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NSS Chapters Handbook
Fifth Edition - 2005
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This NSS Chapter’s Handbook is the collected experience and wisdom of hundreds of space activists and chapter leaders who have gone before you. Use it for ideas, use it to solve problems, and to make your chapter even more effective in leading the movement of human civilization into space.
Our mission is to educate, inform and motivate as many people as possible so that together, we can advance the day that mankind will live on other worlds. An effective job by your local chapter is essential to that mission. How you organize and administer your chapter is a major part of your ability to be successful.
Share this information with all of the Members and activists in your chapter and with other chapters in your region. Finally, share your experiences, challenges and successes with NSS for everyone to benefit through future releases of this Handbook.
Together, we will make the dream a reality!
Ad Astra!
Arthur Smith NSS Vice President, Chapters(2004-2006)
Candace Pankanin NSS Vice President, Chapters(2006-Present)
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the Fifth edition of the National Space Society Chapters’ Handbook. It is a direct descendant of the L5 Chapter Handbook published by the L5 Society before its merger with the National Space Institute created the NSS. A 2nd edition was published in 1985. In 1991, the 2nd Edition needed to be recreated after loss of the original text (2nd Edition - revision A). The 3rd edition was published in 1994, followed by a 4th edition in 1998. This 5th edition represents many man-hours by a handful of dedicated individuals, most of whom prefer to go unrecognized. Individual bylines have been maintained for sections wholly written by an individual.
This edition of the handbook has been designed to distribute on disk in MS-Word format. Updated versions of the Handbook will be distributed to chapters in similar fashion. Each Section is numbered internally, so that supplements or entire chapters may be added in the future.
This means that input from you, the user, will be of more value than ever before. As you read the Handbook and put its contents to work on the important business of space activism, keep in mind how it can be improved. Is an important topic missing, or covered too briefly? Have you learned something from a successful or unsuccessful project that can save other members time and effort?
We value content, not elegant prose. Besides, your time is better spent on action. A few sentences, paragraphs or perhaps a quick brainstorming session by project workers that yields an idea-packed list, can be neatly fit into the appropriate section. You will have the satisfaction of seeing the results of your creativity and hard work being put to use far beyond your local area. Send all submissions, comments, etc. to the Chapters’ Handbook Editor, c/o NSS Headquarters.
This Handbook is meant to be an ongoing resource for chapter activists. Please put it (and future supplements and updates) in a sturdy three-ring binder and circulate it widely among your members.
Official NSS chapters are authorized to reproduce portions of this Handbook for their members’ use only. The material in this Handbook expresses the opinions of its creators and not necessarily the official positions of the National Space Society.
Editor/Reviewer for 5th Edition: Jim Spellman – NSS/Western Spaceport Chapter & Region 1 Chapters organizer
Section 1: Starting a Chapter - ChapterHandbookStarting and ChapterStartupKit
Section 2: Organization - ChapterHandbookOrganization
Section 3: Newsletters and other Communications - ChapterHandbookNewsletters
Section 4: Projects - ChapterHandbookProjects
Section 5: Education - ChapterHandbookEducation
Section 6: Public Relations - ChapterHandbookPublicRelations
Section 7: Finances and Fund-raising - ChapterHandbookFinances
Section 8: Political Action - ChapterHandbookPoliticalAction
Section 9: Beyond the Chapter - ChapterHandbookBeyondChapter
Section 10: Growth and Morale - ChapterHandbookGrowth