Relationship with AFI
The National Honey Packers and Dealers Association (NHPDA) agreed at its Annual Meeting in January, 1988, to join the Association of Food Industries, Inc., (AFI) as a Section that will function independently and autonomously but will have all the services provided by AFI's professional staff and will be entitled to participate in all programs and services provided by AFI.

Services to Members 

AFI's staff will provide the following services for the members of the NHPDA:

·        Handle all correspondence of the Association;

·        Attend and keep the minutes and records of all Association meetings;

·        Keep the membership informed in a timely way of rules and regulations that affect their business.  At times, a newsletter will serve this function.  At other times, special bulletins by mail or by fax will be issued;

·        Be the neutral participant in any meeting of the members so that all the members will be informed as to the Association position taken at the meeting;

·        Maintain ongoing contacts with government officials who regulate any aspect of the industry;

·        Respond to the requests of any member for information or help;

·        Respond to media or consumer requests for information on the industry;

·        Publish an Annual Report and Directory for the Membership and include in this publication items of particular interest to the honey industry;

·        Send the Annual Report and Directory to all members;

·        Publish and distribute a Newsletter on a regular basis covering subjects of interest and importance to the membership;

·        Provide storage and maintenance of the Association files;

·        Invoice and collect all dues and assessments set by the Board of Directors;

·        Provide the services of a full-charge bookkeeper to record all income and expenses of the Association, to make deposits and issue checks, and to open and maintain bank accounts;

·        Provide the services of a Certified Public Accountant to prepare annual financial statements and any additional statements required by the Board of Directors;

·        Provide the use of office equipment:  telephones, copiers, typewriters, computers, folding machine, fax machine, postage meter, etc.;

·        Provide all incidentals and stationery necessary for efficient office operations;

·        Invest funds of the Association in accordance with the policies established by the Board of Directors;

·        Provide staff support for all Association committees;

·        Make meeting arrangements, prepare meeting agendas and programs, and publicize their value to the Membership;

·        Solicit new members in cooperation with current members of the Association;

·        Monitor the Federal Register and analyze notices, proposals and rules for their effect on the industry, and prepare comments as needed or as directed by the Board;

·        Monitor the trade press for items of general interest to the members;     

·        Issue press releases;

·        Collect and disseminate statistical data as directed by the Board.

These services and others not enumerated will be funded out of the dues collected by the Association and other funds appropriated by the Board of Directors.

Policy
The policy of every association is set by the Board of Directors, and the Association staff carries out the Board's directives.

Strength
The strength of every association is in its membership.  The more broad-based it is, the more legitimate it is.  The more each member feels he can influence the direction of the association, the more involved he will become, and the better the association will be.

Commitment
Anyone who can run a business can identify the issues and programs that his trade association should handle.  However, rarely does a company identify an issue or call for a program that the association should handle, unless the company is dominant in the trade and its bottom line is going to be affected seriously if the association does not act.  That should be changed.  When you belong to an association, you are making a commitment to the industry to establish the conditions that make for a healthy and prosperous industry.  It means that you recognize that the health of the industry is important to the health of your own company.

Competition
One often hears that he likes a good competitor, one who is committed to a high-quality product, knows the market, provides good service, prices his product intelligently, promotes it aggressively, and is interested in maximizing profits.  He can be outwitted by the competition on occasion, but as long as the competition is fair, that is all he expects.

It is the function of the association to encourage fair business practices and to work for the commitment of its members to such practices.

Government
The government is intimately involved in every aspect of the food business.  From time to time, it makes decisions that directly affect the honey industry.  Only an association can effectively represent the industry.  The government prefers to deal with an association that represents all the industry rather than to deal with particular companies.

Consumer Advocates
The food industry is always under attack.  Consumer advocates focus exclusively on anything that could be negative about the food we eat and are particularly adept at creating fear, sometimes on the basis of the most absurd speculations.

Press
Newspaper reporters are always on the lookout for something that is wrong or that could be wrong.  The glare of their focus can be unmerciful if there is a tragedy related to food consumption of any kind.  They can easily distort the truth merely by their emphasis on what has happened in the most exceptional circumstances.

Scientists
Scientists and academicians can issue alarmist press releases on studies of dubious worth, knowing full well that little attention will be paid to the tentative way in which they state their conclusions.  They know publicity brings grants.

Regulators
Government regulators, under legislative constraints, political pressure, and consumer activist pressure, are often forced into issuing burdensome regulations that often have little or no value to the consumer but may require costly changes by industry.

Being Prepared
The health of the industry is dependent upon the ability to foresee potential attacks, prepare for them, and answer them in an intelligent and creditable way.  This, too, is a function that only an association can handle well.