APPLICATION PACKAGE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
To become eligible for a position on the Board of Directors, you must fulfill the eligibility requirements as listed below.
1) Board of Directors Eligibility
Each candidate for Director must be eligible to become a member of the Corporation as outlined below:
· No candidate for director shall be an undischarged bankrupt or a mentally incompetent person (as defined in The Mental Health Act R.S.O., 1980) provided that it is understood that it does not necessarily follow from the fact that a person with a developmental disability that he/she is mentally incompetent.
· No solicitor acting as general counsel for the Corporation or for any client or party adverse in interest to the Corporation is eligible to be a Director while so acting.
· Individuals elected to the Board of Directors must submit to the President a Criminal Reference Check (currently free for volunteers).
· Any person who is nominated for the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall not be an employee of the Corporation.
Composition
· The affairs of the Corporation are managed by a Board of Directors of not fewer than three (3) and not more than ten (10) in numbers.
· The Board is comprised of individuals that have the skills and knowledge to contribute to the effective Governance of the Corporation. The Board conducts a skills assessment of its members from time to time to ensure the composition is appropriate to the needs of the Corporation. The resulting skills matrix is a factor in selecting new Board Members.
· Preference should be given to a balance of representation on the Board of all geographical areas served
Term of Office
· Each Director will hold office until the next annual meeting at which time their term of office will expire.
· Incumbent directors, if qualified shall be eligible for re-election.
· At each annual meeting, the requisite number of directors shall be elected by the Members.
2) Selection to the Board of Directors
· Candidates interested in becoming a Board Member are to submit the application to the Nominating Committee (attached).
· Upon receipt, the Nominating Committee will review and interview the candidate’s application for their relevant skills and experience.
· Upon invitation, applicants must be present at the Annual General Meeting or next scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors.
· At the meeting, applicants will be asked to introduce themselves to the Board Members and have an outline of their skills and community involvement.
· The applicant will be required to confirm their attendance and participation in the Board orientation session if successfully elected.
3) Election
· Applicants’ election to the Board will be by a majority vote of the Board members in attendance.
4) Volunteer Screening Process
· Please note the completion of Criminal Reference Check will be required upon acceptance to the Board (details will be provided at that time to secure).
Board of Directors Application
For the Year:Name
Address
City / Postal Code
Home Phone / Work Phone
Cell Phone / Email address
Reasons for Applying to the Community Living Elgin Board of Directors
(Please explain both professional and personal reasons)
Please List Previous Experience in Committee or Board Work
Please identify the strengths you have that you can bring to the Board in relation to the Board Job Profile (attached)
JOB PROFILE
Board Member
Position Summary
This is a volunteer position. Elected by and responsible to the membership of Community Living Elgin you are responsible for the governance and operations of Community Living Elgin in accordance with the Mandate, Mission, Vision and Service Principles of Community Living Elgin and the legislative requirements of the funders and appropriate legislations. Reporting to the President of the Board, you are expected to attend and participate at Board, committee and membership meetings. You are responsible for the establishment of overall direction and policy for Community Living Elgin.
Membership
You represent the interests of Community Living Elgin membership and the broader membership of families and persons with a developmental disability to ensure their various views and interests are known to the Board of Directors. As a Board member you have an advocacy function to promote the needs of the people supported by the organization. To qualify as a member of the Board, you must be a member in good standing of Community Living Elgin.
Community
· You are a representative of Community Living Elgin in the community. You are willing to place the good of the individuals supported above your own self interest. You are a trustee of the values and resources which belong to Community Living Elgin and you perform your role according to high ethical standards.
· You promote the Mandate, Mission, Vision and Service Principles of Community Living Elgin in dealings with the community.
· As a Board member you speak as one collective voice in the community.
Meetings
You attend and participate at meetings of the Board of Directors, committee(s) as assigned and membership meetings to:
· Address issues and questions brought to the meetings;
· Consider policy and proposals;
· To bring concerns and questions to the Board;
· To remain aware and knowledgeable of the affairs and activities of Community Living Elgin.
Board Decisions
The Board is a corporate body and must make decisions collectively. As a Board member you have the responsibility to understand the issues on which the board votes. Furthermore you have the responsibility to support the decisions of the Board once made and to present a unified voice to the members, staff, to the community and to our funding bodies.
Knowledge
· You receive and review reading material, agendas and other documents pertaining to the work of Community Living Elgin.
· You bring questions about Community Living Elgin and its operations to the President, the Board or Executive Director as appropriate.
Liability
· You understand your responsibilities, authority, accountability and liability regarding the affairs of Community Living Elgin.
· You understand and work within the policies of the Board and the legislative requirements that govern the operation of Community Living Elgin.
· You are expected to understand and comply with the approval and reporting requirements of Community Living Elgin and our funders.
Policy
· You will participate in the review and debate of polices and proposals.
· You will be responsible for the establishment of Community Living Elgin policy through Board approvals.
· You will bring concerns or questions about policy to the President, Board or Executive Director as appropriate.
Planning and Evaluations
· You will be expected to participate in the review of the Operational Review and will assist in the establishment of priorities for the Board and Executive Director.
· You will be expected to participate in the development of an annual board development plan.
· You will be expected to participate in an annual Board evaluation process.
· You will be expected to participate in the annual performance evaluation of the Executive Director.
Resource Development
A major responsibility of the Board is to make sure that there are adequate resources available to carry out the work of Community Living Elgin. As a Board member you must be prepared to play a leadership role in one or more of the following:
· Donating to Community Living Elgin;
· Participating in fund – raising activities;
· Using your skills, time, and connections to secure funding through external sources.
Relations with Staff and Volunteers
As a Board member you are not responsible for supervision or performance issues related to staff and volunteers. These duties are performed by management staff and the person responsible for volunteer co-ordination. Board members may relate with staff and volunteers through various meetings, Community Living Elgin events, visits to programs etc. Board members are always welcome to talk with staff, ask questions and respond to staff questions. Issues about performance, staff responsibilities, the Collective Agreement and operations should be referred to the staff person’s supervisor.
Orientation Training, Conferences and Workshops
· As a Board member you are expected to participate in an annual Orientation training session presented by Board members and the Senior Management of Community Living Elgin. This training session will take place following the Annual General Meeting and at a time mutually agreed to by the Board Members and the Senior Management of Community Living Elgin.
· As a Board member to you will be encouraged to attend training sessions, workshops and meeting offered by the Ministry of Community and Social Services or the Ministry of Children and Youth. Following your attendance at one of these events you would be expected to do a presentation to your fellow Board members about the session and its applicability to Community Living Elgin.
· As a Board member you may have the opportunity to attend conferences as a representative of the Board of Directors of Community Living Elgin. Attendance at these events as a representative of the Board must have prior approval of the Board of Directors.
· You will be expected to do a formal presentation to the Board on the sessions you attend at the conference. Expenses for attendance at a Conference must be pre-approved by the Board of Directors. Expenses covered by Community Living Elgin will include transportation, accommodations (if necessary) and meals as per the Travel Compensation Policy. Community Living Elgin will not cover the cost of alcohol or social events associated with the conference.
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Board Member Dated
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Board of Director President Dated
Community Living Elgin Board of Directors Application Package Page 2 of 7