Jean Roberts Governance Framework Jean's Definitions Jean's Comments


Jean’s comments on current challenges and opportunities for nonprofits

Downloads currently available on this topic:
Human factors that can contribute to risk in a nonprofit organisation (64k pdf) posted August 2008

AUSPICING Checklist (32k pdf) posted March 2008

Introduction to RMC Circular Organisational Chart© (44k pdf)

Article posted September 2007
Constitution Checklist

Note: The term ‘Board’ includes Board of Directors and Committee or Board of Management

A Constitution is not an easy document to read or understand for the average Board member. However, it is a legal document giving direction to the Board and CEO (or senior paid staff position): therefore a concerted effort should be made for whole-Board discussion on the legal status, role, structure and content of the Constitution.

The Constitution as a legal document establishes the expectation of members of the legal entity upon the Board as the governing body of the legal entity. Together with the broader requirements of relevant law, the Constitution establishes the required behaviour and accountability of the governing body. Where the affairs and activities of a nonprofit organisation are not in line with their current Constitution, the Board may be at risk of not complying with the Constitution’s requirements. The organisation’s membership base has the right to call a special general meeting, as set down in the Constitution, to call the Board to account for any such non-compliance.

Nonprofit organisations are usually incorporated or registered as one of the following:
• association incorporated under the relevant state or territory Associations Incorporation Act,
• company limited by shares or guarantee under the Commonwealth Corporations Act,
• co-operative registered under the relevant state or territory Co-operatives Act, or
• registered under a special Act of Parliament, eg an established Church.

In each case, the relevant legislation will provide guidance on the structure and content of a constitution, eg the Associations Acts provide a set of ‘model rules’ to guide the drafting of a constitution appropriate to an individual association.

The major sections of a constitution include:

1. the legal name of the entity or organisation,
2. definition of terms used in the constitution,
3. statement of purpose or objects - this is the purpose for which incorporation or registration is requested and granted, and for which the organisation exists
4. rules by which the entity will operate at governance, management, and operational levels, including the process for amending or changing the statement of purpose or rules, and the legal process of winding-up or terminating the entity.

Direction is given in the rules within the Constitution regarding the procedure for nomination, election or appointment of Board members. The Board is legally accountable to the membership base to ensure that all resources available to the organisation are invested in or applied to the purpose of the organisation and to ensure that the affairs and activities of the organisation are carried out in accordance with the rules.

Most importantly, the Constitution gives direction on the distribution of surplus funds, requiring that they are to be invested in the affairs and activities of the organisation.

A Constitution is:

1. a legal document: it is the means by which the Membership base directs and monitors the performance of their elected governing body,
2. an open and working document for the governing body and senior staff position, and
3. the means by which the Regulatory Authority monitors the eligibility of a nonprofit organisation to fit and remain within the requirements of incorporation legislation.

Relationship of the Constitution with policies, procedures and planning:

• Board-endorsed policies and procedures set down the manner in which the rules within the Constitution are to be implemented, followed and resourced, and
• the Statement of Purpose or Objects provides the focus for the organisation in all strategic, operational and financial planning.

Each Board member should have their own copy of the Constitution and understand the importance and relevance of its contents to their governance role and function.

Should the contents of a Constitution differ from the manner in which the organisation is currently functioning, there are two options for the Board:

1. to bring the affairs and activities of the organisation back into line with the Constitution, or
2. to undergo the process, as set out in the Constitution, of amending the Constitution in order to bring it into line with the organisation’s forward direction.

In many organisations, the Constitution is seen as a document that is relevant only to the application for incorporation or registration. After that, it is then only occasionally referred to, filed under ‘M’ for Mysterious or located (with difficulty) when required by some external source. In other organisations, the Constitution is respected as an important source of direction and protection by the Board and CEO, with serious attention paid to keeping it up-to-date and in line with legislative amendments and using it as a working document.

The Constitution can also be mis-used or even abused, for example:

• used as a means of weakening the confidence of an elected Board or CEO,
• misinterpreted in order to favour one point of view only,
• held in protective custody by a long-standing office-bearer who denies access to other members of the Board and to the membership base, or
• totally ignored by a Board or CEO because they have no understanding of the status and importance of the document, let alone the content.


The legal duties of Board members

Fiduciary duties - Board members are under a legal obligation to exercise their powers in the best interests of the organisation and to act in good faith.

Duties of skill and care - Board members are required to exercise their powers with reasonable skill and care, particularly in requesting and receiving information and in the making and monitoring of decisions: the Board’s duty of care is to the membership base of the organisation, to achieve or address the statement of purpose and ensure that the organisation operates in compliance with the constitution.

Company/Incorporation regulatory requirements - Board members are required to act according to the requirements set out in the relevant state or territory Associations Incorporation Act, Co-operatives Act, or the Commonwealth Corporations Act, and in accordance with their Constitution.

General regulatory requirements - Board members are required to act according to all other relevant laws which include laws relating to industrial relations, occupational health and safety, equal employment opportunity, the environment, taxation, superannuation, workcover, anti-discrimination, etc.

Whole-Board discussion

It is suggested that the following Checklist, together with a copy of the current Constitution, be given to each Board member to facilitate a discussion on their Constitution.

There may be some doubt as to whether the Constitution on file is the current one – in this case, a request to the regulatory authority for a copy of the Constitution ‘as currently registered’ will ensure that the appropriate document is discussed. It can happen that an organisation can go through the procedure to amend its Constitution but then fail to submit the approved amendments to the regulatory authority for their acceptance, or omit to replace the previous copies on file.

The following Checklist provides some examples of what a Board and CEO should look for, note and act upon within their own current Constitution:

1. statement of purpose or objects
- this is what your organisation is currently incorporated or registered to do
2. the legal name of the organisation and registration number
- the name and registration number should appear on all ‘corporate’ stationery and documents
3. definition of key terms used in the Constitution
- this list explains the meaning of such terms as ‘Act’, ‘Association’, ‘Company’ ‘Co-operative’, ‘Member’, ‘Board or Committee’, ‘Auditor’, ‘Officer’
4. categories of and eligibility for membership of the Association, Company or Co-operative, including the process for applying for membership
- there will be a procedure set out for Membership application, eligibility, approval
- mention will be made of the procedure when a member may be seen to be ineligible for continuing their membership, and situations under which membership automatically expires
5. how the register of members is to be kept and continually updated
- this register sets out the date on which each member’s application for membership is approved by the Board, and the date on which a member ceases to renew their membership or ceases to be eligible to continue as a member
6. discipline, suspension, expulsion and appeal of members
- for example, there are 3 relevant clauses in the Associations Act in Victoria:
a)

discipline, suspension and expulsion of Association members

• applies to situations where "the Board is of the opinion that a member (of the Association) has refused or neglected to comply with the rules or has been guilty of conduct unbecoming a member or prejudicial to the interests of the Association"
b)

disputes and mediation

• the grievance procedure to be followed where an Association member has a grievance or dispute with another Association member or with the Association.
c)

removal of a Board member

• where "the Association in general meeting may, by resolution, remove any member of the Board before the expiration of the member’s term of office ….."
7. details of the Board, including:
– powers of the Board,
– required number and (in some cases) categories or required background of Board members,
– process of election or appointment,
– office bearers, and
– terms of office.
8. the grounds or reasons by which a vacancy occurs on the Board during the year, and process for filling such casual vacancies
– in most cases, the Board has the power to nominate an Association, Company or Co-operative member to fill such a vacancy, and that person fills that vacancy until completion of the term of office of the person who vacated the position
– when the term of office expires, the position is then required to be filled in the normal manner as laid down in the constitution, usually through the election of Board members at the annual general meeting
9. frequency and procedure for Board meetings, and minimum number of Board members required for a formal meeting (ie the quorum)
– usually, the quorum is half of the required number of Board members plus 1 (this number includes both Board office-bearers and ordinary members of the Board)
– for example, if the Constitution stipulates a Board of 8 members, then the quorum would be 5 members .. regardless of the number of Board positions that are currently filled: this means that if there are only 5 Board members in place and the Constitution stipulates 8 Board members, then all 5 must be present for a formal Board meeting to be held
– the Constitution will explain the procedure to be adopted when a quorum is not present
10. the frequency, quorum and procedure at general meetings, annual general meetings and special general meetings of Association, Company or Co-operative members, notices of agenda items or motions, and style of voting
– the annual general meeting is the legal procedure and forum for the Board to account to the membership base for the manner in which it has governed the affairs and activities of the organisation through the previous financial year: it is also the time at which the Annual Report (including the audited financial statements) is presented by the Board to the membership base for their acceptance
11. funding and financial sources, and how funds are to be managed, eg procedure for drawing and signing of cheques
– indicates the range of ways in which the Board may generate income
12. procedure for amending or altering the statement of purpose or rules
– this procedure requires a special general meeting or inclusion of such proposed amendments or alterations at the annual general meeting
– the procedure will be set out for distribution of the proposed amendments or alterations to all Association, Company or Co-operative members within a given number of days prior to the special general or annual general meeting
13. provisions for the custody and use of the common seal
– the seal is to be applied on contracts or deeds entered into by the organisation, and usually requires a resolution at a Board meeting for its use
14. custody of relevant documents and securities
– the Constitution may state that these should be held at the address of the Secretary, or at the registered office of the organisation
15. right of members to inspect relevant documents, and procedure for doing so
– Association, Company or Co-operative members should be made aware of this right, and the procedure for inspection
16. procedure for winding up or dissolution of the legal entity
– this can be a lengthy and drawn out procedure, particularly if the organisation has considerable assets and/or liabilities
– upon being finally and legally wound up, the organisation ceases to exist .. in effect, the organisation ‘dies’

 

Article posted Winter 2007
Recruiting and Retaining Service Club Members

Note: The term ‘Board’ includes Board of Directors and Committee or Board of Management

Introduction

Men and women of all ages join Clubs in order to either benefit themselves or benefit the Club.

Some join with enthusiasm, maintain their enthusiasm and remain with the Club for a long time. These quickly become and remain active members, and they become active recruiters of new members, and active nurturers of existing members.

Others join with enthusiasm, find their enthusiasm lessening as they become familiar with Club activities and membership requirements, and gradually fall away. They quickly become passive members. If they recruit new members or nurture existing members, it’s by accident rather than by design. And when their membership does cease, it’s not likely that they will talk positively of their Club membership and experience to others who could benefit.

Yet other will join with enthusiasm, find their enthusiasm lessening but remain in the Club as ‘passengers’ which means that Club membership brings little benefit to themselves and less to the Club. This group becomes a cost to the Club. They renew their annual membership, but offer little more than the minimum effort required to retain membership eligibility.

A member-based Club is one whose primary purpose is to provide member services of a nature and quality that will ensure maximum member loyalty, ie membership renewal and recruitment. In a member-based Club, you must be a member in order to receive or participate in services which are only available upon payment of a subscription.

The challenge for any member-based Club includes ensuring that:

1. current members see membership as an investment rather than a cost
2. there is a continuing inflow of new, and a minimal loss of existing, members
3. the nature, quality and availability of member services does not suffer as membership numbers increase
4. members contribute to, are involved in and are committed to the Club’s purpose and philosophy, and
5. members genuinely honour the Club’s traditions, and work in a coordinated and committed manner to ensure that the Club continues to serve or achieve its purpose.

Member-generated income is usually a major category of Club revenue. As well as funding the cost of recruiting, servicing and retaining Club members, the Club must be able to fund the activities directly associated with its purpose.

There are two major categories of Club life - activities related to membership, and activities related to the purpose of the Club. It is wise for any Club to know the ratio of ‘membership’ activity and costs to ‘purpose’ activity and costs.

For example:

1. a Service Club exists for the express purpose of raising funds to sponsor initiatives that will bring practical and lasting improvements in the life or lifestyle of a designated group of people who are disadvantaged in some way
2. annual Club income is $100,000
3. annual income from Club membership is $20,000 at an annual cost to the Club of $40,000
4. annual income from the Club’s efforts to raise funds for purpose-related activity, including donations through Club member contacts and networks, is $80,000
5. ideally, the Club should be able to allocate $80,000 to purpose-related sponsorship as a result of that financial year’s activity: however, $20,000 of this money has to be used to subsidise Club membership
6. sponsorship requests received by the Club for the year total $300,000
7. the result is that the target group for whom the Service Club exists is subsidising the Club’s members.

This example is an extreme one to illustrate the relationship between Club membership and Club purpose. The Club in this example may not even know that this situation exists. However, when the Club does know, it has a work to do.

Activities to recruit and retain Club members should be planned in such a way that the costs of these activities are covered by Club member-generated income. This enables the Club to separate income and expenses directly related to the Club’s purpose, which in turn enables the Club to openly and proudly proclaim its effectiveness in terms of its purpose… the most powerful, positive and persuasive incentive for member-recruitment and retention.

The following page offers a continuum of Club membership to assist in planning a Member Recruitment and Retention Program in an objective, strategic and financial manner.

This will enable the decision-makers within the Club to:

1. think, plan and act objectively, strategically and financially
2. support and increase the enthusiasm, willingness and activity among existing Club members
3. ensure that the cost of member recruitment and retention is covered by member-generated income
4. market and promote the Club to donors and supporters as a genuine vehicle to ensure that the whole of their financial contribution will be passed on to the purpose for which the Club exists
5. provide a positive, persuasive and powerful report to members and guests at the Club’s annual general meeting
6. raise the community’s confidence in the Club’s performance, integrity and transparency - and most importantly in its governance and management – and increase the effectiveness of the Club in terms of its purpose
7. attract the interest of potential members and retain the active commitment of current members.

Notes on the continuum of Service Club Membership:

1.

Individual members may progress through membership Stages with ease and comfort, seek further involvement through time and become a valued and valuable contributor and activist in achieving or addressing the purpose of the Club. In this case, member-satisfaction remains high and their contribution is ‘active-active’ in that they pay their annual dues and actively support and participate in the Club’s efforts

 
2.

Individual members may pay their membership fees and then decide not to move beyond a token involvement: in this case, satisfaction remains low and their contribution is ‘active-passive’ which means that they pay their annual dues but do not actively support or participate in the Club’s efforts

 
3.

The continuum shows the possibility for one person to move from prospective to new member, to then choose whether to become ‘active-active’ or ‘active-passive’, to become ‘key’ or to ‘lapse’ prior to exiting.

Continuum of membership of Service Club Membership

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6

Information is received by an eligible person about the purpose and philocophy of the Club, and the benefits and costs of membership,

 

The person is a ‘prospective member‘

The person decides, applies for membership & pays the annual fee which may include a once-only joining fee

 


The person is a ‘book member’

 


If the person decides not to apply, the person remains a prospective member, but is now an ‘informed prospective member’

The person attends meetings, accepts services for new members, becomes more aware of the Club’s purpose and of member-benefits, and decides which Club activities to support

 


The person is a ‘new member’

Active membership is based on the person’s own assessment of:
a) their continuing satisfaction with the Club
b) the Club’s continuing acknowledgement of their contribution to the Club’s purpose, and
c) an assurance that the Club’s purpose is being positively served or achieved

 

‘active-active member’ means that the person participates in, and contributes their energy to, the Club’s activities relating to both membership and purpose

 


‘active- passive member’ means that the person participates in but does not contribute substantially to the Club’s purpose

As the person’s satisfaction continues and grows, the person’s active participation and contribution increases: however if their satisfaction lessens, the person’s participation and contribution lessens and the person becomes a ‘lapsed member’, with the Club being a low priority for that person.

 

A lapsed member may not even display a wish to retain eligibility for Club membership

 

If satisfaction continues to lessen, the person ‘exits’ either by resignation or failure to renew and becomes an ‘ex-member’

As the nature and extent of participation and contribution increases, the person becomes a prominent person and contributor to the Club’s efforts and purpose, ie ‘key-member’

 

They may hold various offices in the Club’s structure

 

They may become an effective advocate on behalf of the Club and its purpose

 

They may become highly effective in Club membership recruitment and renewal

 

The challenge for the Club as a whole is to retain the key-member’s commitment, and avoid ‘over commitment’ or ‘burn-out’

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 
4.

Some people don’t progess beyond Stage 2 – they either choose not to progress, or circumstances in their lives at that time prevent progress. The Club needs to understand the circumstances and if possible, assist the new member to maintain membership until circumstances enable her/him to progress along the continuum: this is ‘care and nurturing’.
At best, the Club should be able to manage a small group who remain at Stage 2 as an investment in their potential for progressing. However, Club resources invested at Stage 2 should not lessen the availability of Club resources at the previous and further Stages, as this would have a detrimental effect on the Club’s effectiveness and purpose.

 
5.

If Club member-benefits or activities are not seen by a potential or new member as relevant to them, this may be an indication of one of the following factors:

• information given or offered at Stage 1 is ineffective, inadequate, misleading, out-of-date or open to misinterpretation
• the cost of membership is seen as too high – either in relation to the perceived benefits, or to the person’s current financial circumstances
• member-benefits, including member-services, are seen to be unimportant or irrelevant – this response may be dictated by current circumstances within the person’s life or lifestyle, or it may be an indication to the Club that it is time to re-assess and revitalize:
(a) member-benefits as a whole
(b) the relevant promotional material
(c) the training of current members on recruitment of new members
(d) the manner in which the Club is operating, and/or
(e) the reputation of the Club in its community of interest

 
6.

Where Club members become disillusioned and withdraw their energy or lessen their activity or involvement, the Club itself is at risk. Therefore, every Club member who ‘exits’ the Club should be invited to an ‘exit interview’, and the main question to ask is ‘What could the Club do differently or better in order to retain your interest and commitment?’
The Club itself should ask ‘How long have we known that exiting was being considered by this member, and what did we do or should we have done about it?’ The process of recruiting is more costly than the process of retention.

The Club should have an active Membership Recruitment and Retention Program. Such a Program would have its own budget with a Club-endorsed strategy to address and monitor Member:

a) recruitment
b) orientation
c) involvement and participation
d) care and nurturing
e) training and development
f) grievance procedures
g) conflict management
h) financial analysis of membership-related activity, and
i) membership analysis, and surveying of both continuing and exiting members.


Member-based Clubs are dependent upon effective recruitment, servicing and retention of members. Such Clubs are only as strong and effective as their active-active membership.

Club membership needs to be kept in perspective. Club membership is the means by which the Club will achieve its purpose. There will be Club members whose major interest is in Club membership, and others whose major interest is in the Club’s purpose. It is wise for any Club to ensure that all Club members are given the opportunity to be actively involved in the area of their choice in Club activities. Where there are insufficient current Club members for any task, this ‘deficiency’ becomes an immediate priority in the Member Recruitment and Retention Program.

Financial and operational analysis

A dependable Club Membership Data-base is the primary requirement in financial analysis. A Club will usually have a Committee (or Board) that oversees the management of all Club activity, including administration, information, finances, structure and membership. It is common for such a Committee to establish a number of sub-committees, one of which would be the Membership Recruitment and Retention Sub-committee, and another may be Member-Services Sub-Committee. (The language may be Executive with Committees, rather than Committee with Sub-committees, but the purpose of each group would be the same.)

The purpose of Sub-committees is to improve the quality of Committee decision-making, and their role is to research given issues or topics to prepare and submit validated and costed recommendations to the Committee for decision, information or action.

The Committee needs to know:

a) their definitions of ‘active’, ‘passive’, ‘active/active’, active/passive’, lapsed’ member and ‘ex-member’ – together with the criteria for eligibility for membership
b) current numbers of members in each of these categories
c) trends in membership recruitment and retention through the past 5 years at least, or since the Club was established
d) average period of membership: ratio of active to passive members; ratio of new members to exit members – whether by resignation or non-renewal
e) average number of years that members remain active, active/active and active/passive
f) current member services, the extent of member acceptance or popularity for individual services, and the lifetime and performance of each service to date
g)

indirect and direct costs of member recruitment, retention and services

• indirect costs are costs associated with getting an item or activity ready for delivery to the recipient, eg planning and preparation of information and promotional material, training of current members on recruitment and retention, preparation of member services to the stage of being ready for distribution to members or member purchase or involvement
• direct costs are those associated with delivering an item or activity to the recipient, eg information sessions for potential members, new-member evenings, distribution of new-member kits, calendar of Club events, catalogue of member-services, Club directory – and website costs if items or information are available through that source
h) financial ratios, eg indirect to direct costs, member-generated revenue to membership costs, Club-generated funds available for purpose activities to direct donations.


By quantifying the total costs related to membership, the Club can then compare this figure (progressive in the current financial year, for the previous financial year and if possible trends through the past 5 financial years) with:

a) income generated by membership fees and renewals
b) income generated by current members in Club activities (eg dinners, individual meeting fees, meeting fund-raisers, fines)
c) income generated through member-services (eg purchase of Club badge, stationery, newsletter subscription, web-site subscriptions, badged apparel, annual conventions), and
d) income generated for the Club’s purpose through the Club’s direct or mass appeals, major events to which non-members are invited, etc.

The Club will have regular ‘business meetings’ to which all Club members are invited, and these statistics should be shared with members, inviting their responses and suggestions for improvement where desirable. Involving current members in Club matters is informing and educating current members as to the role and function of the Committee and Sub-committees, removing the mystique that is often given to this level of Club decision-making, and preparing current members for the inevitable invitation or nomination to move into decision-making roles.

 

Jean’s previous comments on challenges and opportunities for nonprofits

Some thoughts on the role of Board Chairperson in a Nonprofit Organisation
(Note – ‘Association’ refers to Association, Company limited by shares or guarantee, and Cooperative: ‘Board’ refers to the governing body of the legal entity )

The first task of the Chairperson as Team Leader is to check your Team

Identify the names, positions and backgrounds or categories of current Board members, and compare the actual membership with the requirement as set out in the organisation’s constitution.

• make a list of the Board members’ names
• beside each name, note the position held by that person at this time, ie Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Public Officer, Committee (ie Committee of the Board) Convenor or Portfolio and note the length of time each position has been held by each person to date
• beside each position, note the constituency/category of membership and expertise/skill, eg association member, staff or service-user representatives, professional expertise, community member, familiarity with the target group, etc
• check the rules for:
a) the required or recommended number and categories of Board members
b) the required or recommended official positions or office-bearers
c) any restrictions or directions given in the rules regarding office-bearers, for example,
– a nominated period of office (eg 2 years) for any one person to fill a position of office, eg Chairperson/President
– any category of member prevented from holding office
• if there are any differences between your list and the rules, make a note of them. Possible differences include:
a) there are more, or less, Board members than the rules require
b) where categories of membership are given in the rules, some categories are not represented or are over-represented
• check the rules for requirements for member attendance at, apology for and leave of absence from formal meetings
• where there are differences, have the Board as a whole discuss whether these differences are important: if they are, there are two options
1. immediately take steps to bring the Board membership and officers into line with the rules
2. agree on changing the rules relating to Board membership and officers, ie change the Constitution
- if the second is the preferred option, the rules will have a section toward the end outlining the necessary procedure for changing the Constitution

The Team Leader needs to know and understand that every member of their team is valuable and valued.

The Team Leader’s responsibility is to bring out the best and the uniqueness that each person can offer.

The Team Leader has the potential to improve the quality of individual and team performance and relationships, leading to increased effectiveness within the total organisation.

 

Chairperson/CEO working relationship

This working relationship is the most critical relationship in your organisation, therefore the following checklist:

1. agree with the CEO that there will be 'no surprises', good or bad, during your term of office,
2. ensure confidentiality and privacy for all discussions on contentious issues,
3. be accessible, particularly in times of emergencies,
4. collaborate on policies and procedures for conflict resolution and grievances at Board level, and within the Association,
5. ensure an effective procedure for quick and efficient responses to all reasonable requests,
6. keep a running list of items that you want to discuss with the CEO and tick them off as you attend to each one,
7. set a regular time before each Board meeting to review the agenda with the CEO and ensure that each item is suitably resourced, again, to reduce the possibility of 'surprises',
8. collaborate on starting and ending meetings or appointments on time,
9. collaborate to ensure a clear distinction between the work of the Board and that of Committees of the Board,
10. collaborate on mentoring or nurturing your successor: and ensuring a clear role for your predecessor, and
11. collaborate on monitoring and improving the performance of the Board, and the job satisfaction of Board members.

 

Chairing Board Meetings

The Chairperson’s duties regarding meetings are to ensure that:

1. meetings are properly convened in accordance with the rules of the organisation .. that proper notice is given and that a quorum is present at each meeting,
2. all statutory regulations and the organisation’s rules, policies and procedures are observed,
3. the agenda is prepared and circulated, setting out items of business to be considered,
4. adequate opportunity is given to Board members who wish to speak,
5. control of the meeting is maintained,
6. s/he acts impartially and that discretionary powers are used in the best interests of the association members,
7. end-of-meeting summaries are given of decisions made and tasks allocated so that each person leaves with a clear idea of what has happened and what is expected of them, and
8. the meeting is closed only after the business at hand has been properly concluded.

The Chairperson may not carry out all of the 8 duties personally, but has the authority to see that they are done.

 

The Chairperson’s specific powers:

1. to rule on points of procedure
2. to put the question to the vote
3. to accept or reject proxies or representation
4. to rule on voting
5. to remove disorderly persons
6. to adjourn the meeting

 

Jean’s previous comments on challenges and opportunities for nonprofits

This article, written by Jean Roberts, first appeared in the August 2005 issue of Association Management (Not For Profit Network’s monthly magazine)

A day in the life of a dynamic Association CEO

"The ideal CEO would be a poet, an historian and a student of weather maps"
(Bill Reddin)


Association Executives operate in an environment that is constantly changing and active. Added to this, they are expected to be full of energy and new ideas, offer stability and support to their people, and ensure a positive and powerful public image for the association and its services. In short, Association Executives are expected to be Super-CEOs.

Surely it is fair and reasonable to take a sympathetic glance into this work-a-day world. A typical day may begin with a prepared ‘task list’ for the day, with anticipated time limits allocated to individual tasks. And of course the tasks will be categorised as to whether they are (a) urgent and important, (b) urgent or (c) important. (Yes, Association Executives have read up on time management!).

Category (a) tasks for today:

• _ hour Management meeting