2014 BoD Elections Notice, Supporting JALT through membership dues

2014 BoD Elections Notice

NPO JALT National Board of Directors election time has rolled around once again and so we ask that you take a moment to support the candidates who you would like to see directing the course JALT will take during the next two years. If you have not yet done so, please look over the candidates’ statements included in the July TLT, or accessible at:

http://jalt.org/general/npo-jalt-board-directors-elections

This year marks a new era for JALT elections as voting will be done online. Voting has never been easier, and we are hoping for participation in record numbers from our members.

How to vote: 

If your membership is current, you will be receiving an email containing a link to an individualized ballot. Click on the link to directly access the ballot. This email will be sent on 19 September 2014. If you have any questions or do not receive an email with the link, please contact membership-office@jalt.org.  Alternatively, you can access the online ballot at: jalt.org/general/2014-bod-elections

Deadline

The voting period will end on 3 November 2014 at 12:00 a.m. (midnight).

Thank you for your continued involvement and support. 

David Gann, NEC Chair

2014年理事選挙のお知らせ

NPO JALTの理事選挙の時期となりました。次期の2年間JALTを導いて欲しい立候補者をご支持いただきたいと思います。まだお決まりでない方は、立候補者の所信表明を下記のリンクからご覧ください。

http://jalt.org/general/npo-jalt-board-directors-elections

今年から、JALTの選挙は、オンラインによる投票になりました。郵送による投票は、簡単なことではありませんでしたが、オンライン化されることで、会員の皆様からの投票が過去最高になるものと期待しております。

投票方法:

現在会員である方々に、個別の投票用紙にアクセスいただけるリンクを含んだEメールをお送りいたします。そのリンクをクリックすると投票用紙に直接アクセスいただけます。このEメールは、2014年9月19日までに送付されます。それまでに個別のご案内がお手元に届かなかった場合や、ご質問がございましたら、membership-office@jalt.org へ問い合わせください。別の方法として、jalt.org/general/2014-bod-electionsからもオンライン投票用紙にアクセスいただけます。

投票締切り:

投票は、2014年11月3日午後12時を持ちまして終了いたします。

JALTの活動をご支援いただきありがとうございます。

ガン・デイヴィッド、選挙管理委員長

 

Supporting JALT through membership dues

A message from the Board of Directors

As a membership-based professional organization, everything that JALT is and does comes from our members. You create publications, put on events, create communities for professional and personal development, support research, and help to improve language education. You also provide much of the revenue that makes everything happen. Much has changed in the education industry and in JALT over the years, but one thing has not changed since 1997—membership dues. While our peer organizations have all raised membership fees since then, JALT has not.

At the last two Executive Board Meetings in February and June, the chapter and SIG representatives struggled to balance JALT’s budget with help from the Board of Directors and the Financial Steering Committee. Estimates for expenses were reduced as much as possible and some items were cut entirely. Many ideas to increase revenues and to diversify sources of funding were also proposed. As a group, JALT will work to make many of those ideas happen. However, the JALT Executive Board recognized that JALT membership fees will need to be raised in order for us to continue to provide the same level of services.

Please read through the background information below and consider all of the value JALT provides you as a member. Though the Executive Board would prefer not to ask members to pay more, it is time to do so. Please discuss this with your friends in JALT, ask your chapter or SIG officers for their experience trying to improve JALT’s finances, and let them know your own views on a membership dues increase.

Reasons for the fees increase

  • The rise in the consumption tax from 5% to 10% over 2 years will result in a projected increase in expenses of 2.5 million yen.
  • Advertising, which used to be a significant source of revenue, looks to become insignificant in the future.
  • JALT now over-depends on the conference for more than 50% of its revenue. In 2013, the conference came very close to being canceled because of two typhoons, which would have resulted in a very significant loss of revenue for JALT.
  • All JALT expenses have been streamlined, and it is not possible to reduce them further without JALT operations being affected.

What can be accomplished with a fees increase

  • JALT can promote itself and its mission, and raise the profile of JALT, which will benefit members with increased recognition from potential employers.
  • JALT can improve services provided by the JALT Central Office, which will facilitate the work of Chapter and SIG officers.
  • JALT can fulfill its responsibilities with its international partners and thus promote our organization in Asia.
  • JALT can ensure the continued quality of its publications by supporting the Publications Board.
  • JALT can work to build its reserves (the rainy day fund), which would be used to cover vital expenses such as staff salaries and office rent in case the conference cannot be held in a particular year.