General board members are an important facet of an organization. The main role of a board member is to be the interface between the chapter and the community to make sure the mission is carried out, that finances are handled appropriately, and to create trust. Furthermore, choosing a diverse team of board members based on skills and perspective can maximize your efforts and drive your coldwater conservation mission forward.
This document is a template or a starting point, to communicate the role of a general board member to effectively recruit and welcome new leaders to help your board thrive. Customizing this position description to meet your board’s goals and objectives will help ensure that everyone is aware of policies, responsibilities and expectations which bolsters recruitment efforts, maximizes the new leader experience and increases the team’s success.
Position Specific Recruitment
Position success is directly related to finding the right person for the opportunity. The recruitment process is an integral part of that success. Forethought and on-going leadership succession are important facets of a successful recruitment strategy.
Recruiting the right talent at the right place and at the right time, takes time and effort but more importantly, it takes planning. Ideally your board has a leadership succession plan and is building potential leaders as an on-going practice. Recruitment efforts can be facilitated through a committee or an identified individual. Regardless of structure, it is important to be aware of potential leaders to identify planned involvement opportunities.
In order to generate a pool of qualified people, one must know what they are seeking in an ideal candidate. Reviewing the TU Leadership Manual (Chapter 4) is a great place to start before discussing with your board.
Once you have reviewed the position overviews in the manual, identify the skills, knowledge and experience needed by identifying “gaps” or opportunities in your current leadership team. A best practice is to create a competency matrix in which incumbent and prospective individuals are matched against specific skills or experience. The matrix should be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure it is aligned with the evolving strategic needs of the board and the board’s future goals.
When looking to recruit general board members, you might consider the following characteristics:
- Commitment and interest
- Ability to attend meetings
- Interest and ability to work as a team
- Previous experience with knowledge of board procedures and/or willing to learn
- Support of the TU conservation mission
Welcoming New Leaders
Welcoming a new leader is another critical piece that will increase the success rate of your new board member. Introducing the new leader, showing appreciation for their service and communicating position expectations goes a long way in setting the person up for success. Some tactics to consider:
- Welcome Packet: Put together a packet of important resources to show organization, effectiveness and that you are vested in their success. Consider including: position description, TU Leadership Manual, board contact information, strategic plan, annual report and other items that might be of interest to them
- Check-In: Schedule meetings with the new leader to allow for questions and/or better understanding.
- Mentorship: Connect new leaders with experienced board members to ask questions and share feedback
General Board Member
General board members provide important perspective, offering insight and identifying resources
to advance the coldwater conservation mission forward. This may necessitate more activity than
simply attending board meetings.
General board members act as a conduit for communication between members, partners and the community at large by communicating upcoming events, opportunities for involvement and collecting feedback for board discussion. Board members work together to lend insight to the decision-making process, keep efforts in alignment with the mission, and maintain a healthy, ethical and financially stable organization.
Key Responsibilities
The general board member must be a current Trout Unlimited member who will ensure that the following responsibilities are completed (personally or delegates tasks):
- Regularly review organizational documents (e.g. bylaws, policies, reports)
- Prepare for board meetings by reviewing previous meeting minutes, completing action items and reviewing documents for the upcoming meeting
- Attend board meetings to provide perspective and ask questions to advance the mission
- Participate on committees of interest
- Assist in the communication and correspondence of the board to members and the general public
- Volunteer at events as leaders
- Disclose conflicts of interest
- Assist with board member recruitment
- Ask questions when clarity is needed
Elected By/ Reports To
Board of Directors/Board Chairperson
Term Length
Per by-laws
Time Commitment
Monthly meetings; additional time required for committee work and other board commitments
Budget Support
Limited
Task Calendar
January-December
- Review board meeting agenda, previous meeting minutes and other board packet items
- Attend board meeting
- Attend committee meetings
- Communicate event and fundraising notices with friends and family
- Identify potential leaders to leadership recruitment committee