FMUU Policies & Procedures

Board of Directors Procedures

Approved January 22, 2006

I. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS

Following are procedures relating to Board of Directors meetings. Many of these guidelines reference only the President. In fact, she/he may in some instances ask the President-Elect to assume responsibility for the task concerned.

Agendas

  1. Development Process. Critical to the process is a regular time line.
    1. Up to two weeks before the next Board meeting, the Office Manager sends out a call to all Board members for agenda items which involve policy or require Board action with a deadline of the following Tuesday.
    2. Throughout the time period between meetings, the Office Manager forwards to the President issues requiring action. The President resolves them or retains them as agenda items for the Board.
    3. During the last week before the Board meeting, the President develops the final agenda and the Office Manager sends it out to all Board members.
  2. Content. Final responsibility for agenda content rests with the President. Board agenda discussion items shall be restricted to those involving policy or requiring Board action.
    1. Annually, the President sends out a letter to committee chairs, copying Board Liaisons, which states these restrictions on agenda topics. When a topic is appropriate to the Board agenda, the Chair or Liaison shall forward it with a recommended policy or action.
    2. If in doubt about the appropriateness of an item, committee chairs, Board Liaisons and other members shall resolve these questions in advance with the President.
  3. Format. To facilitate this restricted content, the agenda shall include only discussion items involving policy or requiring Board action. There is no routine review of Employee Reports or routine reporting from committees by Board Liaisons.

Task Assignments: Making It Work

  1. Previous Meeting. It is critical that Task Assignments from the previous session be checked off at every Board meeting. Those tasks remaining undone or incomplete will be carried over to current Task Assignments.
  2. Current Meeting. At least the last 15 minutes of Board meetings shall be devoted to this review of past assignments and identification of new tasks from the current meeting.
  3. Follow Up. After one week, the Secretary will send out an email reminder to all Board members regarding their assignments.

II. INCOMING BUSINESS

Following are procedures that delineate responsibilities for all incoming business to the FMUU Church office between meetings of the Board of Directors.

Responsibilities Between Board Meetings

  1. Incoming Business. All business coming to the Office Manager, by email, U.S. Post or phone, which she cannot handle and which she considers consequential (policy or Board action involved), must be referred on for response.
  2. Referral. The Office Manager refers all such incoming business to the president unless a referral to another Board or staff member, or a standing committee, is more appropriate.
  3. Response. The recipient of such referrals shall determine and make the appropriate disposition: personal resolution, referral to a (nother) committee for recommendation, or referral to the Board, with a recommendation for action.

III. NEW COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Following are policies and procedures, which delineate responsibilities of the Board of Directors relating to new committee chairs.

Appointment Procedure for Committee Chairs

  1. Responsibility. Under the By Laws, the Board of Directors is charged with approving and appointing all committee chairs.
  2. President's Role. When a new committee chair is approved, the President shall send him/her a letter of appointment and congratulations with the support of the Board.
  3. Board Liaison's Role. When a new committee chair is approved, the Board Liaison shall send him/her (1) the committee description, (2) an offer to help recruit members if needed, and (3) a list of current and urgent topics for the committee to address.