Support to Recreation and Sports Organizations

Proper orientation of your board members is critical to getting off on the right foot after an appointment and developing a sense of team and cohesiveness. Often, new board members will feel like they have some "catching up" to get up to speed with the rest of the board members. A quality orientation will allow as much as possible, all board members to work with the same level of knowledge and contribute to effective decision-making. Some examples of topics included in a Board orientation are:

• Roles and Responsibilities

• Board and CEO/ED relations

• Strategic Planning

• Political Advocacy

• Order and Decorum

• Policy Development

• Codes of Conduct

• Effective Meetings

• Fiscal Responsibilities

• Operational Updates

Strategic Planning can mean many different things. Simply, it is a process whereby a Council or Board of Directors will set a long-term, high-level plan that will guide decision-making – short and long-term – well into the future. The organization's activities (operations) should help the Board achieve its long-term goals (strategic priorities).

While there are many ways to go about this, the process is dictated by time, money, and the nature of the organization. We will facilitate discussions in a variety of areas including:

• “Where are we now?”
  “Where should we be going?”
  “How do we get there?”

• Developing a road map for long-term decision-making for staff and Council/Board

• Using the road map to make decisions

• Matching activities with the long-term plan

• Aligning club finances with the activities