As the call for board nominations starts reaching your inboxes, I wanted to say a few words about what you might expect as a board member. This may be new information even to those who have served on the board before. The board experience is different than it used to be, something that became clear to me after starting my current term as treasurer, following a six-year break from the board.
The board currently meets six times a year; most meetings are half-day video conferences (with those outside Regina or Saskatoon able to join by phone). We try to meet once or twice in person, but attendance by phone can certainly be accommodated for those meetings as well, for individuals who are unable to travel. Expenses are covered when travel is involved.
As I mentioned, the role of the board has shifted. Day-to-day management of the Council is in the capable hands of our Executive Director, Gloria Bearss (with the b-creative team) and our Archives Advisor, Cameron Hart. That means that board members can focus more on management of the SCAA at a higher level. For those of you familiar with governance lingo, we’re sort of a hybrid between a working board and a policy board. The board gets regular updates from staff and committees, so we have a good sense of the SCAA’s activities, and are responsible for providing oversight and direction, but we’re not the ones responsible for making sure the trains run on time.
Most importantly in terms of thinking about joining the board, the President, Vice-President and Treasurer have responsibilities between meetings, but for the members-at-large, board activities are now limited to meeting preparation and attendance, plus any committee involvement.
Which brings us to committees. Currently, the SCAA has four committees and one working group. These are: the Governance Committee, the Education Committee, the Grants Committee, the Public Awareness Committee, and the Diversity Working Group. Committees continue to play an important role, but the nature of this involvement has also changed substantially. Because of the administrative and program support provided by staff, committee members can focus more upon committee goals, rather than operational minutiae. Taking the Education Committee as an example, the committee would concern itself with determining what workshops should be offered when and who might lead them, while staff would be involved with the logistics of making that happen. That is, we’re trying to make the best of use of everyone’s time, experience and knowledge.
Until a couple of years ago, two of the member-at-large positions were automatically chairs of the grants and education committees. That’s also changed now, so that we can ensure the best fit for each committee (interest, experience, etc.) Each committee is chaired by a board member, and board members are encouraged to sit on committees, but we also recruit committee members from the broader membership.
Because of fairly good continuity on the board - with overlapping two-year terms, and board members’ ability to stand for a new term - it is unlikely that a new board member would be put in the position of being asked to chair a committee, especially if they don’t have any experience with that committee. Indeed, we’re very interested in making your experience on the board an enjoyable one, and one that fits what you’re able to offer.
So I hope you’ll consider putting your name forward for one of the available board positions. Feel free to contact me with any questions. And if a committee might be more up your alley at this point, please get in touch with Cam at any time, or watch for further calls for volunteers after the Annual General Meeting.
Tim Hutchinson
Chair, SCAA Nominations Committee
tim.hutchinson@usask.ca
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