March 24, 2007

Dear Pioneer Valley ENA Chapter member;

The Pioneer Valley ENA Chapter is in danger of being dissolved. No meetings have been held in almost a year and no officer report has been filed for 2006. The National office has asked the Massachusetts State Council officers to offer assistance to the chapter.

I have personally talked to many of you who ask “What is going on with the chapter?” “When are we going to have a meeting?” In order for the chapter to continue to exist, several things need to happen. First, an active chapter must have at least 5 active members. What does this mean? It means at least 5 members must hold meetings, have meeting minutes and annually provide the National office with chapter reports. The first report gives information about the officers for the upcoming year. The second report gives a summary of the chapter’s activities.

Next, the chapter must hold meetings (the number is specified in the chapter bylaws). I believe the Pioneer Valley chapter must hold 4 meetings per year. The chapter should have officers (President, President-elect, Treasurer, and Secretary) who work together to plan these meetings and any other chapter activities.

The chapter members should have the opportunity to vote on the future of the chapter. I have enclosed a brief survey regarding the future of the Pioneer Valley chapter. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and return in the self-addressed stamped envelop by April 21^st. The Massachusetts ENA Executive Committee will review the survey results to determine the level of interest in maintaining the Pioneer Valley chapter. A meeting will be scheduled if members are interested in keeping the chapter going. If there is no interest in keeping the chapter active, Pioneer Valley chapter members would be reassigned to either the Berkshire Chapter or the Central MA chapter.

The Massachusetts State Council is committed to assisting each of our 5 chapters in succeeding. As the State Council liaison to the Pioneer Valley chapter, I will personally assist any members interested in working to make the chapter a success. There are approximately 90 Pioneer Chapter members representing 7 hospitals in the Pioneer Valley. The chapter provides opportunities to network, share concerns and share successes. Each member has knowledge and expertise to share - let’s provide that opportunity.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or if you are interested in working to keep the Pioneer Valley ENA chapter alive. My home phone is (413)549-9139. My e-mail is rwrn627@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you breathe new life into the Pioneer Valley chapter.

Sincerely,

Robin Walsh RN

Immediate Past President

Massachusetts ENA State Council

PIONEER VALLEY ENA CHAPTER SURVEY March 2007

NAME: ______________________________________________________________

FACILITY: _________________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________

PHONE NUMBER: ______________________________________________________

Best way to contact you: ___ e-mail ___ phone ___ mail

Should Mass ENA dissolve the Pioneer Valley chapter?

___ YES ___ NO

Would you be willing to be mentored as a Pioneer Valley chapter officer?

___ YES ___ NO

If yes, which officer position are you interested in?

____ President ____ Secretary

____ President-elect ____ Treasurer

If no, would you be willing to attend Pioneer Valley chapter meetings?

___ YES ___ NO

If you are not interested in being mentored as a chapter officer, would you be willing to help plan chapter meetings?

___ YES ___ NO

Would you be willing to help plan education for the chapter?

___ YES ___ NO

When should chapter meetings be held?

___ Mornings ___ Afternoons ___ Evenings

Best time: ________________________________________________

What day of the week should chapter meetings be held?

___ Monday ___ Tuesday ___ Wednesday ___ Thursday ___ Friday

If the Pioneer Valley chapter is dissolved which chapter would you want to be transferred into?

___ Berkshire ___ Central MA