April
2008 E-bulletin
VOLUNTEER
RECOGNITION
Volunteer
Manitoba Celebrates It's 25th Annual Volunteer Awards
FEATURE ARTICLE
AGM
Election Procedures
RELATED
RESOURCES
For
Effective And Productive AGM's
TIPS
& TOOLS
Voting
Procedures
SPECIAL
EVENTS
Encouraging Community
Involvement: workshops in Stonewall
this month
Join The Celebration, Attend VM's 25th Annual Volunteer
Awards Dinner
SPECIAL
ANNOUNCEMENT
Training
Offered Across Manitoba for Non-Profit Organizations
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.
Pan-Canadian Interactive Literacy Forum
2.
Best Practice Guidelines for Screening Volunteers
- electronic resource
3. Workshop: Keep
Your Donors - The Guide to Better Communications and
Stronger Relationships
4.
Marketing Your Planned Giving Program - article
5. Application Deadline for Donner Canadian Foundation
Awards - Cash Awards, Recognition & Performance
Information
VOLUNTEER
RECOGNITION
Volunteer
Manitoba Celebrates It's 25th Annual Volunteer Awards
Volunteer
Manitoba held it's first Volunteer Awards event in
1983. Helen Hayles was Executive Director and Bill
Norrie was Mayor of Winnipeg. Together, they decided
that it was time for a public recognition of the positive
things that were happening in the communities throughout
the city.
Organizations who's volunteers made significant contributions
to Winnipeg were recognized at an Awards Luncheon.
One award recipient of the Mayor's award was the Winnipeg
Symphony for providing free concerts to cancer patients
in various cancer care facilities.
In the following years, more awards were added. The
Premier's awards were given to volunteers from around
the province and soon after, the Lt Governor's awards
were created. These additions resulted in the Awards
being presented at a more formal dinner event.
In 2002 Volunteer Manitoba presented it's own award
for outstanding community leadership. Gail Asper was
the first recipient.
Now, Volunteer Manitoba's annual awards dinner hosts
close to 1000 people and 34 outstanding volunteers,
voluntary organizations, and supporters of the volunteer
sector from all around the province will be recognized.
To view this year's award recipients, click
here...
Help us celebrate 25 years of volunteer recognition.
To ORDER YOUR TICKETS
to attend this special event, click
here...
back
to the top
FEATURE
ARTICLE
AGM
Election Procedures
excerpts
from "Call to Order: Meeting Rules and Procedures
for Non-Profit Organizations"
In
many associations the elections are handled awkwardly
and with some uncertainty as to the procedure. This
is unfortunate. Election to an association Board of
Directors... is a responsibility and an honour. Confusion
about the procedure tends to distract from the honour
of the occasion.
Rules: Elections
1. Candidates become eligible for election to a board
or office by a member stating "I nominate ____
for election to the position of _____"
2. A nomination does not require a seconder.
3. The Chair will indicate acceptance of the nomination
by stating, "____ has been nominated, is he/she
will to be nominated?"
4. The Chair will then ask if there are further nominations
and repeat the process until no additional names are
put forward.
5. The Chair will then declare nominations closed.
6. If the number of members nominated exceeds the
number of vacancies, the Chair will call for a vote...,
the mechanics of which should be outlined in the by-laws.
7. When voting is by ballot, vote counters are appointed
either by the Chair or in accordance with the by-law
provisions.
8. Those who count the ballots report the results
to the Chair.
9. When those counting the ballots have reported the
count, the Chair will declare the elected candidates.
10. When the number of members nominated equals the
number of vacancies and there are no further nominations,
the Chair will declare nominations closed and the
members elected by acclamation.
Recruiting Board Members? What
You Need To Tell Them - Attend this seminar
and ensure you share key information to help potential
board members make an informed decision that's right
for both of you and make their transition onto your
board smoother.
To register contact Delores, vmregister@mts.net or
download
the form...
back
to the top
RELATED
RESOURCES
For
Effective And Productive AGM's
Volunteer Manitoba has the following
books available for lending:
Robert's Rules of Order - A manual of parliamentary
procedures
Call to Order: Meeting Rules and Procedures for Non-Profit
Organizations - by Herb Perry, this is a book of rules
and procedures especially designed for the meetings
of non-profit organizations. Easy to understand and
apply.
The Board Meeting Rescue Kit - 20 ideas for jumpstarting
your board meetings
Conducting Good Meetings - suggestions for improving
the effectiveness of board, committee and annual meetings.
To lend these books contact Jody Corriveau, our Resource
Coordinator, by calling (204) 477-5180 ext. 223, toll-free
1-888-922-4545 ext. 223 or vmresource@mts.net.
Additional websites:
http://www.cvsnewcastle.org.uk/publications/infosheets/AGM.pdf
- An information sheet to help you plan your AGM.
http://non-profit-governance.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_write_bylaws_for_nonprofits
- How to write non-profit bylaws, template included.
http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/go/kjwolf/manual.html
- downloadable booklet entitled "The Makings
Of A Good Meeting".
back to the top
TIPS
& TOOLS
Voting Procedures
excerpts
from "Call to Order: Meeting Rules and Procedures
for Non-Profit Organizations"
Voting
is a formal expression of members' wishes or opinion
concerning some question submitted for decision. Although
voting takes place in associations for the election
of directors and officers, the more frequent or normal
voting concerns motions.
There are several levels of voting formality which
may be used. From the simplest to the most sophisticated
these are:
1. Consensus
2. Voice Vote
3. Show of Hands
4. Poll
5. Ballot
Consensus - When the Chair believes that the mood
or "sense of the meting" is obvious, he
or she may simply declare that "The consensus
is that the motion carries."
Voice Vote - On occasion the Chair will say "Those
in favor say aye, those opposed say nae," and
then announce the results based upon his or her assessment
of the volume of each response. Voice votes are often
used at general meetings, seldom at Board meetings.
Show of Hands - This is the most common voting method
in associations. The Chair states "Those in favor
please raise their hand," then "Those opposed
please raise their hand." Often the Secretary
of the meeting will assist the Chair in making the
count. The Chair announces the result.
Poll - This is the most accurate voting method at
a director's meeting. A poll is conducted by the Chair
calling upon each director to say whether in favour,
opposed, or abstaining. At a meeting of members, the
Chair asks those in favour and those opposed to gather
in opposite parts of the room.
Ballot - This voting method uses pieces of paper distributed,
marked, and counted in such a way as to provide secrecy.
back to the top
SPECIAL
EVENTS
Encouraging
Community Involvement: workshops
in Stonewall this month
Have you heard conversations in your organization
questioning why volunteers aren't as committed as
they used to be, how to encourage younger, busy people
to become involved? Organizations, particularly those
in smaller, rural communities need to work together
by coordinating events, increasing communication and
sharing resources. The 4 R's (Recruitment, Retention,
Recognition, Risk Management) will be explored within
the rural Manitoba context in order to most effectively
encourage and support community involvement.
Wednesday, April 16
9:00am - 4:00pm
For information or to register
click
here... or call 1-888-922-4545
ext. 221
