Talk:Board Election Checklist

Bylaws changes, FG Council transition and new board of directors

5/10/11 Committee meeting on board transitions

Sara Fay – scribe, (Kathey minutes editor), minutes posted with Paul M's account. --kathey 20:20, 18 May 2011 (UTC)

Attendees: Steven F, Paul M, Vagrant, Jeffery, Kathey, Sara Fay

(Note to Council, Please notice undecided concerns listed at the bottom of this page.)

Town Hall Meeting (THM) Design

Time zero: 0) Announcement of Nomination month

• 1) At this time a Nominating Committee is appointed by board. The nominating committee may include board, non-board, volunteers, collective management and union or other non-collective staff as deemed appropriate by the board. Nominating Committee members are chosen for their broad trustworthiness in their judgement and knowledge of people across the greatest segment of FreeGeek's voting membership, rather than for any particular skill level. It is a wise politically minded committee. This is a 30 day period for committee to oversee self, peer, and staff nominations and create running list of candidates, and keep a public profile of those activities, such as a publicly posted (physical wall hung) bulletin board. An effort is made to make upcoming elections broadly inclusive of volunteers.

30 days before the Town Hall Meeting (THM)"

• 2) At this time, the 'board posts access to full annual reports from across working areas of the organization. This transparency is needed to engender the most meaningful community participation (see reports list in the proposed agenda below.)

• 3) Also at this time, there is an announcement of the Town Hall Meeting, an agenda is posted, and Nomination Statements are distributed.

• 3b) This period allows 30 day candidacy for the community to research candidates and discuss. It also gives time for education of candidates about time commitments and professional developement (This professional development education may be the responsibility of Nomination Committee, Volunteer Coordinator, Education Coordinator, or HR)

2 weeks prior to Town Hall Meeting

• 4) Ballots are available at front desk, polls closed til end of THM. (*THere was not full consensus on this point in our transition committee discussion. Some felt it would be problematic to distribute ballots before educating the community on its own issues, and accepting votes at the THM).

Town Hall Meeting convened

(see Board_Election_Checklist discussion page on wiki) – "stump speeches" respond to reports and are recorded to make publicly available video or other media link on the wiki for the duration of the voting period.

After the Town Hall Meeting

• 5) Voting, ballots are collected for a full month, (at least 2 more weeks of open ballots, depending on when ballots were distributed).

• 6) Follow up report from the THM and new board installed – training and preparation of new members responsibility of board but probably delegated. For example: potentially duty of Volunteer Coordinator, Education Coordinator, or hired out.

• 7) Monthly board meetings

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Town Hall Meeting (THM) agenda model Kathey and Paul M. presented.

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

'discussion points concerning the THM agenda

• a) 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?

• b) What are the connotations of a volunteer annual meeting vs corporate annual meeting? We reached consensus that “Town Hall” means the demos, the people get a voice!

• c) How do we generate topics for THM? Before? From internal discussion? (Not lacking currently..happens all the time and is the current board model) At least to some extent, discussion topics will be generated After reports!

• d) During 1st break – facilitators sort topics'. For example: separate topics to be “siphoned to operations” from topics that are “good small group THM topics”

• e) Why second small groups after lunch? To get more rich input after everyone is on full page from earlier reports and small social interactions.

• f) We received a 120 sec education on nonprofit corporate structure by Kathey! The Board is closest to “owner” (signs checks to IRS) but does not necessarily contact recipients/constituents directly. Board contacts operations and operations serve public. Executive Directors/Managers – collective managers – are the link between board and operations. Board doesn't have to, or should not need to bother with items handled by operations.

• g) ...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: For example, “Some things you point out will go to operations and will not be discussed in the THM or in a board meeting.” And: “FG hosts board meetings, THM is a community meeting hosted by the board – the board members are not merely talking to each other but the board and the community are talking to each other.”

• h) When do we (volunteers) 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)

• i) Duties of the Election Committee: (prev Nomination Committee? a new group?) Promote self/peer/staff nomination month including checking legal financial disclosures (paid non-staff (such as "volunteers" paid by outside agencies) can vote but not run!) Organize Cork Board o' Candidates – election statements. Educate nominees. Coordinate tabulation of votes at 2 weeks and announce results? Paul M: Outsource! THM Facilitation Team?

• j) 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.

• k) Duties of Board re THM/voting Host THM - sort through generated topics. Report back on last year's issues as satisfied by this year's meeting + issues resolved in this years or siphoned to operations etc.

• l) Respond to qualitative meeting report from facilitators – immediately at and at an interval. That is, get report from facilitators at next board meeting, and respond at second board meeting after the THM, regarding delegation plans, what groups will be working on which issues, and etc.

• m) When does the board start meeting monthly? Designate last half hour of council meeting to the board discussion, open but more like a fishbowl, to have official board meeting starting in June.

• n) 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

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

• p) Revised Timeline

-90 days: (latest) Monthly board meeting establishes Election Committee/ Nomination Committee (same or dif. groups?)

-60 days: Election Committee/ Nomination Committee facilitates nomination month

-30 days: FG Voter Guide and Reports released for candidacy month

-15 days (or 0 days): Election Committee releases ballots (for those who can't make THM? No consensus on date.)

0 days: THM Facilitation Committee manages Town Hall Meeting – polls open for (2 or 4) weeks.

(+15 or +30) days: polls closed: someone tabulates and THM Facilitation Committee reports on meeting

~ +30 days: At first monthly board meeting after votes are tabulated, new board installed and meets to hear report/s from THM.

+60 days: At second monthly board meeting after votes are tabulated, new board responds to THM report/Facilitation Committee's or reported concerns generated by the THM.

• q) Schultze voting model, presented by Kathey, Schultze v Concordiset (?) presented by Paul M.

Voting instructions draft

(1) Number candidates by preference.

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

(3) You may use the same number more than once.

(4) You need not use all the numbers.

(5) Unranked candidates will automatically be ranked least preferred.

(6) [You may vote for Empty Seat over any of the candidates] ...this allows for registering a lack of faith. 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).

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Concerns to share w Council in proposal:

• Should the nominating committee also take on responsibility for the rest of the election process and be more of an "elections committee" specifically watching ballot box and tabulating-reporting votes? Some feel this needs a separation of roles.

• Duration of voting period (30 days) related to frequency of most volunteer's attendance patterns. Should it begin before or during the THM?

• 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 write-in option?

• We don't want to reduce an informed election to a popularity contest.

• Some 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.

END OF MEETING MINUTES --kathey 20:20, 18 May 2011 (UTC)

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.