Talk:Board Election Checklist

Bylaws changes, FG Council transition and new board of directors

5/10/11 Transitional Board Meeting

Steven

Paul M

Vagrant

Jeffery

Kathey

sf – scribe

Town Hall Meeting Design

0) Announcement of Nomination month

1) Nominating Committee – appointed by board, including board, non-board, volunteers, collective + non-c staff

30 day period for committee to oversee self, peer, and staff nominations and create Cork Board o' Candidates

2) Announcement of THM, agenda posted, and Nomination Statements

30 day candidacy for community to research candidates and discuss AND

education of candidates of time commit and profession dev (responsibility of Nomination Committee, Volunteer Coordinator, Education Coordinator, or HR)

3) 2 weeks prior to meeting ballots are available at front desk (polls closed til end of THM)

4) Town Hall Meeting held (see Board_Election_Checklist discussion page on wiki) – stump speeches respond to reports and recorded to throw a youtube link on the wiki for voting period

5) Voting and Tabulation

2 more weeks open ballots

6) Follow up report from the THM and new board installed – training and preparation of new members responsibility of board but potential duty of Volunteer Coordinator

7) Monthly board meetings

Kathey and Paul presented THM model

http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/Talk:Board_Election_Checklist

after the plenum reconvenes – introduce all to the small group tables

What is the purpose of the THM for the board?

For the demos?

Ie: Are we just discusing policy, or do we cover operations and long-term strategy as well?

Volunteer annual meeting vs corporate annual meeting: consensus that “Town Hall” means the demos gets a voice!

How do we generate topics for THM?

Before?

From internal discussion? (Not lacking currently..happens all the time and is the current board model) After reports!

During 1st break – facilitators sort “siphon to operations” from “good small group THM topic”

sf Q: Why second small groups after lunch?

120 sec education on nonprofit corporate structure by Kathey!

Board = closest to “owner” (signs checks to IRS) but does not contact constituents

Board contacts operations and operations serve public

Managers – collective? – between board and operations

Board doesn't have to bother with items handled by operations

...sounds like we need to add a summary of organizational structure to opening remarks, followed by the format and intention of the THMs – between items 1 and 2 on current grid (after call to order and before reports given), culminating with what the board will do with items raised in meeting:

“Some things you point out will go to operations and will not be discussed in the THM or in a board meeting.”

“FG hosts board meetings, THM is a community meeting hosted by the board – the board members are not talking to each other but the board and the community are talking to each other.”

When do we hold the board responsible to unresolved issues?

Follow-up report sent ? Concerns sent to next year's agenda (this maintenance role delegated by the board)

Duties of the Election Committee (prev Nomination Committee)

Promote self/peer/staff nomination month including checking legal financial disclosures (paid non-staff can vote but not run!)

Organize Cork Board o' Candidates – election statements

Educate nominees

SOMEONES

Coordinate tabulation of votes at 2 weeks and announce results

Paul M: Outsource!

THM Facilitation Team?

Duties of THM Facilitation Team

logistics meeting

Record/post stump speeches at THM

Prepare qualitative meeting report with requests to the board for specific responses

Duties of Board re THM/voting

Host THM - sort through topics generated

Report back on last year's issues as satisfied by this year's meeting + issues resolved in this years or siphoned to operations

Respond to qualitative meeting report – immediate and at an interval

BREAK

When does the board start meeting monthly?

Designate last half hour of council meeting to have official board meeting starting in June

First THM in Sept = in keeping with our timeline to use a month to prepare for nomination month by creating nomination committee:

July = Nomination Month

August = Candidacy Month

Sept #? = THM

Do we call this a pilot to allow for streamlining the month-long processes in the future?

Revised Timeline

-90 (latest) Monthly board meeting establishes Election Committee

-60 Election Committee facilitates nomination month

-30 FG Voter Guide and Reports released for candidacy month

-15 Election Committee releases ballots for those who can't make THM

0 THM Facilitation Committee manages Town Hall Meeting – polls open for 2 weeks

+15 polls closed: someone tabulates and THM Facilitation Committee reports on meeting

+30 New board installed and meets

+60 New board responds to THM report/Facilitation Committees queries and requests

Kathey on Schultze voting model

Paul on Schultze v Concordiset (?)

Voting instructions draft

Number candidates by preference.

Use the numerals 1-n with 1 as your most preferred.

You may use the same number more than once.

You need not use all the numbers.

Unranked candidates will automatically be ranked least preferred.

[You may vote for Empty Seat over any of the candidates]

..and if an empty seat is appointed, the board will either appoint, hold a re-election, or have an empty seat (to be determined before election).

Concerns to share w Council in proposal:

Duration of voting period re frequency of attendance

2-month requirement of advance participation – what is the cost of opportunity lost by closing nominations 1 mo before? What is the value of the write-in? IS it ok not to include the option?

we don't want to reduce an informed election to a popularity contest

we doubt any energetic board member will emerge in the 30 days of candidacy after

nominations close and before the election

what if the political climate changes dramatically in this last month?

When does council disband? We feel council should keep meeting, but til new board is elected in Sept?

Disclosure of financial interest happens at nomination phase

Town Hall Agendas (September(?) 2011 example)

Notes from committee meeting with PaulM about process, structure and content of the new Annual Town Hall Meetings. --kathey 17:52, 6 May 2011 (UTC)

Annual reports and information on vetted board nominees are distributed a minimum of thirty days before the annual meeting.

TIME	ITEM	WHO	GOAL	PROCESS RECOMMENDATION
time 0	convening the meeting	facilitator	focusing room attention	introduce the agenda and ground-rules, including brevity and "voice only" roles
5 minutes + 2 min. clarifying questions per report	annual reports: finance, mission-driven service, operations, policy changes	Board directors, and/or presenters chosen by the board	everyone "on the same page" working with the same information, formally accounting for FG service to the world.	5 min Oral "executive summaries" with 2 min of clarifying questions only. Max of 3 projected slides per report. Each report includes: how concerns raised at last year's Town Hall Meeting have been addressed, the year's successes & challenges. Should briefly by accurately reflect the reports that were distributed before the meeting.
x min	generating topic suggestions	all with voice	cluster similar topic-suggestions as talking points for open discussion	post-it notes "votes" for topics handed to facilitation staff, or put on hanging paper sheets
x min	break & collating discussion topics	facilitation group don't get a break!	cluster similar topic-suggestions into groups for open discussion after break	organizing topic suggestions
x min	open discussion	all with "voice"	topics addressed by the core from a "big picture" perspective, with comments and questions from all	board directors and staff in a core circle "fishbowl" with concentric circles of chairs outside
x min	explaining the voting procedure	board or someone designated by the board	simplest possible accurate explanation of the voting method for board seats	share simple graphics and maybe 3 projected slides, or simple drawings on paper.
x min	nominee introductions	nominees	familiarize the community with name, face and FreeGeek interests, background etc.	speak and answer questions
x min	lunch	all	relax and get-to-know each other	Select tables to encourage informal and relaxed meeting new people. Distribute staff, board, core volunteers, and nominees widely. Intro's might include: why I got involved at FG, What I do or care about now, What I'd like to do in the future.
x min	milling around after-lunch	all except facilitator group who are re-arranging tables.	building momentum and individual connections	the feel of a cocktail party with relaxed, but serious discussion sans alcohol. Distribute staff, board and core volunteers around the room. opportunity to ask questions or individually speak with board, staff and nominees
x min	reconvene the plenum	all	structured discussion of FG big picture to be recorded for the year, and to introduce the upcoming small group topics.	Describe the clusters of topics/questions raised before lunch, discuss them in the large group.
x min	small topic-group discussions	all, but in multiple small groups	specific topics to be transcribed and then reviewed by the board during the next year.	Small groups at topic tables with large sheets for writing notes, perhaps with pre-written facilitation hints, (such as "short term, long term, and general areas of concern)
x min	reconvene large group to hear report-backs	small groups present to all	sharing results of previous discussion	begin with specific reports, then open for questions.
x min	short break	all	catching breath and gathering thoughts	suggest people contemplate quietly
x min	closing speech	someone officious, or the facilitator	evaluation of the day, closing the meeting, and distributing voting materials if needed.	Thank people for coming, remind people how follow up will be delivered
4 hours since start	opening ballot box	the oldest person in the room	formalize-ritualize the beginning of the voting period, showing no vote has yet been collected.	cutting ribbon or some other such ceremony that includes unlocking a secured box.