area%nominating%toolkit%2015/2016walinks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2016-national... ·...

Area Nominating Toolkit 2015/2016

• This presentation is intended for members of The Links, Incorporated only. The objectives of this presentation are to inform members on navigating the National and Area nominating process and to provide information to consider when contemplating running for an Elected position. The contents are based on information in the Constitution & Bylaws of The Links, Incorporated , the Constitution & Bylaws of The Links Foundation, Incorporated, and the Nominating Procedures Manual. For the official wording of terms and descriptions, consult the current versions of those documents directly.

Mission

Past and Present

Past Present

National Nominating Team

Kim Mumby Green, National Nominating Chair

Joyce A. Carter, Central Area Chair

LaVerneChandlerEastern AreaChair

Raynetta C.Waters,Southern Area Chair

Rhea MclverGibbs,Western Area Chair

• Elected Positions at the – National Level– Qualifications for Office– Eligibility Requirements – Area Level– Qualifications for Office– Eligibility for Office

• Nominating Process – Overview – Timeline

• Profile of Candidate for Nomination Form – Member Duties – Chapter President Duties– Nominating Committee Duties

• Campaigning Do’s and Dont’s• Advice for Next Steps

Agenda

• National President *• National Vice President*• National Secretary*• National Treasurer *• National Nominating Chair*All are elected officers

National Level Elected Positions

National officers shall be elected or appointed. ü All elected National officers shall have been members for at least five (5) years

prior to election. ü All elected officers shall be active members and shall have attended at least three

(3) National Assemblies including the Assembly at which the election takes place. ü Officers shall be elected at each Assembly for a two-‐year (2) term or until their

successors are elected. ü An elected officer may succeed herself in office. She shall not serve more than

two (2) two consecutive terms in the same office. ü Officers shall assume their respective offices at the close of the National

Assembly at which they are elected. ü The Executive Council shall elect a successor to complete the term of an elected

officer or member of the Nominating Committee who does not serve the full term to which she was elected.

Qualifications for Elected National Officers

Eligibility Requirements for Elected National Officers and Chair

To be eligible for the Office of President a member shall meet these requirements:ü Chapter President or Vice President, and/or as an officer on the Area or National level of The Links, Incorporated.

ü She shall exhibit executive ability, poise, dignity and articulate speech, and have demonstrated leadership skills.

National President/National Vice President

To be eligible for the Office of Recording Secretary, a member shall meet these requirements: ü Either Chapter or Area Secretary, and / or possess documented professional technology-‐based secretarial skills appropriate to organization management, including the ability to record,

ü Organize and edit proceedings for dissemination.

National Recording Secretary

To be eligible for the Office of Treasurer, a member shall meet these requirements :ü Have served as a Chapter Treasurer, Chapter Financial

Secretary, Area Treasurer, Area Financial Secretary, ü Or as the Financial Secretary for The Links, Foundation,

Incorporated,ü and/or possess documented professional financial

credentials and experience, and possess documented professional technology-‐based financial credentials or expertise.

National Treasurer

To be eligible to serve as Chair of the National Nominating Committee, a member shall meet these requirements :üHave served as a member of the National, Area, or a Chapter Nominating Committee.

National Nominating Chair

Eligibility Requirements for Elected Area Officers and Chairs

Area Level Elected Positions

All elected Area officers shall:

ü Be active members at the time of election; ü Must be registered for the Conference which they are running.ü Have been a Link for at least five (5) years; ü Have attended at least two (2) Area Conferences, excluding the Area Conference at which the

election takes place; ü Have attended one (1) National Assembly within the immediate preceding five (5) years; ü Reside physically in the locality that the Area serves; ü Have Chapter Endorsement ü No elected or appointed Area officer shall hold office in her Chapter during the same time that

she is holding the Area office. ü If a Chapter officer is elected or appointed to an Area office, she automatically vacates her

Chapter office. ü No elected or appointed Area officer shall serve as a Chapter delegate or alternate to an Area

Conference.

Qualifications for Area Officers

To be eligible for the office of Area Director or Area Vice Director, a member shall meet these requirements: ü Have served as Chapter President or Vice President

or Committee Chair at the Area or National level of The Links, Incorporated;

ü Exhibit executive ability, poise, dignity, articulate speech; and

ü Have demonstrated leadership skills.

Area Director/Area Vice Director

To be eligible for the office of Area Secretary, a member shall meet these requirements: ü Have served as Chapter Secretary in The Links, Incorporated and

ü And/or Possess documented professional technology-‐based secretarial skills appropriate to organization management, including the ability to record, organize, and edit proceedings for dissemination.

Area Secretary

To be eligible for the office of Area Treasurer, a member shall meet these requirements: ü Have served as Chapter Treasurer in The Links, Incorporated

üAnd/or Possess documented professional technology-‐based financial credentials or expertise.

Area Treasurer

All members of the Area Nominating Committee must meet these requirements: ü Be active members of The Links, Incorporated at the time of election; ü Have been a Link for at least five (5) years; ü Have attended at least two (2) Area Conferences, in addition to the

Conference at which the election takes place; ü Have attended one (1) National Assembly within the immediate preceding

five (5) years; ü Physically reside in the locality that the Area serves; and ü Have served in a chapter leadership position. ü Nominating Committee experience at the chapter level is suggested. ü The Chair and members of the Area Nominating Committee shall resign

from the Nominating Committee if they are candidates for any Area office other than re-‐ election to the Nominating Committee.

Nominating Committee

The Area Foundation Representative represents her Area on the Board of The Links Foundation, Incorporated. Her responsibilities include ü Stimulating and managing Area Corporate and Foundation

relations; ü Researching and identifying potential Area and Foundation

corporate funding sources for projects of The Links, Incorporated; ü Soliciting funds and/or coordinating the solicitation of funds; and ü Facilitating awareness of The Foundation through seminars and

information exchanges. ü Chapter experience as Financial Secretary or Treasurer with at least

one cycle of chapter fundraising or a professional background in the finance field is suggested.

ü Experience outside of Links in fund development and fundraising can be valuable.

Foundation Representative

Evaluation Process-‐Considerations

ü Call for Nominations ü Submission of Profile of Candidate ü Nomination forms by interested Linksü Certification of Candidates (with NHQ)ü Announcement of the Slate ü Posting of campaign materials on the websiteü Election at the National Assembly/Area Conference

Nominating Process Overview

Nominating Process Timeline

Member Duties President* Duties National/Area Duties

• Log onto Members only section of the Links website.

• Complete and submit the profile form.

• Communicate to chapter president (or VP if member is chapter president) when done.


• Review, Confirm/deny that member is in good standing.

• Communicate to member when done.

* Done by VP if member is chapter president


• Certify member’s candidacy.

• Communicate confirmation to the candidate.

All Done by October 15th By November 30

Profile Of Candidate for Nomination Form-‐Overview

Members Duties

An interested Link must complete and submit a form via the Links website. ü The chapter president* must indicate online whether the member is in good standing(same deadline)

ü Deadline is October 15th 11:59 EST. ü National/Area Nominating Team confirms candidacy with coordination NHQ. * Vice president, if the member is the chapter president

Profile of Candidate for Nomination Form

Make sure you are prepared to respond to the inquiries on the form


1. Log into the Members Only section of the National /Area website: www.linksinc.org.

2. Click the “Candidates for Office” button on the left side of your profile page.

3. Click on the “Candidate for Office National/Area Nomination Form” button.


The Profile of Candidate for Nomination form will appear, auto-‐populated with your name, photo, chapter, contact information, and induction date.

4. Select which National/Area position you are seeking from the drop-‐down menu.

5. Complete the remainder of the form.

Note: To edit contact information or upload your photo, you must edit your member profile.


5. Complete the remainder of the form (continued).


5 . Complete the remainder of the form (continued).

6. If you want to save your work and make changes later, click the SAVE button.

7. Verify that all information is correct. Then click the SUBMIT button.

Note: You will not be able to change the form after clicking SUBMIT.

You’re Done Members!

Chapter President and/or Vice President


VP if the member is the Chapter President.

1. Log into the Members Only section of the National website: www.linksinc.org.

2. Click the “ Candidates for Office” button on the left side of your profile page.

3. Click on the “ Candidate for National/Area Office Nomination Approval” button.

üAn email confirmation will go to the member and her chapter president.

ü The chapter president* will then log into the website and confirm or deny that the member is in good standing.

* Vice president, if the member is the chapter president



The Candidate for Office Approval page will list all chapter members who have submitted a form.

4. Click the member’s name to access her Profile of Candidate for Nomination form.

5. To confirm that she is a member in good standing, click “Yes.” 6. To deny, click “No.”

Nominating Chairs & Committee Duties

• The Nominating Committee Chair/Chairs will respectfully log into the website to access the member’s Profile of Candidate for Nomination form.

• Based on Nominating Committee’s review of the form against the requirements, the Chair clicks “Approve” to approve the member’s candidacy or “Deny” to deny it.

• The slate is officially placed in nomination at the National Assembly/ Area Conference. Nominations may also come from the floor.


• What do I need to know with regard to my Campaign?– Online tools are available– Webinars will be available– Conference Calls will be scheduled– Nominating Committee are your advocates and direct/inform you appropriately

– FAQ are developed based on common questions within our chapters and candidates.

– Deadlines will be strictly administered

Knowledge is Power

Before you begin please understand the rules …..read the latest version of the Constitution & Bylaws along with the Nominating Policies and Procedures. There is also an FAQ and a Toolkit posted on line.

“Do’s & Don’ts”

Thinking about your Campaign

Consider the time and talents needed at the National/Area level:

Ø Travel to Area Conferences, National Assemblies, Ø Leadership Conferences, and Chapter eventsØ Participate in conference calls (often monthly) Ø Be available and responsive to inquiries Ø Know the Links governing documents Ø Be able to prepare and conduct presentations Ø Be proficient with technology (e.g., email, website /internet navigation,

and word processing) Ø Be able to work in a team Ø All the while, maintain good standing in your chapter Ø Reflect on your skills and capacity to contribute.

Ready Set Go !

• “The Links, Incorporated is a public service organization dedicated to building and maintaining better human relations within chapters, the organization, the community, and the nation. The Links, Incorporated, as a collective unit, is non-‐partisan and non-‐political. Likewise, it does not support excessive campaigning and electioneering for office within the organization. Thus, campaigning will be kept to a minimum and held in strict compliance with the guidelines set forth herein. A high level of decorum is expected, and elections shall be without improprieties.”

-‐ Nominating Procedures Manual

Campaigning /Electioneering

Submit as an Adobe (.pdf) file. • Length should not exceed four (4) pages. • 12 point font size is recommended. • File size must not exceed 5 MB (megabytes). • Do not link to any websites, videos, or social media. Tips to economize space:• Use low resolution (or a limited amount of) photos. • Minimize amount of text; brochures may only be

viewed online.o Focus on salient points, rather than lengthy restatements of your profile form. o A multitude of endorsements is not essential.

Creating Your Brochure

Ø Sitting Area and/or National Officers may not endorse candidates (e.g., no written endorsement statements in campaign literature).

Ø All sitting Area and National Officers and all members of the Area and National Nominating Committees shall remain neutral.

Ø There is no regulation prohibiting the use of photos of past and present elected officers in campaign material. Candidates are, however, advised to obtain permission first from anyone featured in a photo.

Ø Writing chapters on behalf of a candidate is prohibited.

Endorsements/Photographs

Do’s

Don’ts

Preparations & Communicationsü Candidates should familiarize themselves with the Nominating Procedures &

Manuals (Available on line under members only section under www.linksinc.org )ü Additionally we have an FAQ along with a toolkit posted on line to simplify

material .ü Candidates should be prepared to pay an administrative fee of $50ü One piece of Campaign literature in the form of a pdf file(Adobe) will be posted

on our Website – National will post National Officers and Area will post on the Area Websites. There are stipulations for word count and size of the file –please comply .

ü Only introductory calls by candidates are allowed, as a reminder, you cannot campaign on the phone call or discredit another candidate/opponent.

ü No campaign material literature can be printed or distributed by or for any candidate

ü No videos or links to other sites are permitted.

Campaigning Do’s & Don’ts

Speeches and Advertisementsü Distribution of written campaign literature at the National Assembly /Area

Conference is prohibitedü With exception of the “Meet the Candidates” at the National Assembly/Area

Conferences, campaigning at any Assembly or Conference is prohibited including wearing paraphernalia that advertising the candidate.

ü Certified Candidates are expected to deliver a speech at the National Assembly /Area Conference and must adhere to the regulations for time limits :ü 3 Minutes (National President, National VP, National Secretary, National Treasurer, Area Director,

Area Vice Director, Area Treasurer, Secretary )ü 2 Minutes (National Nominating Chair, Area Nominating Committee, Foundation

Representative )

Campaigning Do’s & Don’ts

Next Steps

• Reflect on skills you have developed and/or utilized in leadership roles held at the chapter level or in any other organizations.

• Gain real life understanding of the National/Area positions by talking to links currently in that role

• Become familiar with governing documents online (Constitution & Bylaws, Nominating Manual)

• Consult your Area Nominating Team or National Leadership for the proper guidance .

Advice For Next Steps…

• National related matters – National Nominating Chair. • Area related matters-‐Area Nominating Chair -‐If for some reason you still

need information of clarification – Contact National Nominating Chair.• Interpretations of the Bylaws –for the Area -‐ Area Parliamentarians first

and for National if you have already gone to your Area Nominating Chair and Area Parliamentarian –then you may want to appeal to National Parliamentarian or National Nominating Chair.

• Check the website “members only” under Documents . Look for the most recent version of Constitution and Bylaws , Nominating Policies and Procedures Manual, FAQs and Toolkit .

Who do you contact if there is a more detailed clarification /discrepancy ?

• Contact the National Nominating Chair /Area Nominating Committee.

• The Nominating Committee shall investigate any and all complaints of campaigning violations, as appropriate.

• Based on findings, the Nominating Committee shall refer matters to the Executive Committee of the Executive Council or Area Executive Committee (as appropriate) for disciplinary action.

• Disciplinary action may include, but not be limited to, a fine, and/or suspension, or disqualification of a candidate.

If an issue arises-‐what happens ?

Nominating Chair -‐Contact Information;

Ø National Nominating Chair –Link Kim Mumby Green/ [email protected]

Ø Central Area Chair -‐Link Joyce A Carter /[email protected]Ø Eastern Area Chair-‐ Link Laverne Chandler/ [email protected]Ø Southern Area Chair-‐LinkRaynetta Waters /[email protected]Ø Western Area Chair-‐LinkRhea MclverGibbs/[email protected]

Thank You and Good Luck