Let's try to keep the chapter around

My reply to Dimitris's enquiry is below, as this may help other Chapter members:

Dear Dimitris, (and any other Chapter member with similar questions in mind)

Beyond the somewhat cursory description in section '1.5.1 Chairs of Chapters ' of the guidelines, the role of the Chair is to assume responsibility for ensuring that the Chapter is active and effective. In practical terms, this mainly entails (either by individual effort, but better still by coordinating activities of other Chapter members to cause):

• Production of an annual (currently October to September) plan detailing the activities envisaged by the Chapter; to be submitted to the ExCom. This must include at least the two meetings per year of the Chapter members. 
• Production of an annual (currently October to September) budget forecast corresponding to the above plan; to be submitted to the ExCom.
• Ensuring that the planned activities take place
• Reporting on Chapter activities both to the ExCom and to the MCAA members in general (e.g. by contributing news items to the newsletter) to demonstrate the Chapter is active and making a positive contribution to the MCAA.
• Coordinating transactions with the EC contractor team to obtain payment/reimbursement of legitimate expenses (as identified in the budget)
• Administer the Chapter’s on-line page, by admitting new Chapter members, posting regular content about Chapter activities, and using the in-line facility to e-mail information to Chapter members.
• Recruiting new members to join the Chapter.
• To organise the election of the Chapter Chair each year
• To attend (either in person or on-line) the MCAA Board meetings to represent the Chapter.

The above can be considered as the ‘minimum’, but in many of the most successful Chapters the Chair has also organised, or coordinated other members to organise, actions such as:

• Contacts and representation with ley local organisations – e.g.  NCPs, EURAXESS, EC delegations, main universities and research bodies, key research institutions, businesses with significant research activity, etc.
• Seeking support for Chapter activities (e.g. from the above) either in cash or in kind (e.g. free loan of premises for meetings, catering, etc.) and in certain cases similar support for the MCAA (sponsoring, partnerships, etc.). This might also include negotiating discounts or other advantages for members with local service providers (e.g. hotels, travel, etc.)
• Seeking other means to increase the Chapter budget (beyond the basic support provided by the MCAA reimbursements) – e.g. Charging for event participation,
• Organising activities of interest to Chapter members (e.g. training sessions, seminars, visits to major research facilities, social events, etc.)
• Seeking to host the MCAA annual general assembly (e.g. this year’s even in Leuven, or next year in Vienna) – the call for proposals for 2020 is currently open to all Chapters and Working Groups.
• A Chapter ‘management’ team with specific responsibilities delegated to nominated (or even elected) Chapter members (e.g. treasurer, secretary, communication, etc.). Some Chapters with wide geographic coverage have organised regional representation to cover the territory (e.g. SE Asia, North America).
• Efforts to promote the MCAA and recruit more MCF to join the MCAA (and also to join the Chapter).
• Etc.

The Chair thus has considerable freedom to be creative in developing Chapter activities beyond the basic requirements. The key challenge is to mobilise the chapter members to devote time, effort and enthusiasm to developing activities of interest to all.

Clearly, it is better if the Chair is resident in the Chapter area so as to be able to maintain contacts with the members and the 'local environment' - past experience with 'remote Chairs' based outside the Chapter area have conclusively demonstrated that this is virtually impossible to manage effectively.

Hope this helps?

Simon

Go for it Dimitri!

Do not hesitate to ask for assistance, I'll be there for you.

We can arrange a meeting for discussion whenever this is convenient for you.

DB

I agree that we can be more active in the Greek chapter. I could not run for a chairwoman, but I have time to help for activities! So if the current or new chairperson want to contact me with ideas, feel free!

Zoe

I am glad to see that there is an interest to revive the Greek Chapter. I will be very happy to assist the new Chairperson and support any actions!

Dimitri, My free time is very limited. However, I could also help you in organizing any activities to keep the Chapter alive.

Hi everyone,

It's very exciting to see that people are still interested in the Greek Chapter and its potential. On my behalf, living in Copenhagen, I will not try for the chair given what Mr Robinson wrote. Having said that, I am more than willing to help with organising the biannual events, making sure that they happen, administrating the webpage, organising other events (dissemination, networking, training/giving guidelines to new people currently applying for MSCA or other ideas that other members will bring forward). For example, our activities could include participation in the upcoming Researcher Night allover Greece on September 28th (http://www.researchersnight.gr/) or the S.U.C.R.E. meeting in Thessaloniki and the BRiDGE project (http://sucre.auth.gr/) which aims at promoting research/science/technology to immigrants that contacted Ioanna and me. Given my "outsider" status I don't think I should get involved with budget-related issues.

I really hope that somebody volunteers for the chair, since I cannot do it myself. Then we can immediately distribute actions/responsibilities and I would be more than willing to take on what I described before or anything else that the members decide. We can start moderately with at least the biannual events and our chair can report to the annual MCAA meeting. Then we can discuss about having other small educational, training, networking events for ourselves or participating as the Greek Chapter in larger events such as the ones that I mentioned. My personal goal is to help as much as possible all other current and future members with their ongoing and future projects and aspirations, based on different systems/working environments I was fortunate to be part of while growing older.

Only to clarify, when I am wriing that I will not pursue the chair based on what Mr. Robinson said I am referring to this part: "Clearly, it is better if the Chair is resident in the Chapter area so as to be able to maintain contacts with the members and the 'local environment' - past experience with 'remote Chairs' based outside the Chapter area have conclusively demonstrated that this is virtually impossible to manage effectively." As I wrote before I am more than fine with currying out any tasks I will be assigned to or I will volunteer for.