In 1996, I was led to join this great affiliate of the American Correctional Association. To this day I have never regretted this decision.  Why?  Because, as one member stated, “People will respond to an organization or cause that they perceive has value to them personally.”  This has certainly been my experience.

Today, we have approximately 900 individual and group members in ACCA, and I felt that one of my first responsibilities as president was to begin communicating with all of those members on a regular basis, at least quarterly.

The response to my first email communication (to those of you whose email addresses we have on file) was overwhelming, and several of you made excellent suggestions for recruiting and retaining members.  Here are some of those ideas:

·        Sending out membership solicitations annually, but only after letting members know about ACCA’s ongoing activities.

·        Offering supportive services like information on employment opportunities in corrections. [Such a ‘job bank’ could be particularly helpful when one loses their current position.]

·        Providing emotional and spiritual support to those in stressful work environments.

·        Posting a worthwhile item to our website at least once a quarter.

·        Sending out an occasional link or attachment of a professional chaplaincy publication (such as what the Association of Professional Chaplains [APC] offers to its members).

·        Finding a project that takes us beyond ourselves (like Habitat for Humanity or Goodwill).

·        Promoting our national meetings and regional conferences.

·        Talking up the annual trainings that are held at our regional conferences.

·        Advancing ACCA’s certification opportunities (more than ever).

·        Keeping the website updated.

·        Following up intensively on inactive members.

·        Sharing organizational goals.

·        Setting a vision.

·        Scheduling exciting and worthwhile activities.

Allow me to add to these great ideas what “sells me” about membership in ACCA:

1. You get to network with the “best in the business” in professional chaplaincy;

2. You are provided with a voice in this profession with opportunities to serve on one of our ten standing committees;

3. You can develop your leadership skills as a national officer or committee chair;

4. You can join in respect for others at our interfaith worship service;

5. You can discover research in this field that cannot be found elsewhere;

6. You can take advantage of the dialogue and trainings that are key elements of our organization; and

7. You will find that ACCA members become some of your closest friends, and as I have enjoyed over the years, that they are your ‘second family’.

Please feel free to dialogue with me at dale_hale@usc.salvationarmy.org and/or contact our communications team via the new ‘Questions or Inquiries’ section of our website.

Dale L. Hale, President

American Correctional Chaplains Association

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