The NAPS Mail Moment

November 20, 2024

The NAPS Mail Moment
By Brian J. Wagner
Past NAPS President

I wrote a column in the June 2024 issue about branches doing an associate member audit of their membership. The intent was to ensure branches were collecting and protecting branch dues from their associate members so the members remain in good standing. Or to remove those associate members from the NAPS rolls if they elected not to stay with NAPS or notify NAPS of members who were deceased.

Are you ready for another branch audit? I’m not talking about the financial kind—an important audit that should be done every year and when a branch changes treasurers. I’m taking about a branch audit that provides a member with the USPS “mail moment.” Here’s the scoop!

Each month, branches receive their Dues Check-Off (DCO) and Non-Member reports from NAPS Headquarters. Along with those reports is a branch NAPS Mail List, showing the addresses on file at NAPS of respective members.

Keep in mind that members should contact NAPS Headquarters any time they have an address change. Updates are not automatic when a member completes a USPS change-of-address. NAPS Headquarters needs to be contacted directly regarding any address changes!

Many times, a member will inform their local branch secretary or secretary/treasurer of their new address, but not NAPS Headquarters. That respective branch officer may update the branch’s local computer file of member addresses, but forget to let NAPS Headquarters know of the change.

This is when a branch secretary or secretary/treasurer should cross-reference the monthly NAPS Mail List with the branch’s locally maintained member address list. If there is a difference between the two lists, the branch officer should verify with the member which address is correct.

Once verified, if required, the branch should update the member’s address in their local list and, if necessary, contact NAPS Headquarters to update the member’s address. Whatever the case, branch secretaries or secretary/treasurers should ensure the branch and NAPS Headquarters have members’ correct mailing addresses.For the record, the NAPS Mail List also may contain email addresses of the

NAPS members. Not all members have an email on file with NAPS Headquarters. But if your local branch has a valid member’s email on file, please check with the member to see if they want NAPS Headquarters to have their email, as well.

When NAPS Headquarters and branches have correct member mailing addresses on file, it ensures a magical NAPS “mail moment.” Basically, when NAPS at the national and local levels have members’ correct mailing addresses, it ensures NAPS members will receive important information from NAPS Headquarters or their local branch.

For example, if NAPS Headquarters ever implemented Article XV, Referendum Vote and Amendments, Section 1, of the NAPS Constitution and Bylaws, it would require all members to receive a ballot by mail to vote for proposed propositions or amendments.

Some local branches elect officers via mail-in ballots. By having members’ correct mailing addresses on file, they can be assured of the opportunity to vote on branch officers and business. Plus, members won’t miss important mailed notices about branch meetings, annual social events, branch scholarship deadlines, newsletters or other information deemed necessary to share with members.

It’s always best to do a monthly review or audit of the branch’s address list against NAPS Headquarters’ Mail List. Also, check the monthly DCO membership report to see if an asterisk (*) is next to the member’s name. This indicates NAPS Headquarters has a bad address on file. As a result, your member is not receiving their Postal Supervisor magazine. Members never should miss receiving this excellent magazine.

The Postal Supervisor has great articles, like mine (LOL), legislative and SPAC updates, membership recruitment strategies, excellent pictures of NAPS activities, ads from vendors and much more. Part of a member’s dues includes receiving The Postal Supervisor. It is important that a branch makes every effort to ensure their members receive the NAPS benefits available to them as a dues-paying members.

Today’s takeaway: Don’t let a member miss that NAPS “mail moment” by having a “bad” address on file on your branch list or in NAPS Headquarters’ membership file. When it comes time to receive important and relevant NAPS information in the mail, you always should cross-reference the monthly NAPS Mail List against the branch’s local address list. Please ensure the names and addresses on both lists match.

A member may have retired or received a new EAS position that changed their branch affiliation. You will want to avoid sending mail to a person who no longer is an active or associate member of your branch, even though you have great information to share.

Speaking of something great, as we celebrate November with the Veterans Day and Thanksgiving holidays, I want to thank our military veterans, including our heavenly veterans, for the service and sacrifices they made to protect our great country.

During an ice-cream audit of my freezer, I am thankful the audit resulted in a magical ice-cream-flavor-of-the-month recommendation: caramel butter pecan praline. Be safe and eat more ice cream!