compiled by Ardis Bazyn
January’s membership focus call on sharing tools for affiliate leaders yielded many good tips. Several affiliates gave us some good examples of what tools to share and how to make them available to all current or potential leaders. The following tips should help you keep your organization moving forward in a positive way.
Important documents and information to share:
- Meeting agendas
- Approved minutes
- Treasurer’s reports
- Board expectations
- Updated board of directors contact list
- New non-profit changes
- IRS non-profit letter
- Incorporation papers and registered agent contact information
- Affiliate web site and social media passwords (Evite, EventBrite, etc.)
- Expense forms for reimbursement
- Latest affiliate constitution
- Robert’s Rules
- Officers’ manuals
- Website links to state and national
Affiliates leaders had numerous suggestions for sharing this relevant information. Some place all the information on flash drives and disseminate them to new leaders. Others have archives of documents on their web sites (hidden links for board members only). Dropbox is another solution which works well. Others sent attachments to the board in e-mail or in hard copy. It is very important to have a board e-mail list to keep all members up to date on the latest happenings. Those without a computer can use voice on the go e-mail programs on their phone.
It is also important to train all board members. The options are listed below:
- In-person seminar for chapter presidents and board of directors
- Leadership training immediately before convention
- Phone leadership training for officers
- Convention member and first-timer orientation
- Financial workshop – budgeting and record-keeping
- Presidents’ luncheon or dinner for chapter officers
- Phone system with box explaining how to find leadership materials
- Mentoring plan for newer board members
Participants had some additional thoughts to share. When inviting someone to serve as vice president, it is a way for the chapter to see if he/she would make a good president, not necessarily the next president. It is better to have continuity in a board, such as keeping half of the board, so the organization moves smoothly. Members need to know how your scholarship and first-timers programs work. It is best to have winners attend your convention. A stipend for students or returning students would be valuable but would generate more lasting results if it were a merit award — someone involved in chapter or committee work. Maintain contact with students who win scholarships or first-timer awards to keep them involved. Engage blind students as children if possible. Have someone attend regional AER conferences to meet teachers of the visually impaired and O & M teachers. When recruiting new board members, have an interview process.
Accessible World held a Tek Talk session featuring John and Larry Gassman having a discussion and demonstration on Dropbox. It has been posted to the Tek Talk Archives and can be found on the front page ofhttps://accessibleworld.org/ under Recent Content. The link to the full description of the archive is below: http://accessibleworld.org/content/tek-talk-features-john-and-larry-gass.... To download the file, go tohttp://accessibleworld.org/sites/default/files/tt-03-09-15-john-and-larr.... This is a discussion and demonstration of Dropbox, a file-sharing program. They examine Dropbox and pay particular attention to downloading, set-up, and creating folders, sharing folders, and public links. They have used Dropbox for home, work and radio broadcasts to move files. Learn and explore the many uses of Dropbox. To reach presenters Larry Gassman and John Gassman, send an e-mail to [email protected].
Our next focus call will be held on April 25; it will focus on mentoring peers on sight loss. To participate, dial (712) 775-7000 and use passcode 640009. For more information, contact Ardis Bazyn via e-mail,[email protected].