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Rules for committees of the board (board members only) and advisory committees (any members) are set out in the RDIA bylaws. A lot of work has been done through both kinds of committees for the past two years, but we decided to formalize the guidelines. A reorganization of volunteer groups to better fits these definitions will follow.
Volunteer Group Definitions
The success and experience gained with RDIA's volunteer groups has prompted the development of more formal roles and responsibilities, and structure and governance, for the various types of volunteer groups, including:
• Advisory Group
• Committee
o Committee of the Board
o Advisory Committee
• Working Group
• Task Force
• Special Interest Group
There was also seen to be a need to better distinguish the purpose and activities of the various RDIA volunteer groups.
The purpose of these definitions is to define the structure of new volunteer groups as they are formed. It is expected that new groups may (1) be formed under an initial structure/category that fulfills the needs of RDIA and its members both short- and long-term or (2) evolve through one or more structures as the group matures.
It may be beneficial to review the purpose, composition, and activities of existing volunteer groups to determine if one of the group definitions outlined here is more suitable to the group’s purpose and mode of operation than its current structure.
[See policy document for full descriptions.]
An
advisory group is created by the Chair or board to advise on strategic issues; a
committee of the board focuses on core policies of the board; an
advisory committee (such as the Marketing Committee or the Legal Committee) focus on core technical expertise; a
working group is a cross-functional group brought together to address emerging issues; a
task force is a short-term, high-activity group commissioned by the Chair to address a critical issue; and a
special interest group can be a group of members within the association. Specific guidelines are set for groups as they are formed.
The policy also includes definitions for a
Real Diaper Advisory Council, former board members who advise the Chair and the board as requested. The association benefits from the inside knowledge and organizational member of those who governed the association before them.
One last definition provided in the new policy is
Emeritus Board Member. This designation should be used rarely when the current board wants to invite a retiring board member to continue service as a non-voting advisory capacity. This is an honorific title.
List of Policies
