It is helpful to periodically review the mission statement and to change it if necessary. An organization's mission is its reason for being, its purpose, or its social justification for existing.  Our mission statement is as follows:

The Maine Council of Reflexologists is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of our members, as well as, providing educational awareness of the health benefits of reflexology to the public.

The Council was established in 1991. Its purpose is as follows:

1.      to make the public:

a. aware of competent practitioners and their training
b. aware of reflexology and its principles.

2. to meet the needs of the Profession:

a. by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information
b. promoting and convening annual meeting/conference
c. supporting the development of interested people in the profession

As professional Reflexologists we:

·        Provide Professional Services to balance the body's energies

·        Gather four days annually

·        Encourage continued education for our members

·        Sponsor lecture/workshops

·        Speak to community groups

·        Provide networking throughout the State, Country, and the World.

Members participated in a short exercise about MCR’s mission statement

Key Words of Mission Statement

Non-profit –Support –Education – Provide –Awareness – Benefits

Reflexology --Dedication

Review of Mission Statement –ideas generated were as follows:

• Certified Reflexologists and Non-certified members

• Area serving State of Maine but connected to NE and Nation.

• Organization- network

• Continuing education for members

• Protect modality

• Professionalism- protect public

• Client /practitioner relationship

• Code of ethics

• Technique distinctive

• MCR is a leader

• Highly qualified members

• Diversity in members- cohesive

• Committees Legislative Watch

• ·Leadership Education

• Network National/International

It may be helpful in the future to incorporate some of these ideas and elaborate on MCR’s mission statement.

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As MCR members we examined the organization's past, a source of much information about what has been effective and what has not. It is highly useful for members to look backward for the same number of years it is expecting to plan into the future.

We asked ourselves the following questions to help clarify some of the issues:

·        What opportunities has the organization had?

·        How has the organization responded to these opportunities (taken advantage of them? unable to take advantage of them?)

The organization's "highs" go above the line, and the "lows" go below the line.

Members participated in an exercise requiring imagination, not necessarily "practical" ideas. They were asked to describe in great detail what the organization would be doing in five years. Members then divided into 5 groups and gathered around large sheet of paper and listed some of the common elements as well as identified some of the unique or interesting ideas.

Ideas from Group 1

• Central offices or branches in 4 locations manned by paid staff

• MCR profits from training/workshops/foot clinics

• Licensing issues are resolved

• Increased financial capability derived from increased membership and 501 © nonprofit status

• Paid lobbyist in Augusta

• Collective umbrella for health insurance coverage

• Members working together as a team towards a common goal

• Attendance at MCR meetings is increased by 50% and an increase in membership pool

• Each member has had 12 hours of communication/assertiveness training

• All members have leadership training

• Have a real library

• Portion of MCR dues goes towards individual membership in RAA

• Summer camp for Reflexologists to exchange knowledge and encourage teamwork

• A law that requires 6^th grade and up to be educated in Reflexology and given time to practice

 Ideas from Group 2

• Get in the News

• Press releases to major newspaper

• Calendar on TV and in Newspapers

• Monthly roundtable meetings

• Different region each month

• Yearly conference

• Central Office with staff

• Library

• Resource center

• MCR sponsored state school

• Training/continuing education

• MCR has a voice on the national level

• 200+ members

Ideas from Group 3

• Licensing issues resolved

• Office space for workshops, meetings and a library

• Increased educational opportunities with public and the medical community

• Co-ordinate and sponsor a RAA conference in Maine

• Grant writing for educational purposes and broaden services to uninsured, vets, etc.

 Ideas from Group 4

• Planning continuing education 2-3 years in advance

• Finance a central office with part-time staff, store archives of Reflexology materials

• Legislation for business licensing

• Increase MCR’s income through advertising

• Newsletter

• Website

• increase in membership fees

• Increase membership

• Make Reflexology a household word

• Host a RAA conference in Maine

• ·Series on Reflexology on PBS

• ABC code involvement at a national level

• Co-host in 2011 ICR conference in New England

 Ideas from Group 5

• Central meeting place with staffed offices, archives and library that is open to the public

• MCR would divide into regions and have a meeting annually for all

• MCR would teach/train other states

• MCR to host an international conference

• ARCB proctor from MCR membership

• MCR to get media attention

• Call in radio

• MPBN program on Reflexology

• Build camaraderie among members with a vacation/retreat

• Round table discussion around members’ issues in a safe arena

• 140+ members

• Six research ongoing study programs with the State of Maine on Reflexology

• Reflexology to be a licensed profession with accredited schools nationwide with treatments that are reimbursable by insurance

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At this point in the planning process the ideas generate by the envisioning the future exercise is synthesized into common themes.

MCR members can vote on the ideas they like best. The ideas receiving the most votes become higher priority items for members to consider when planning.

Members please take some time and vote on the ideas that you like best.  Each member can select a number from 1-5.

5 is the greater priority and 1 the lesser.

• Office Space for MCR including:  1-5 please select a number 

o       Manned by paid staff

o       Library

o       Resource Center

o       Space for workshops and meetings

o       Archives

• Licensing Issues 1-5 please select a number

o       Legislation for business licensing

o       Paid lobbyist in Augusta

o       ABC code involvement at a national level

o       Reflexology to be a licensed profession with accredited schools nationwide with treatments reimbursable by insurance

o       A law that requires 6^th grade students to be educated in Reflexology and given time to practice

• Increased Membership 1-5 please select a number 

o       Increased financial capability derived from increased membership and 501© status

o       Attendance at MCR meetings is increased by 50% and more members in the organization

o        200+ members in five years time

o       Increase in membership

o       140+ membership in five years time

• Networking among members 1-5 please select a number 

o       Members working together as a team towards a common goal

o       Summer camp for Reflexologists to exchange knowledge and encourage teamwork

o       Monthly roundtable meeting in different regions each month

o       MCR would divide into regions and have a meeting annually for all

o       Build camaraderie among members with a vacation/retreat

o       Round table discussions around members’ issues in a safe arena

• Media Attention 1-5 please select a number 

o       Press releases to major newspapers

o       Calendar on TV and in Newspapers

o       Series on Reflexology on PBS

o       Call in radio

o        MPBN program on Reflexology

• Host Conferences 1-5 please select a number 

o       Co-ordinate and sponsor a RAA conference in Maine

o       Host a RAA conference in Maine

o       Co-host in 2011 ICR conference in New England

o       MCR to host international conference

o        Yearly conference

• Education 1-5 please select a number 

o       Each member receive 12 hours of communication/assertiveness training

o       All members have leadership training

o       MCR sponsors state school with training/continuing education

o       Increased educational opportunities with the public and the medical community

o       Grant writing for educational purposes and broaden services to uninsured, vets, etc.

o       Planning continuing education 2-3 years in advance

o       MCR members would teach/train in other states

o       ARCB proctor from MCR membership

o        Six research ongoing study programs with the State of Maine on Reflexology

• Financial Issues 1-5 please select a number 

o       MCR profits from training/workshops/foot clinics

o       Portion of MCR dues goes towards individual membership in RAA

o       Increase MCR’s income through advertising in newsletter, website, and higher membership fees

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 The next Strategic Planning meeting is scheduled for February 28^th at Myra Achorn’s home, Augusta from 9-5pm

Preparation for the meeting

We can discuss the common themes and look at the voting and come up with up to 4-7 issues or themes. However, there is no magic number of themes, and we will have to decide if the themes are distinct from one another or are too broad. Some questions to ask are:

• Is each issue or theme consistent with MCR’s mission? If not, then should the mission be changed or should the theme(s) be restated?
• Are the themes consistent with one another? It may seem obvious that the organization doesn't want to suggest, for example, expanding and contracting the same program at the same time, but it is easy to miss these contradictions.
• Are the themes or items distinct enough from one another that they can be easily categorized?
• Is anything missing? Conversely, is there too much?
• Does everyone understand the items? A way of checking this is to ask individuals to quickly restate each theme in their own words.

Suggested exercise for the next strategic planning meeting

Using the themes developed in the previous step, list each theme on a separate easel pad sheet. Have the members then begin to brainstorm the major steps or components of each theme. Have the facilitator write them down.  This stage is simply designed to flesh out the framework including resources needed, steps, time frame, etc.

Next, tape several large sheets of paper together and draw vertical lines on them to divide the years into the future (e.g., 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008). Label the years at the top of the large sheet.

Post the lists of planning themes and their major components near this large sheet so everyone can see them.

Have the discussion focus on whether the steps are in the right order. Also, having members identify interim steps is very useful at this point. Some of the items the group should consider include

• Are the major steps in the "right" order?
• Are the completion dates realistic?
• Are there critical starting points and interim steps that should be listed?
• How will we know when we have accomplished this objective? What will determine whether we have been successful?
• What are some of the weaknesses and threats that will affect the organization's ability to complete each step? How can they be dealt with, and are additional steps needed in order to ensure the organization can accomplish its goals?
• What resources (e.g., time, personnel, talent, and money) are needed to accomplish each component or step? Are these resources currently available to the organization or must they be acquired? If they must be acquired first, then they should be identified in the appropriate place(s) on the large sheet of paper.

Most people are familiar with the structure of goals and objectives. What emerges from this stage of discussion is a set of goals (the themes) and objectives (the steps or components within each theme). Stating the objectives in action-oriented, time-delimited terms is very important. Organizations need to be able to measure their successes (and understand their failures) and state clearly what is to be done, by when, and by whom. This is, therefore, a very important component of the plan.

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To be continued