New ref in Texas - chapter question(s)
 

What a great forum! Yes - addicting, as another new member posted previously...

My background is all volunteer stuff at mostly the church-league level, but I just love it and want to go ahead and join one of the local TASO chapters here. Looks like I live right about where the Dallas chapter and a slightly further outlying chapter meet/overlap... And, for discussion's sake, my day job puts me about 25-30 minutes further into the Dallas chapter's coverage.

I'd love to hear advice/recommendations as to how I should proceed... pros and cons of maybe a bigger, more populous chapter where I currently do not know anyone... vs. a chapter with probably smaller numbers and schools that are fewer, smaller, and farther in between (and where I just figured out a childhood best friend coordinates the chapter training...:) Do people ever join multiple chapters?...

Thanks so much for any input and for the excellent resource that this forum has already been...

Can't speak for Texas, but I know that joining multiple associations for a single sport/competition level (ex: high school basketball) is frowned upon rather highly here. All of the association bigwigs and assigners know each other, so it doesn't take them long to figure out if you're working for more then one of them.

My advice: figure out where each association schedules most of their games, and join the association that schedules games that are easiest for you to get to from wherever it is you'll be on gameday.

This is definitely regional. Some on here get assignments from multiple assigners and also schedule games on their own directly with ADs.

I know in Kentucky you are only allowed in one association.

Check here for the Dallas Chapter.

I worked with a guy the other day that works in both Dallas and Ft. Worth. He told me he get's treated like crap from the Ft. Worth assigner because he works for Dallas, too. I was told that the North Texas chapter is good if you want to move up faster, but they go way up to near Oklahoma and I live probably in a similar area as you and work at Love Field. I decided to go with Dallas and work better basketball instead of going somewhere else. I have been treated very well - this was my first year in Dallas after transferring from another state.

...pick that one.

Choose the chapter that allows you to become the official you want to be. I know of a couple of officials that are members of two chapters for various reasons and it just does not seem to be ideal. The fact that you know the assignor for one tells me you should go there, but if travel is an issue then I would think twice. Although getting going is a lot about who you know, I have also found that how hard you are willing to work and make yourself available can be equally as important. If you are only available to work varsity games, then you may not get very many games (obviously depending on your level). If you are going to join both chapters, then be proactive and make it known to both assignors that you are doing so and WHY you are doing it.

North Texas Chapter is a good chapter, with good training and leadership. Dallas Chapter does a good job too. Not very familiar with Fort Worth Chapter.

As for calling in multiple chapters, I know dozens of officials that work dual chapters and for widely varying reasons. Some do so because of work and/or living arrangements, some do it to bolster their schedule (i.e., get more games or get "better" games), and others do it because they just want to see different schools/coaches from time-to-time.

I also work in 3-4 chapters on occasion, sometimes to accommodate varying needs among different chapters, but more often due to work and living locations. My assignors aren't always happy that I am not running solely in their chapters because I run about 150-175 games/year, but they understand my other commitments (and I told them upfront that I would be working multiple chapters). Before the season, I sit down and review my calendar. I decide which nights I can/will work and what part of the area I want to work. I give each chapter/association assignor a list of dates that I am able to work for that chapter. They have 2 weeks to assign me any games they want me to run. After 2 weeks, I usually take all the unassigned dates and make them available to the other chapters. I usually get 2-3 dates per chapter that go unassigned by one chapter, but get assigned by another. This may not work for everyone, but it works for me. (The added benefit is that I usually don't get any 1099's either, which for tax purposes makes it a little easier at the end of the year.)

How does this make it easier?