Chapter Manual - V. Executive Board - President

Added by Karen Huffman, last edited by Diane Schnurrpusch on Apr 22, 2009  (view change)

Table of Contents

Office of Chapter President Overview

Election: The office of Chapter President is the second year fulfillment of a three year commitment to the Chapter offices of First Vice President, President, and Immediate Past President. Since the incumbent First Vice President assumes the office of Chapter President , no direct election for the office of Chapter President is held unless the office of First Vice President is in some way vacated, and the incumbent Immediate Past President and Second Vice President are unable to fulfill the unexpired term of office

Qualifications: Qualifications for the office of Chapter President are those for the Chapter First Vice President.

Term: The President holds the office of President for a one year term succeeded in the following year by the office of Immediate Past President.

Functioning Committee: None.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Chapter President is to act as presiding officer of the Chapter and its Chief Executive Officers.

Duties

  1. Guidance for the administration of the office of Chapter President is provided in the SLA Chapter Guidelines.
  2. Generally responsible to the membership for administering the affairs of the Chapter under its Governance Document and in accordance with the direction of the Chapter's Executive Board.
  3. The President acts as the liaison officer between the Chapter and the Association. Fulfillment of this objective requires: attendance (or representation) at SLA Executive Board and Advisory Council meetings; attendance at the Association annual conference and winter meeting; and entails the responsibility of reporting to the Chapter, by publication, or in person, what has occurred at these meetings.
  4. The President studies the aims, objectives, and organization of the Chapter and recommends to the Chapter Executive Board any changes in organization, policy, new programs, and new projects to accomplish the Chapter's over-all objectives.
  5. The President exercises over-all leadership in the development of policy, organization and programs to attain the objectives of the Chapter.
  6. Provide the Association Office with a list of names and contact information for all appointed committee chairs prior to the Annual Business Meeting.
  7. The President must become familiar with the resource documents which govern the management and administration of the Chapter: Robert's Rules of Order; the Bylaws of the Special Libraries Association; the Governance Document of the Washington, D.C. Chapter; the contents of the Washington, D.C. Chapter Manual; the minutes covering the preceding twelve months of the Chapter Executive Board; the correspondence of the President for the preceding twelve months.
  8. In January the President will hold a planning meeting for all new Board members and the Advisory Council.

Executive Board Duties

  1. The President calls meetings of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council no fewer than three times per year. Regularly established meeting times and days agreed to by the Executive Board at its first meeting assist in the organization of the Chapter's business and promote more consistent attendance by members of the Executive Board and Advisory Council.
  2. The President ensures that all members of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council are informed of and invited to each meeting of the Executive Board.
  3. The President presides over meetings of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council. The President does not normally vote on matters before the Chapter Executive Board; however, in the event of tied ballots, the President casts the deciding vote.
  4. At least one week before each scheduled meeting the President prepares and sends to the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council members, a preliminary agenda for that meeting. The agenda itemizes the topics to be discussed and provides time for board members to develop views and opinions on the business to come before the board. Use of the agenda expedites the discussion of Chapter business, decisions and actions. Appropriate topics for inclusion in the agenda are: Chapter financial reports; Chapter policy matters; Old and New Chapter business; Activities requiring interaction with SLA headquarters; Chapter projects; Committee appointments and confirmations; Committee reports; and Group activity reports.
  5. As soon as practical after assuming the office, the President calls a combined meeting of all the newly elected/appointed and retiring members of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council to facilitate the transition of officers, programs and projects, to exchange ongoing project files and other documents, to establish procedures and communications between the members, and to discuss tentative Chapter and group schedules and meetings for the entire association year.
  6. The President reviews the minutes of each Executive Board meeting prior to the next scheduled board meeting to identify unfinished business and other items of business requiring the board's attention.
  7. The President ensures that the Recording Secretary is present at each meeting of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council, or appoints some other member of the board to act as recorder for that meeting. The President ensures that any decisions or votes effected by telephone are appropriately documented, that the Recording Secretary is notified of the outcome of these decisions or votes, which are to be incorporated into the record of the Chapter's business, and that the decision, vote, or actions agreed to, are read into the minutes of the next Executive Board meeting.
  8. At the end of the Chapter's administrative year (in late May or June), the President will call a final meeting of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council to review the year's work related to new projects and publications, and to introduce the officers elected for the ensuing year.
  9. The President presides at all Chapter meetings.

Advisory Council Duties

  1. The President nominates a Chapter member to serve in the capacity of committee Chair for each of the Chapter's standing committees named in the Chapter Manual. Nominations for committee appointments should be made during the summer with the advice and consent of the Executive Board so that committee appointees can be present when confirmed by the Executive Board at its first meeting, allowing Chapter business to proceed without further delay. In most instances committee Chairs are appointed from among those persons who have had working experience with the committee at some prior time, most often in the immediately preceding year. Prompt appointment of the newsletter editor and committee Chairs to head the Consultation, Hospitality, Membership, and Employment committees is vital to cooperation with the Association's headquarters, especially with regard to SLA chapter coordination and publicity efforts.
  2. Because of the varying terms of office established in the Chapter bylaws, the President is responsible for providing a list of officers to be elected for the coming year to the Nominating Committee Chair before the committee's first scheduled meeting. The President will also provide a history of officers elected to Chapter office during the previous five years to facilitate the deliberations of the committee.
  3. The President will nominate a Chair for the Elections Committee immediately after the report of the Nominating Committee has been submitted to the membership. Appointment of the Elections Committee prior to receipt of the Nominating Committee's report could result in the nomination of one of the candidates for Chapter office.
  4. The President will supply the name of the Association Membership Chair to the Chapter Membership Chair as soon as the appointment of the Membership Chair is confirmed by the Executive Board.
  5. The President will supply the name of the Chapter's Hospitality Chair to the Chapter's First Vice President as soon as the appointment of the Hospitality Chair is confirmed by the Executive Board, and direct that a meeting be held to outline the Chapter's professional program for the coming year.
  6. The President is responsible for issuing memoranda or otherwise reminding Chapter officers and committee Chairs of Chapter guidelines for submitting budget requests, annual reports, and archival materials, etc., as required throughout the year.
  7. The President is a member, ex officio, of all committees except the Nominating Committee, and may attend any committee meeting without specific invitation.

Ad Hoc Committees Duties

  1. The President may identify a requirement and call for the establishment of Special or Ad Hoc committees with the consent of the Executive Board.
  2. The President may nominate a Chair to administer Special or Ad Hoc committees subject to the approval and confirmation of the Executive Board. The privilege of suggesting additional candidates for committee membership is extended to the appointed Chair. All candidates for committee appointment must be members in good standing with the Chapter and the Association and must be approved by the Executive Board.
  3. The President ensures that following the Executive Board's approval to establish a Special or Ad Hoc committee, and the board's confirmation of the Chair's appointment, a letter of notification is addressed to the Chair which includes: a statement of the charge to the committee; a copy of the Chapter Manual or some other suitable document providing guidelines for the fulfillment of each appointed member's role on the committee; a copy of any appropriate SLA guideline or directive affecting the committee's anticipated procedures; an indication of current or anticipated funding allocated to the committee; a statement identifying those duties and actions which require the committee's immediate attention; a statement of any known problems or circumstances which the committee is expected to address; general administrative direction; specific notice that problems, projects, recommendations and requests for action must be submitted to the Executive Board for review, advice and/or approval; a statement of the results of committee activity (report, recommendations, etc.) anticipated by the Executive Board; and notice of the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council.

Groups Duties

  1. The President is responsible for issuing memoranda or otherwise reminding Group officers of Chapter guidelines for submitting budget requests, annual reports, rosters of Group officers, archival materials, etc. as required throughout the year.
  2. The President attends as many Group meetings as possible during the year of office.

Administrative Duties

  1. The President initiates and/or signs most official correspondence and clears all questions of official Chapter policy.
  2. The President is empowered to sign checks in the absence of the Treasurer, and maintains signature authority at the bank(s) in which the Chapter has its accounts.
  3. The President directs the preparation of the annual roster of Officers, Committee Chairs and Group Officers which is distributed to the Chapter Executive Board, and to SLA headquarters. (See Chapter Bylaws, Article III, Section 3).
  4. The President performs various official duties in the Chapter's interest, e.g. welcoming and entertaining officers of the Association, speakers and guests of the Chapter; extending certain invitations; and offering statements of appreciation, congratulations, sympathy, and other sentiments on behalf of the Chapter.

Meetings

  1. The President presides at all meetings of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council.
  2. The President attends meetings of the SLA Executive Board and Advisory Council at the annual and winter meetings of the Association.
  3. The President attends as many group meetings as possible during the year.

Files for the Next President

The President forwards all material of a permanent nature not currently required for the conduct of the Chapter's business to the Chapter Archivist.

Reports

  1. The President forwards the roster of the Chapter's officers and appointed committee Chairs to SLA Headquarters as required by the Association.
  2. The President submits the Chapter's annual report to the Chapter Cabinet Chair by May 1, or as advised and requested by the incumbent officer.

Expenses

Requests for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenditures may be submitted to the Treasurer and should be accompanied by receipts if available and brief statements concerning the nature of the expenditures. Expenditures in excess of $100.00 require approval from the Executive Board. Typical expenses of this office include official entertaining, travel as required for attendance at the association's annual and winter meetings and for any additional meetings of the Chapter cabinet. The Chapter includes funds in its annual budget to provide limited financial assistance for the Chapter President 's attendance at meetings other than the annual conference. Assent of the Executive Board is required for the approval and expenditure of any funds for travel.

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