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. |