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International Speakers Fund

prepared and willing to do extra. In addition, the expenses to the state
organization were no more than any speaker they had otherwise enjoyed.
The state organization benefits, besides those listed above, “included the
introduction to members from other countries, the cultural experiences that we
enjoyed, and seeing the viewpoints of other people. I still hear from all of them.”
Do Susan’s experiences entice you to think about hosting an ISF speaker…
but you worry that doing so might be
too costly for your state organization?
Recent changes to the application
form include the option of having a
virtual speaker. While an in-person
speaker requires you to be responsible
for her travel to and from the airport,
accommodations, and meals, having
a virtual speaker eliminates those
expenses. Accordingly, if you already
have remote meeting capability,
you may not incur any extra costs.
Having a virtual speaker will also
allow you to invite members from
other state organizations within your
country or elsewhere to attend. This
provides an opportunity for more members to benefit from the ISF program.
As a leader, one should also recognize possible drawbacks to having a virtual
speaker and plan for those. Do a test run with the speaker in advance to ensure the
technology works for both connections and have tech-savvy members on standby
in case they are needed to assist. Another challenge can be providing your members
the ability to engage more personally with the speaker, as they will not have those
casual one-on-one conversations during meals or breaks. This can be mitigated
by opening the meeting link earlier and staying on a little longer, allowing
the speaker to meet your members and interact with them more informally.
As we learn to live with COVID and the world cautiously opens to air travel,
now is also the time to start thinking of hosting in-person speakers. During the
pandemic, we have had to rethink how we connect with our members and to
be ready in a moment to change our plans when health guidelines are adjusted.
You will need to be aware of regulations in the speaker’s country as well as your
own. Flights may be canceled at the last minute, or her vaccine status may not
meet the guidelines for your country. Be flexible to avoid disappointing your
members; be prepared to shift in-person plans to a virtual presentation if needed.
Currently 19 speakers from Canada, Guatemala, Finland, Mexico, and the
United States are available to speak on a wide variety of topics. Remember, a
state organization is only allowed to select an ISF speaker from a country other
than its own. The next deadline date for requesting a speaker is May 1, 2022. If
your state organization leaders have not thought about hosting a speaker and have
not reviewed the list sent to state organization presidents in October, you may
want to discuss the concept with them to get their input and start putting plans in
place. Although most speakers are requested for a conference or convention, an

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