The resources available below are provided to assist ACSM Regional Chapter leaders with general regional chapter administration. The resources list is fluid and will be edited and expanded as needed. Suggestions for additional resources should be sent to Heather Turner.
February 1, 2025– Submit All Required Regional Chapter 2024 Annual Report Forms (Financial, Activity, Risk, & 990)
March 1, 2025– Submit 2024 ACSM Regional Chapter Grant Summary Reports
April 15, 2025– Submit Names & Contact Info for 2025 Student Bowl Teams
April 15, 2025– Submit Names & Contact Info for 2025 President’s Cup participants
The purpose of the Regional Chapter program is to stimulate involvement of larger numbers of people in supporting the Mission and work of the national organization. The Chapters play a unique role, given the assumed ability to directly and frequently interact with students, professionals, and the public. Because of these unique qualities, Chapters were formed to:
ACSM is governed by a Board of Trustees, which is elected in accordance with procedures dictated by the ACSM Constitution. The Constitution indicates that the College shall maintain a standing Regional Chapters Committee. The general function of this committee, as outlined in the Operating Code, is to oversee the formation and operations of the Regional Chapters. The individual Regional Chapters are represented on the Regional Chapters Committee.
Communication and actions involving the ACSM Board of Trustees and the Regional Chapters (individually or collectively) should be processed through the Regional Chapters Committee. For example, actions of the Board that affect operation of Regional Chapters will be communicated to the Chapters by and implemented under the supervision of the Regional Chapters Committee. Likewise, a recommendation to the Board generated by a Chapter will be brought to the Board through the Regional Chapters Committee.
The Regional Chapters and ACSM work together to fulfill the mission to “Educate and empower professionals to advance the science and practice of health and human performance.” However, it is understood that each Chapter must be able to exercise its own range of autonomy and to serve as an incubator of ideas and activities that reflect the needs and interests of a particular region. To further the Mission of the College, the National organization and its Regional Chapters form a mutually beneficial and synergistic partnership. In exchange for the promotion of National programs, the Chapters can expect operational, administrative, and financial support from ACSM. ACSM National will:
The Regional Chapters and ACSM work together to fulfill the mission to “Educate and empower professionals to advance the science and practice of health and human performance.” However, it is understood that each Chapter must be able to exercise its own range of autonomy and to serve as an incubator of ideas and activities that reflect the needs and interests of a particular region. To further the Mission of the College, the National organization and its Regional Chapters form a mutually beneficial and synergistic partnership. In exchange for the promotion of National programs, the Chapters can expect operational, administrative, and financial support from ACSM. ACSM Regional Chapters shall:
Regional Chapter activities will be reviewed annually by the Regional Chapters Committee. Annual Reports, including financial reports, are submitted to the ACSM Controller for review and tax preparation purposes.
Each Chapter’s Constitution and/or Bylaws must include the following:
Regional Chapters with permanent charters must carry on their affairs in a manner that is compatible with the professional goals and Constitution of the ACSM. In order to maintain a permanent charter, the Chapter must meet the following basic goals and specific requirements:
A Chapter with a permanent charter will possess considerable depth and breadth with regard to its leadership and professional activities. By virtue of achieving permanent status, such a Chapter is recognized as having achieved high professional standards. The goals of a Chapter should be to maintain its professional standards and to further the Mission of the College within its own geographic region. Such a Chapter will have a complement of elected officers and administrative personnel most appropriate to its needs and as set forth in the Chapter Constitution and Bylaws.
If it should become necessary to dissolve a permanent Regional Chapter, such dissolution will be guided by the Chapter and National Constitutions and respective Bylaws and the ACSM legal counsel. A permanent Chapter may be dissolved under the following conditions:
Dissolution initiated by a Chapter will become effective only after submission of written notification to the Board of Trustees. Dissolution initiated by the Board of Trustees will become effective only after submission of written notification to the Regional Chapter officers. In the event of dissolution, all assets of the Chapter will be transferred to ACSM.
The Regional Chapters Committee encourages Regional Chapters to maintain their current geographic boundaries and discourages modification of Chapter boundaries. However, there is a mechanism for the transfer of a specific geographic area lying within a permanently chartered Regional Chapter to another permanently chartered Regional Chapter.
In order for an interested group of sports medicine and exercise professionals to transfer a geographic area which lies within already chartered territory to another chartered Regional Chapter, that group must:
Comply with Constitution and Bylaw requirements of the Regional Chapter to which the transfer is being made.
In order for an unchartered geographic area to be appended to an existing chartered Regional Chapter, the following procedures are required of the group interested in promoting appendage of the new geographic area:
The Regional Chapters Committee encourages Regional Chapters to maintain their current geographic boundaries and discourages the proliferation of additional regional chapters. However, a mechanism does exist for establishment of new chapters within geographical boundaries already chartered. In order for an interested group of sports medicine and exercise professionals to develop and establish a new permanent Regional Chapter within geographical boundaries already chartered, that group must:
A district organization is defined as a group of interested sports medicine and exercise professionals residing in a specified geographical region which functions as an authorized sub‑unit of an existing chartered Regional Chapter. The purpose of a district organization is to promote the goals of ACSM and the Regional Chapter in a local geographic area. The district organization shall be directly responsible to the Regional Chapter within which it lies.
District organizations must submit an annual report to the Regional Chapter of which they are a part. The Regional Chapter’s annual report to the Regional Chapters Committee should include copies of annual reports submitted by all district organizations located within its geographic area. The annual report of a district must meet the requirements for the annual report of a permanent Regional Chapter.
Application for formation of a district organization must be submitted directly to the host Regional Chapter. The format for this application is the same as the format for the formation of a new Regional Chapter within the boundaries of a permanently chartered Regional Chapter. This application will be forwarded with the Chapter’s recommendation to the Regional Chapters Committee. The Regional Chapters Committee will submit the application with its recommendation for final consideration by the ACSM Board of Trustees.
The administrative organization of districts may differ from that of the Regional Chapter. However, justification for such an organizational structure must be provided in the application.
All ACSM Regional Chapters are approved providers to offer ACSM Continuing Education Credits (CECs) at any educational meeting that the regional chapter convenes or sponsors. Regional chapters do NOT need to submit applications to provide CECs due to their approved provider status.
Regional chapters determine the total number of CECs available for each meeting. 1.0 CEC should be provided for each hour of unopposed, educational content. CECs can be counted in 0.5 intervals. Any educational content (including, but not limited to speakers, panel discussions, free communication sessions, etc.) may be counted for CECs. Social events during your meeting should not be counted for CECs.
Regional chapter meeting organizers should complete the CEC certificate with specific meeting information and distribute the certificate to all meeting attendees.
Access individual regional chapter CEC certificates.
At this time, ACSM is not able to offer joint sponsorship of CME credits for regional chapter meetings. Many hospitals have CME departments and offer joint sponsorship to nonprofit organizations. There may or may not be a fee involved with joint sponsorship. Contact Heather Turner for assistance with identifying a CME joint sponsorship provider in your region.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. All ACSM events, including regional chapter functions, must be in full compliance with the law. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan your upcoming meetings to help ensure compliance with the Act-
Regional chapters should have formal contracts with all hotels, convention centers, and meeting vendors associated with any regional chapter meeting. ACSM staff may be consulted to review contracts to ensure that the regional chapter receives the best rates and limits liability. Meeting contracts should be forwarded to Heather Turner 4-6 weeks prior to the signing deadline.
When the chapter enters into partnerships with any organization, a written agreement should be secured. The regional chapter board should validate all partnership agreements and major contracts by giving formal approval. Agreements should include: overall intent of the partnership, the parties involved, the period of the partnership (begin & end dates), assignments and responsibilities (individual and shared), disclaimers (what the partnership isn’t intended to do, guarantee or create), detailed financial agreement (amounts and when payment is due), risk sharing (who’s responsible for any mishaps), and signatures of each party’s representative.
Agreements may be forwarded to ACSM staff for initial review. If deemed necessary, ACSM staff may make recommendations in regard to further legal review.
Regional chapters automatically participate in the ACSM-sponsored liability program which protects the chapters should circumstances cause the delay or cancellation of a chapter meeting as well as claims to the organization for events that occur during the meeting. While the majority of your chapter meeting will be covered under this policy, some events that are deemed “not part of the normal business purpose/operation of the chapter meetings” may require additional insurance. For example, fun runs, yoga classes, exercise classes, or organized athletic events at your meeting may require additional underwriting. If you plan to hold one of these events at an upcoming meeting, please contact Heather Turner. ACSM will work with our insurance agent to arrange coverage. If you are in doubt as to whether an event would qualify for additional coverage, please check with ACSM prior to proceeding.
Meeting revenue is a significant amount of total revenue for most regional chapters. Cancelling a meeting can have significant financial ramifications. Unfortunately, it does occur. Here are some things to keep in mind regarding potential meeting cancellations.
1. ACSM carries a meeting cancellation insurance policy for meetings with revenue up to $100,000. If your Board is considering cancelling a meeting for any reason (e.g. inclement weather, civil unrest, etc.), contact ACSM National immediately. ACSM must contact the insurance company to notify them of potential claims. If at all possible, this notification should be done prior to formal meeting cancellation. ACSM will work with you to provide attendee notification information that satisfies the insurance company’s requirements for financial reimbursement.
2. Once your Board begins considering cancellation, start collecting relevant documentation immediately. Documentation includes items such as notices of issued weather travel warnings, governmental warnings, news articles related to the cause of cancellation, etc. This documentation, along with relevant budget documents, vendor/hotel contracts and cash receipts information will be used when filing a claim with the insurance company. ACSM National would assist with the claims process.
3. Minimize financial risk from cancellation in advance by ensuring that all hotel, convention center and vendor contracts include a “Force Majeure” clause. A sample clause would read- “If the Contract becomes impossible to perform by either party due to acts of God, war, government regulations, disaster, strikes, civil disorder, curtailment of transportation facilities (which prohibit 25% or more of the meeting delegates from attending your conference), or other emergencies making it illegal or impossible to provide the facilities or to hold the program, this Contract may be terminated for any one or more of such reasons by written notice from one party to the other provided that the reason for said termination is in effect in Orange County, California or the immediate surrounding area and is in effect within 30 days prior to the arrival of the first members of the group.”
4. Remember that the ACSM Meetings Department staff is always willing to review hotel, convention center and/or vendor contracts to ensure maximum financial and liability protection for the regional chapters. Send any contract for review to Heather Turner.
ACSM Regional Chapters’ affiliation with ACSM means that they are “tax exempt” from federal income taxes. The affiliation/federal tax-exemption has no bearing on state sales tax-exemption. Every state has its own policies/procedures for allowing organizations to be exempt from state sales tax, and organizations must apply for that sales tax-exemption through the state government.
Depending on the state, regional chapters may qualify for exemption from state sales tax as not-for-profit entities. State governments require that the organizations signing the checks/contracts be the ones to apply for the sales tax-exemption. Regional chapters must apply directly for state sales tax exemption in the state(s) in which you do business. In most states, sales tax exemption applications are processed through the Department of Revenue. Contact Heather Turner if you have questions about sales tax exemption or would like help with determining eligibility in your state.
The President’s Cup is a research poster competition held annually during the national ACSM Annual Meeting. Initiated and organized with assistance from ACSM’s national Student Affairs Committee, it’s purpose is to provide students with the opportunity to travel to the national meeting and showcase their research.
Each regional chapter is eligible to select one student to represent it during the annual ACSM President’s Cup competition. Each regional winner/representative will receive a $1200 travel allowance to travel to the ACSM Annual Meeting.
Each regional representative will present his/her research during the competition to be held during the Annual Meeting. The student will present his/her research in poster format. Prizes will be awarded to the winner on site.
View the 2025 ACSM President’s Cup – Guidelines for Regional Chapters.
In this popular event, students from ACSM’s Regional Chapters face off in a friendly, Jeopardy-style competition showcasing their sports medicine and exercise science knowledge. Each regional chapter may send one (1) team to compete in the National event. Teams should consist of three (3) undergraduate students. Students who graduated from an undergraduate program in December prior to the May event are still eligible to participate as long as they have not yet started a graduate program.
Each regional chapter should submit the names and e-mail addresses for all team members to Heather Turner no later than April 15 each year.
Student Bowl participants will receive complimentary registration to the ACSM Annual Meeting. Please instruct students NOT to register for the meeting until they have received instructions from ACSM.
ACSM once again will provide complimentary meeting space at the ACSM Annual Meeting for any chapters that wish to hold a business meeting or social activity. Catering and AV services are available at a charge. If you wish to reserve space for a board meeting during that week, please submit a separate form for that request as well.
To reserve a room for your regional chapter to hold a social at the 2025 Annual Meeting, please provide the following information to Heather Turner no later than January 31, 2025:
– Name of Chapter
– Chapter Contact / Email Address
– Projected Attendance
– Room Set-up (Formal Business Meeting or Information Social Event)
– Indicate whether you need information on catering and/or AV equipment*
* You will be contacted by the ACSM Meetings Department no earlier than May in order to finalize food and AV orders.
ACSM Regional Chapters are encouraged to submit requests for speakers at regional chapter meetings through the speaker bureau. Specific information on sessions, speakers, funding and application criteria can be found in the links below.
Through the Foundation, ACSM partners with GSSI. Yearly, each chapter is provided with a $1000 grant to support its chapter annual meeting. This funding is direct deposited into each regional chapter’s bank account on a yearly basis. Funding is available through 2020. Funding in 2021 and beyond is pending.
In exchange for the grant and/or speaker support, the regional chapters must acknowledge GSSI on meeting publications, on-site signage, and on-site program books/handouts. The GSSI Logo for regional chapter use may be downloaded here.
GSSI provides one Gatorade Speaker per regional chapter per year. Gatorade pays for all travel and honoraria related to their speakers. As of September 2023, the following speakers/topics may be requested for chapter meetings:
USA Weightlifting (USAW) is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the International Weightlifting Federation as the governing body for the sport of weightlifting in the United States. The membership-based organization promotes the culture of weightlifting and creating opportunities for weightlifters and coaches to participate in the sport through clubs, events and education.
USAW sessions include lecture and/or hands-on components well suited for regional chapter meeting audiences. ACSM Regional Chapters may submit a request for an USAW speakers to present at an upcoming meeting. Specific speakers will be selected by USAW once the regional chapter’s request has has been approved. However, regional chapters may select from the following topics:
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