676 Lorne Scots RCACC Georgetown The Art & Practice of an Effective Support Committee Michele Cameron Chair Support Committee

Welcome ► My name is Michele Cameron ► I became the Chair of the 676 Lorne Scots in Georgetown 7 years ago when there were 19 Cadets and 3 committee members. ► Today there are 110 Cadets and 10 committee members ► I was asked to facilitate a presentation focusing on best practices and key elements of a Support Committee. ► This presentation is designed for new committee members and those who are interested in perhaps seeing another way of doing things

► Big Corps or Small Corps, there are always challenges for the Support Committees ► By focusing on 5 key areas any support committee can become an effective part of an Army Cadet Corps  Running Effective Meetings  Multiyear Budgeting  Centralized Purchasing  Receipts – Why you absolutely need them  Internal Processes and free ACLC Resources Introduction “Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. “ Author Unknown

What a Committee Looks Like ► A good Support Committee has 2 parts:  An Executive made up of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. This group is voted in each year by the entire committee. League Laision officer is able to assist with elections  Everyone else on your committee. This group is tasked for a variety of jobs. ► Pick Up Canteen Supplies ► Run Canteen ► Help with Tag Days ► Help with meals ► Sub Committees such as fundraising or recruiting may also be set up with specialized tasks.

Volunteer types ► 2 Types of Volunteers:  Civilian Volunteer (CV) ► Screened by the Chair or a Support Committee Member ► Member of the Army Cadet League ► Cannot be solely responsible for cadets ► Never a paid position  Civilian Instructor (CI) ► Screened by the Commanding Office or DND Staff ► Member of the Department of National Defence ► Can be responsible for cadets when required by the CO ► Can be a paid position if paid staff position available

Meetings Meetings Meetings ► Support Committees must have regular meetings to be effective. ► Best practices requires a monthly meeting be held Sept – Nov and January – May ► Meetings need a written agenda – what is to be discussed. ► The Chair or the Secretary is tasked with requesting items to discuss the week before the meeting. ► the agenda to the to all your committee members 3 days before the scheduled time of the meeting.

Meetings Meetings Meetings ► Keep minutes of what happens in your meeting  Use point form  Minutes document who is in attendance at the meeting  What was discussed  Who is responsible to complete the task  Always set a date for follow up or completion  Template for Minutes can be found on the internet  Minutes are usually the responsibility of the Secretary “The big divide in this country is not between women and men, but between talkers and doers.” Thomas Sowell

Meeting Norms ► Formal (maybe too formal) using Roberts Rules of order– Provides common rules and procedures for a standardized meeting. ► Informal:  Set your own rules that work for your committee ► One person speaks at a time ► Stick to the topic – no war stories ► Use the “Parking Lot” for unresolved items or for follow-ups ► Follow the Agenda you created ► Use a time keeper and set hard times for topics of discussion “People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything” Thomas Sowell

Preparing a Budget ► A budget is a commitment of what you the support Committee is prepared to spend to support the Corps Training plan. ► The budget starts with an to the CO asking for estimates of what he/she needs for:  Training  What new equipment needs to be purchased.  Teams  Optional activities

Budgets are fun! ► Budgets are absolutely necessary to be able to do any financial planning. ► Budgets should be set well in advance of the start of the program year – The 676 budget first draft is ready in April. ► Budgets support the training plan. ► Budgets are easy and fun. ► Many of the budget items are the same from year to year. ► If you don’t know an expected amount – make it up. “It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it.” George W. Bush

Budgets are fun! ► Good budgeting - estimate - adjust - refine ► Good budgeting is a skill. ► Good budgeting leads to proper financial controls as you learn to learn what it takes to run the program you want. ► Good budgeting allows you to see the big picture and allocate funds to multiyear projects such as major trips or purchase of equipment ► There is a sample budget on the ACLC website. ► Remember the funds belong to the Cadets

Centralized Purchasing ► Is a fancy phrase for setting a strict set of rules around how goods and services are purchased at your Corps. ► The goal is to reduce costs and get the best value for money.

Receipts – who needs them ► Every Support Committee needs to maintain and manage receipts effectively. ► Receipts are needed for CF52s ► Receipts are needed for all expenses ► If no receipt was issued or it was lost. Make a new one and have it signed by the CO. ► Receipts are the only way to prove proper money management in the event of misappropriation allegations. ► Receipts are the only way to survive an audit. ► Receipts will keep you out of jail (that and not stealing the money) “ If the Tax Man wants to audit you, you are still responsible for the records, and if you don't have the records you are at their mercy. Bill Farmer

Designing Internal Processes ► No one method will work for all Corps. ► At a minimum each Support Committee needs  Meeting minutes  A basic budgeting system  A system to purchase materials  A method to reimburse staff for approved expenses. ► Create a manual with brief outlines of how you do things for new committee members and your successor.  Add and refine it as you go. ► Remember – Making changes takes time.

Why is recognition important? ► Recognition is a basic human need ► Recognition motivates and brings personal satisfaction ► Recognition provides validation and positive reinforcement ► Private or Public recognition with a monetary or non- monetary reward ► Benefits  Increased individual productivity  Enhanced teamwork  Higher retention  Builds loyalty

MAKE recognition MEANINGFUL ► What you say:  Be Specific and Personal ► How you say it:  Be Sincere and Focused ► When you say it:  Be Timely and Frequent “ Thank you for your help today! “ Thank you for your help today! I really appreciated you taking the time to help me manage the meeting. You have great fundraising ideas! I’m sure your efforts today will help us meet our project goal. Thank you!”

Free ACLC Resources ► There are a number of free resources on the Army Cadet League of Ontario website ► The website can be found at:

Thank You