Local Chapter Leadership Orientation 1

 Associations go Waaaaaaay Back  1735: Benjamin Franklin founded the American Philosophical Association  Now the oldest association of continuous existence 2 First a Little History

 An organization of people with a common purpose and having a formal structure  A community of individuals or companies that collectively serve the interests of their members that cannot be met effectively by individual action 3 What is an Association?

 501(c)(3): Education, research, professional or philanthropic/charitable purpose. DO NOT LOBBY  501(c)(6): Trade and individual membership organizations that provide benefits to members and lobby on their behalf 4 501(c) What?!? Tax Statuses of Associations

 The Florida School Nutrition Association is a Professional Association and is a 501(c)(6)  The Florida School Food Service Foundation is a 501(c)(3)  Your Local School Nutrition Association is a Professional Association and is a 501(c)(6) 5 What are We?

 Willing to Serve  Practice Diplomacy  Earn the Trust of Others  Be Open to New Ideas  Communicate Effectively  Plan and Share Your Vision  Build Consensus/Promote Teamwork  Listen 6 Association Leadership

 Relax and be comfortable  Listen so that your year will be as effective and powerful as possible  Ask questions as they arise  Think in terms of your role as a board member; responsible for the well-being and future of your local chapter 7 Ground Rules for Serving

 The Articles of Incorporation  Bylaws  Policies & Procedures  Strategic Plan  Budget for Current Year 8 The Tools of Governance

 Determine and understand your local chapter’s mission and purpose  Follow initiatives from FSNA President  Manage your local chapter’s resources  Determine, monitor and strengthen programs and services for your members  Promote professional image  Help recruit new leaders 9 Board Responsibilities

 Attend all board meetings  Start and end meetings on time  Study and understand FSNA’s mission statement, both FSNA and local bylaws and policies & procedures  Prepare for all association meetings by reviewing the agenda  Treat information and discussions as confidential 10 Practical Steps for Board Service

 Promote your local chapter to others  Recruit future leaders to help govern the organization  Stay current on issues and trends impacting the membership  Get involved in committee work  Make contributions and assist with fundraising 11 Practical Steps for Board Service

 The officers have special duties described in the bylaws & policies and procedures 12 The Officers

 Serves as chief elected officer of your local chapter  Presides over all meetings or designates a person to do so  Appoints committees in accordance with bylaws 13 Role of the President

 Serves in the absence of the president.  Performs such duties as identified in the bylaws or assigned by the president  Uses this time to learn and prepare for the role of President 14 Role of the President-Elect

 Monitors the accuracy and timely distribution of meeting minutes  Oversees all funds and financial records  Oversees preparation of annual budget for approval  Keeps records of all income and expenses  Performs such duties as identified in the bylaws & policies & procedures 15 Role of the Secretary/Treasurer

 The Executive Board approves the proposed budget  The Executive Board is responsible for reviewing financial reports on a regular basis 16 Financial Responsibilities

 Help the local chapter accomplish the initiatives  Local chapter chairs work with state association chairs to accomplish state initiatives  Identify potential leaders  Serve the interests of subgroups of members 17 Committees

 The Preparation  Determine the purpose of the meeting  Notice of the meetings need to be distributed well in advance  Prepare agenda/make effort to distribute in advance  Whenever possible, formulate and ask your questions before the meeting  Come to the meeting prepared; read the materials 18 Board Meetings

 The Agenda  Prepare and distribute agenda prior to the meeting  Limit the number of items  Allow for enough time to discuss each item  Begin with a noncontroversial item to create a positive environment  More important = beginning of the meeting  Move committee reports to the end or have a consent agenda* Board Meetings *Routine items that can be grouped together and passed in one motion.

 The Meeting  Start and end on time  Brief Introductions (if members don’t already know each other)  Stick to the agenda—stay on task  Take breaks if necessary, but return on time  Don’t allow for sidebar discussions or hidden agendas  The Chair should summarize the discussion 20 Board Meetings

 Minutes  Minutes are a legal record of the meetings  Do not need to include the names of the individuals who make or second a motion  They are not a record of side conversations  No audio recordings should be maintained once the minutes are approved  Secretary should complete minutes and send to the Board for review in a timely manner  The minutes are to be approved at the next Board meeting 21 Board Meetings

 The Rules of Order  Procedural rules are used to maintain order at meetings  All persons must be recognized by the chair before speaking  Allow time for everyone to speak if they wish to do so  Time limits may be set on certain topics  When in doubt – refer to Robert’s Rules of Order and/or Robert’s Rules of Order In Brief 22 Board Meetings

 Handling a Motion  “I move that…”  Needs a second—without one, the motion dies  Chair repeats the motion. “Any discussion?”  After discussion, call for the vote—repeat the motion  Motion either passes or does not pass  Only one motion on the floor at a time 23 Board Meetings

 Handling Conflict  Create ground rules for all to follow  Remind members of why the are there. Review the purpose, mission and vision of the organization  Control your emotions—don’t get personal  Call for a break and talk to people individually  Resolve conflict before the end of the meeting  Don’t let the continue outside of the meeting 24 Board Meetings

 Wrapping it all up  Finish the meeting on time  Review assignments/deadlines  Set the date/time for the next meeting  Thank members for attending and participating  Take a deep breath  Well done! 25 Board Meetings

 Duty of Care  Be informed and ask questions  The level of competence that is expected of a Board member; commonly expressed as the duty of “care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise in a like position and under similar circumstances”  This means that a Board member exercises reasonable care when he or she makes a decision as a steward of the organization 26 Board Legal Considerations

 Duty of Loyalty  Avoid conflicts of interest  The duty of loyalty is a standard of faithfulness; a Board member must give undivided allegiance when making decisions affecting the organization  This means that a Board member can never use information obtained as a member for personal gain but must act in the best interest of the organization  Board members must comply with the association’s policies regarding code of conduct and ethical behavior 27 Board Legal Considerations

 Duty of Obedience  Faithful to the mission and goals  Follow the governing document  Not permitted to act in a way that is inconsistent with the central goals of the organization  A basis for this rule lies in the public’s trust that the organization will manage funds and resources to fulfill the organization’s mission 28 Board Legal Considerations

 The board experience should be a positive one  The board is the caretaker of your local chapter  The board speaks as a whole, no board member should have more input or authority than others  There are NO dumb questions  Always ask questions as they arise  Thank you for serving on your board! 29 Thank You for Serving!