The goals of this program are to:

• • Provide the Association leadership with information about the unique features of the Sections they visit, with a more immediate sense of the concerns and issues facing the membership, and with a sense of the well-being of the Section, including how well it is fulfilling its mission.

• • Provide the Section leadership with a perspective on trends in the Sections of the Association, with perceptions on the effectiveness of the management of the affairs of the Section, and with recognition for noteworthy Section activities and practices.

• • This will allow the Section’s members to interact directly with the Association leadership through individual conversations and formal Section activities.

To achieve these goals, each Section Visitor will participate in as much of the Section meeting as possible. In particular, the Section Visitor is expected to:

• • Present at least one talk, workshop, or other activity agreed upon with the Section leadership.

​These activities, and any other activities that the visitor is requested to lead, should be selected to align the experiences and talents of the Association leadership with the interests and needs of the Section.

• • Attend and participate in any business meetings of the Section, meetings of the Section officers, liaison meetings, chairs’ meetings, and Section NExT activities. (Please make sure the Visitor is placed on the agenda of each of these meetings.)

• • Participate in the social activities associated with the meeting.

After completing the visit, the Section Visitor will prepare a report for the MAA Board of Directors and the Committee on Sections, summarizing the activities that the visitor participated in or observed and noting those that should be shared with other Sections. The report should also reflect on the general health of the Section and areas in which the Section might improve. The Section Visitor will send a similar report to the Section officers and the Section representative.

Because many Section meetings are scheduled for a short “window” in the spring, Section Visitors are in high demand at that time. Therefore, Section leaders should extend an invitation as early as possible to the Section Visitor whom they want. The MAA Secretary and Chair of the Committee on Sections will assist if a Section has problems in scheduling a Section Visitor, but early planning is essential. When you invite a Visitor to your Section, please make it clear that you are inviting him/her as a Section Visitor. In order to ensure that the reimbursements are processed correctly, please notify Susan Kennedy of your section meeting speaker plans as soon as arrangements are made.

Good advice for all invited guests

Each Section is asked to be a thoughtful host. In the crush of meeting details and the distribution of duties among Section officers and local arrangements folks, it is sometimes easy for responsibilities to fall through the cracks.

• Please be sure to consider your Visitor’s arrangements for travel, lodging, meals, local transportation, and registration. If your Visitor arrives the night before or stays the night after the Section meeting, it is especially cordial that the Section considers evening dining arrangements. At least give visiting speakers options (“Do you need a ride?” or “Can we arrange for a cab?”) for airport pickups, get-togethers at meals, etc.
• Be sure to communicate fully about the schedule of events at your meeting.
• Make sure the Visitor is on the agenda for the Section business meeting, executive committee meeting, and any other appropriate events.
• Register your Visitor for the meeting! Prepare a name tag, meal tickets, and a program, and have them ready at the registration table.