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Can IoPP strengthen its chapters?

Some say local chapters are the lifeblood of the Institute of Packaging Professionals, but they’ve been ignored. Will this change?

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Like many organizations of individuals, the Institute of Packaging Professionals often relies on local chapters to carry its message. But over the last few years, volunteer chapter leaders have regularly complained about little support from the national office. So Packaging World asked IoPP’s new leadership about its plans for its local chapters.

“Let’s turn that question around,” responds Edwin Landon, IoPP executive director. “Some chapters are strong and very self-sufficient. Others are in the middle; they do okay, but are unhappy with headquarters’ support. And we have some in areas that are weak and may not survive.

“What we’re trying to do is take the ideas and concepts from the chapters that are strong and make that information available to the chapters that are struggling, to see if they can learn from the stronger ones. Where those complaints are right is that there has not been a good communications link between national and the chapters. More than anything else, we’re trying to address that.”

Chuck Perrin, CPP, who is retired but currently serves as chair of the operations committee of IoPP, has also heard the criticism. But he doesn’t particularly agree on the responsibility. “Frankly, the key to chapter success really lies with the local office holders, much more so than the national staff. It really depends on programs and content. If a chapter has good programs, good content, good venue—if they present something of value—then people will come out and events are successful.”

He also tells a story about himself to prove his point. When Perrin worked at Dow Agrosciences in Indianapolis and served as an IoPP officer, he was scheduled to speak about the organization and its benefits at an Indiana chapter. “Although it was well promoted, the turnout was very low,” he reports.

“Later, I gave a presentation to the same chapter on agricultural chemical packaging and a new line we had put into a French plant. That night the audience was triple the size of the earlier evening. On top of that,” he says, “none of the attendees really had connections to agricultural chemical packaging.” Perrin is convinced that it was the more interesting program content that drew more members to the second presentation.

Another former IoPP officer isn’t convinced that even good content will draw attendees to local chapter gatherings. “One chapter president I know said she couldn’t get anyone from headquarters to even visit the chapter for something like three years! Plus, the headquarters didn’t offer any help in programming or membership development. This is why some members refer to the former national office as a ‘tight little club.’”

That criticism has impressed itself on the new administration. “Pat Farrey and I are trying to visit each chapter, one by one,” says Landon. “And so is the executive committee. We want the national organization to be represented at the chapter level. Our role now is just to ask, ‘How can we be helpful?’”

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