Mission:

The primary objective of the Program Chair is to obtain quality presenters for the monthly meetings. The current quota will be four speakers throughout the year with the remainder of the meetings filled with alternate programs. It will be necessary for the Program Chair to obtain commitments from presenters several months in advance so that the club may schedule alternate programs, but because of the flexibility of the club, it is possible to schedule back to back speakers, and then do alternate programs for several months. It will be important for the program chair to coordinate this schedule with the President and the board of directors so that alternate programs can be put into place. The Program Chair holds a voting position on the Loveland Photographic Society (LPS) Board of Directors and should make every effort to attend all board meetings (six scheduled per year: first Tuesday of odd months) to help direct the club in the decision making process.

Basic Duties:

1. Contact prospective speakers and relating specific club needs to help speakers’ present appropriate programs.
2. Be specific about the allotted time (typically 45 minutes).
3. Let the speaker know that we pay a $50 gratuity.
4. Make the speaker aware that he/she will be invited to participate in judging and commenting on the club competition. (Note: Speakers may choose to participate in alternate judging which includes sitting on a panel of judges, or may decline, in which case all judges will be chosen by the President.)
5. Introduce the speaker at the meeting.
6. Time the speaker and make sure he/she does not run over the allotted time.
7. Thank the speaker and turn the meeting back to the president.
8. Schedule the pre-meeting meeting.
9. Give a brief synopsis of programs for the newsletter, the publicity chair, and the website.

Time Commitment:

There is no set time commitment in obtaining speakers. The contact process is usually by email or phone. Many professionals jump at the chance to talk about their craft and their projects. The process of obtaining good speakers may include communicating with other clubs for recommendations, reading photographic related material to search out professionals and educators, and visiting websites on topics of interest to the club.

Benefits:

Our monthly meeting attracts not only its members, but also the interest of the community. It is one of the ways we put the club in the spotlight. Good programs not only educate, but also inspire, which helps LPS be a primary source of inspiration for a broad group of people interested in photography. Personal benefits include getting to meet professionals and educators in the photographic field, interacting with club members to learn their needs and desires, and furthering personal interests in the field of photography.