Council Orientation
So you're interested in Council...=
Thanks for joining us! The Council is a an important part of Free Geek's governance, and we strive to have people from all parts of our community represented in it. Your opinion is important.
Please note that the Council's purpose (explained more below) is about big-picture decisions. If those things bore you and you're more of a hands-on, immediate-problem person, you may want to look into some of the workgroups that govern various aspects of Free Geek's operations to find your niche. If you have a concern and you're not sure whether you should take it to the Council, ask a staff member about it. They may be able to help you put your idea into action or get your concern addressed even before the Council next meets!
To get a sense of the scope of the Council and what's currently on our plate, check out the email list archives. They contain minutes from past meetings, and discussion that may occur between meetings, and are highly recommended (if not required) reading for new council members.
The purpose of Council
From the Bylaws:
- The Free Geek Community Council (the "Council") shall be organized from members of the Free Geek community. The function of the Council is to provide general guidance and vision to Free Geek. This includes both short term and long term vision and goals. The Council normally meets on a monthly basis and shall meet to elect members to the Board at least once per year. The Council shall not have the authority to act for or on behalf of the Board.
Despite that last line, the Council actually does some things that are traditionally the job of a board of directors. Importantly, the Council sets the organization's priorities and long-term goals. The Board's role is mainly to ensure that the organization's decisions are financially and legally responsible. Board members are required to participate in the Council in order to help them perform that role, and to make sure they stay in touch with what's going on.
The Council generally tries to stay out of deciding on implementation issues, which are left to the staff to determine in line with the directives of the council. You will find the staff highly represented at the council, too, because of the information and responsibilities they have.
What to expect
Introduction
- add link to the preparing for meetings material
If you can't make the meeting
Decision making
* Putting in this section how decisions are made, a brief definition of the consensus process, and what the Council powers are (versus staff powers or Board powers) might be helpful. --Kel
- Also link to the Conflict of Interest Policy.
Resources
Because council only meets once a month and we often have a lot to discuss, we use email a lot to share information and continue discussion. The email list is open to anyone interested, and you can sign up or just read the archives at the URL below.
- Council email list: http://lists.freegeek.org/listinfo/council
- Send email to: council@freegeek.org
Other email lists are often mentioned in Council meetings, such as the staff list, the core list (for volunteers who are around all the time; if you think you should be on it, you probably should), and the email lists of various working groups and programs. There are too many to list here, but if you're curious about one or more of them (or if you're told to send your concerns to one!), please ask a fellow council member.
The minutes from council meetings, as well as discussion, documentation, and other collaboration, can be found on Free Geek's wiki. If you've never used a wiki before, please feel free to ask someone to help you out. Here are a couple of key points:
- The wiki main page: http://wiki.freegeek.org
- The Council's page, which links to meeting minutes: http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/Council