a personal email address you already have. To let us know what email address you want to use, please email chapters@actforamerica.org. Put "unique email address" in the subject line. Include your name, address, city, state, zip code and unique email you want us to use. Please include all this contact information so we can correctly match up your unique email with you.

   You will continue to receive informational and educational emails from us at your current email address. The unique email you provide us will be only for what we list as your contact on the website, and what you should use in correspondence with people inquiring about your chapter.

4. Only confirmed chapters will be posted on the website. To qualify as a confirmed chapter we need a signed copy of your Affiliation Agreement. You may mail it to P.O. Box 6884, Virginia Beach, VA 23456, or fax it to 757.689.4968. If you want to be included in this inaugural posting of chapters, and we want to include you!, we must have your signed agreement. If you have sent it and want to confirm that we have received it, email chapters@actforamerica.org and put "confirming you received my Affiliation Agreement" in the subject line.

   We don't want to leave anyone out! So please, if you haven't already done so, return your signed Affiliation Agreement right away.

   If you have not yet received a chapter starter packet, which includes the Affiliation Agreement, email chapters@actforamerica.org and put "need chapter starter packet" in the subject line. We will email you the packet soon.

5. Sometime during the first week of January we will send you an email with a link to what the chapter posting page will look like. When that occurs, please click on your contact city and make sure we have the correct email address and city for you. This will be your opportunity to verify what we have and alert us if we have inaccurate information. That email will explain exactly what to do if your information is incorrect.

Lastly, if you no longer want to be included as a chapter leader (and you may have already contacted us indicating that), please email us at chapters@actforamerica.org, put "remove me from chapter leader list" in the subject line, to let us know so we can take you off the list. If you've already requested that and haven't been removed, please accept my apology. We'll do our best to make sure you are removed expeditiously.

As you can see, there are many, many details inherent in starting and building a quality, successful chapter organization. It helps us immensely when you email us to put specific subjects in the subject line, such as those I indicated previously in this message. That helps us sort and process the many, many emails we receive much faster and more efficiently.

We need your help in ensuring we do this as smoothly and accurately as possible. Please read each of these emails very carefully and take action where necessary according to the instructions provided. Thank you!

Guy Rodgers

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