National Council Basics

From AFSWiki

Contents 1 Preparation: 2 Meetings: 3 Post Meeting: 4 Committees / Advisory Groups/and other duties:

Preparation:

1. All members are responsible for reading all background papers prior to the meetings.
2. Agendas for both in-person and conference call meetings are put together at least 7 days in advance. Any additional items you wish to see included should be sent to the chair or vice-chair at least one week in advance of the meeting. Committee chairs and Advisory Group representatives should also submit agenda items and background information to the chair or vice-chair more than one week in advance when possible.
3. Committee chairs should be prepared to update the Council at each meeting on the work of their groups.

Meetings:

1. Hard copies of the background papers will generally NOT be provided at the face-to-face meetings as they will all be available in the Background Papers repository. Please print your own copies if you wish.
2. We ask all members to do their best to adhere to the National Council Meeting Expectations.
3. With limited time together, it is imperative to stay on topic so that the agenda items are covered.
4. As a collegial group, it is important for everyone to take part in the discussion.
5. Only the volunteer members of the National Council will vote.
6. There are times when the volunteer members will meet in a volunteer only session. What is discussed in these meetings shall be conveyed to others outside the meeting only by the National Council Chair or designee.
7. Once a decision has been made by the National Council, all members agree to support that decision whether or not they personally agree with it and agree to present/discuss the decision to others in a positive way.

Post Meeting:

1. National Council meeting minutes containing all topics covered, decisions made with votes recorded and agreed upon action steps for the future will be available on the wiki for all volunteers to read within 14 days of the meeting.
2. An annotated version of the National Council meeting minutes with more complete summaries of all discussions will be shared directly with National Council members also within 14 days of the meeting. This annotated version of the minutes is intended for National Council members only and should not be shared with others outside the Council.

Committees / Advisory Groups/and other duties:

1. National Council members are expected to serve on and/or chair at least one NC committee. (New members will generally not chair a committee during their first year on the National Council unless they have already been a member of that committee.)
2. National Council members may participate on Advisory Groups as their time and interest permit.
3. National Council members may be asked to participate in conferences, or to represent the Council at other events and functions. All National Council members are expected to attend and participate in the NVA.