Member Events

Regularly scheduled member events include those that are more formal, less formal, and social.

The more formal category of events includes the annual business meeting, held each October in conjunction with the annual conference. Organizational issues of an informational and business nature are addressed at this time, including the election of the Board of Directors.

The annual conference could also be considered a more formal event. It is a large-scale undertaking requiring the efforts of many volunteers. The annual business meeting and the annual conference are both open to the public.

Less formal events include bi-monthly meetings held in different locations. These meetings are also open to the public at no charge. The bimonthly meetings are not official organizational meetings in the sense of needing a quorum or operating by Robert's Rules of Order; they are informational in nature. Those who are interested in the NAWAC can learn about the group and meet members. PowerPoint presentations or discussions regarding a variety of topics are often included, and members have an opportunity to meet others in the organization, an important benefit when dealing with a membership spread over such a large area.

The NAWAC also offers weekend orientation/training workshops to Associate Members and Investigators. As implied, these events are not open to the public. The NAWAC attempts to offer these events on a quarterly basis in a variety of locations within the four-state region. Believing that everyone, regardless of experience or professional background, should have an interest in continuing education, the NAWAC encourages all members to attend these events whenever possible. Needless to say, these opportunities provide an excellent venue for members to network and forge strong friendships.

On the purely social level, the NAWAC sponsors a group campout each spring, usually during April or May. These campouts are open to Asscociate Members, Investigators, and their families.

Non-regularly scheduled events include field operations pertaining to research projects and follow-ups to submitted sighting reports. Involvement in these activities is generally limited to Investigators, although the Field Operations Coordinator reserves the prerogative of including Associate Members as circumstances warrant.