The Exploris School
Minutes
November Meeting
Board Orientation
Date and Time
Tuesday November 24, 2020 at 5:00 PM
Committee Members Present
D. Brown, M. Gargan, S. Darroch, T. Miller
Committee Members Absent
C. Greer-Banks, D. Kain, K. Morgan, M. Duncan
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
T. Miller called a meeting of the Governance Committee of The Exploris School to order on Tuesday Nov 24, 2020 at 3:21 PM.
II. Governance
A.
Governance Committee Goal
- Review/revise handbooks/policies - send over to CAI, the HR Firm by December 15
- Identify terming board members; develop recruitment plan by March 31
- Distribute and review Bylaws for Governance committee by April 30 (every board member recruit your own/vet them/tell responsibilities; Governance committee interviews after the vetting)
- Review/refresh/update documents in Board on Track and values for budgeting
B.
Recruitment and Orientation Plan Review
Reviewed the following:
- Create a clear recruitment, interview, and selection process.
- Click here to download a copy of our board recruitment plan. This open sharing of the roles and responsibilities, the expectations and a little background of where the school is and where it is going.
- Schedule a meeting with some key members of the board and the school leader.
- Well informed about their role;
- Generally well informed about how the organization operates;
- Who’s who in the organization;
- A few key accomplishments of the organization as they begin to tell friends, family and colleagues about their new opportunity and become a brander of the school;
- Ready to contribute on day one;
- Impressed that they have joined a professional organization; and,
- Valued and appreciated.
- During this meeting, you can share with the newly appointed members how the agenda is developed and strategies are implemented, who is responsible for what activities, how decisions are made, and what values drive decision-making. The school leader can also share the school’s mission, core values and goals for the upcoming school year. Non-profit specialist Non-profit specialist Joan Garry has created a simple list for board orientation. She believes the point of this meeting is to make sure new board members feel the following:
- Teach new board members and talk about the difficult topics. It is critical to bring up to speed the new members about key decisions that have been made or need to be made in their first meetings. In my first meeting, we were voting on a multi-million dollar facility project that I had no background information on. I had no verification that due diligence had been done.
- Joan Garry notes in her blog, “Board members who walk through the doors feeling valued are your most engaged and productive board members. They are your future leaders.” As a board leader, you create the culture you desire to see. By spending time on the front end preparing, you are most likely certain to save time on the back end.
- Depending on the timing of this meeting, there might be some key members of the management team on campus. Take the time to introduce them to the new members and provide them an understanding of their role and how critical they are to the school’s success.
- Review the board member binder. During the meeting, provide them with a copy of a board member binder. This binder contains the most critical documents that a board member should know and understand, including the bylaws, governance policies, meeting schedule, and strategic plan. It can also contain a history of the school, why it exists, and where the organization is compared to its ultimate vision.
- Download a copy of our recommendations for your binder here. This is a great tool that can be passed down from board member to board member.
- Set up a meeting between new members and members rolling off the board. Every board member should work to replace themselves with a member who has similar skill sets and experiences. Whether that new member sat on a standing committee the year before, or are brand new to the organization, the rolling off board member could spend time mentoring the new board member, walking them their board member binder, and sharing some of the key decisions that occurred during their term. This helps the new member have a better understanding of the WHY behind all past decisions and provides some context for upcoming decisions.
- Make the first meeting matter for the new board member. During the first board meeting, make sure there is a time to go around the table and remind everyone of who they are, why they are a board member, the skill sets they bring to the board, and what they hope to see accomplished during their tenure.
III. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 5:30 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
T. Miller