Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Southwest region still in need of grassroots ambassadors



The GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador program is off to a successful start with 89 members now advocating GCSAA policies and initiatives at the local, regional and national level.  

For those of you who are not aware of the grassroots program, it was established at the 2014 Golf Industry Show and matches a GCSAA member with all 535 members of Congress (by 2018), allowing members to establish strong and beneficial relationships with elected policymakers and represent golf on issues that are important to the industry.  

Class A, SM and C members are eligible to serve as an ambassador and appointments are for a two-year period.  Ambassadors are required to perform the following activities during the two-year period:

  • Attend more than 50% of events on ambassador engagement calendar.
  • Build and maintain positive relationships with assigned policymaker, and keep abreast of, and advocate, GCSAA policy statements and initiatives.
  • Regularly review GCSAA publications, action alerts and updates on GCSAA Government Relations Online.
  • Respond to GCSAA action alerts in a timely manner and engage colleagues to participate in such efforts to the extent required or necessary. In this role, a GCSAA grassroots ambassador must be able to represent GCSAA as a whole and the advancement of its members and the golf industry in general. 
  • Meet personally with assigned policymaker or his or her key staff at least twice each year using these options:
    1. Attend one August recess activity while policymaker is in the district.
    2. Visit policymaker in his or her district office.
    3. Visit policymaker in his or her Capitol Hill office.
    4. Host the policymaker at a golf course.
    5. Invite assigned policymaker to attend chapter meeting or other GCSAA affiliated function.
  • Attend GCSAA Advocacy Boot Camp if attending the Golf Industry Show, if it fits in with personal schedule.
  • Promptly report to the GCSAA government relations department all actions and outcomes tied to ongoing advocacy efforts.
  • Include government relations and advocacy information in your chapter newsletter or chapter websites, as appropriate.  
  • Provide bi-annual government relations updates at chapter meetings.                 

There are a number of congressional deistricts in Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada still in need of qualified ambassadors.  You may only represent the district in which your facility is located.  All GCSAA ambassadors will receive the training and resources needed to become a successful advocate for the game. 
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For more information on the program, or to check on availability in your area, please contact me at jjensen@gcsaa.org , Kaelyn Seymour at kseymour@gcsaa.org or visit the website at http://cqrcengage.com/gcsaa/Ambassadors. 

Becoming a grassroots ambassador is a great way for you to enhance your overall skill set and advocate on behalf of the game you love. 
 


Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Enter your canine friend to be crowned 2015 Dog of the Year



The 12th Annual Lebanon Turf Dog Days of Golf Calendar will be accepting entries for its 2015 edition through Aug. 1, 2014. 

The Dog Days of Golf Calendar is a superintendent favorite and gives your golf course canine the opportunity to be crowned 2015 Dog of the Year.  The winning dog will garner $3,000 for the affiliated chapter he/she represents, $500 for the superintendent and a $1,000 donation will be made to the Train a Dog Save a Warrior program.  Additionally, anyone who submits a photo will receive a gift from LebanonTurf.  

http://www.gcsaa.org/dog-calendar/dog-calendar


Entering is easy:  Submit your high-resolution images to lebturfdogcalendar@gcsaa.org with the following information:
  • Complete contact information for dog’s owner
  • Dog’s name, age and breed
  • Complete contact information for the golf course superintendent
  • Facility name and location
  • Photographer’s name
Recommended tips for taking photos include shots of your dog playing or working on the golf course, seasonal photos, use of colors and horizontal shots as they fit the calendar format better than vertical shots.  

Please make sure your images are high-resolution and a minimum size of 1.0 MB. Multiple images will be accepted. The winner will be voted on at the 2015 Golf Industry Show in San Antonio and the calendar will accompany the November 2014 issue of GCM magazine.

The Southwest region was represented by a trio of dogs last year including, Lance from Del Rio Golf & Country Club in Modesto, Calif. (Class A superintendent Dave Bermudez) and Honey and Tessa from The Journey at Pechanga in Temecula, Calif. (Class A superintendent John Martinez). 

If you have any questions concerning calendar submissions, please contact Cynthia Andrews at Lebanon Turf at 800-532-0090, ext. 253.

Thank you to Lebanon Turf for supporting golf course superintendents and their chapters through the Dog Days of Golf Calendar for more than a decade.