Western Friend Directors

job description



POSITION: Director of Western Friend (WF)

Original job description, February 1996

Revised October 2008; approved by Steering Committee, January 2009

Revised July 2012; approved by Coordinating Committee, November 2012


APPOINTED BY: NPYM at Annual Session

NOMINATED BY: NPYM Nominating Committee

TERM LENGTH: Three years

TERM BEGINS: October 1

MEMBERS: Three, usually one from Willamette Quarterly Meeting, one from Pacific Northwest Quarterly meeting and one from Montana Gathering of Friends. Terms should be staggered; Directors may be reappointed to a second term.

REPORTS TO: Associate Clerk of Coordinating Committee

WORKS PRIMARILY WITH: Western Friend Board of Directors, Associate Clerk of Coordinating Committee, and Quarterly Meetings, Monthly Meetings, Worship Groups and individual Friends throughout the Yearly Meeting.

DEFINITION: Serves as a Director of Friends Bulletin Corporation, which publishes Western Friend on behalf of Pacific, North Pacific, and Intermountain Yearly Meetings. Each yearly meeting appoints three directors to the board.

TASKS:

  • Meet with other representatives to divide up the work and make sure that the newer representatives have a sense of what they should be doing. See also the Convener’s job description below.

  • Reach out to Meetings and Worship Groups for the purposes of sharing information, identifying local liaisons, arranging in-person visits, and supporting other events related to the work of the organization.

  • Participate in meetings that oversee both the editorial and financial aspects of publishing Western Friend. These weekend meetings are scheduled three times each year, usually late January, mid-May, and early September. The meetings typically begin with dinner on Friday evening and end mid-afternoon on Sunday.

  • Oversee and select personnel.

  • As necessary, serve as an officer of the Friends Bulletin Corporation and/or as a member of Board sub-committees.

  • Be a conduit of information between Friends Bulletin Corporation and North Pacific Yearly Meeting, its Quarterly Meetings, Monthly Meetings, Preparatory Meetings, and Worship Groups. Keeps NPYM informed about Western Friend as a vehicle for communication among West Coast Friends. Keeps NPYM informed of any changes in Western Friend and reports on its financial status.

  • Assure that Western Friend is known within the NPYM by soliciting subscriptions from individuals and Meetings and encouraging people new to Friends to become familiar with the magazine.

  • Attend NPYM Annual Session and, Quarterly Meetings when possible, and promote the organization by setting up a display and conducting an interest group. When it is WF’s turn to be the featured agency at the NPYM annual session, directors from NPYM need to take the lead in coordinating with WF staff for planning this presentation.

  • Carry out other tasks as needed for the effective management and development of Western Friend, including fundraising.


EVALUATION: The directors work together to prepare an annual report on the organization to NPYM and send a copy to the Associate Clerk of Coordinating Committee by June 1. This report should summarize the work of the organization and document its financial situation. It may also include information useful to next year's Western Friend Directors (what worked, what didn't) and any changes that should be made in the job, or the job description.

EXPENSES & TRAVEL: NPYM encourages Friends possessing a variety of economic means, and particularly young adults, to serve as representatives to affiliated organizations. Based on aggregate historical data and anticipated need, NPYM allocates a pool of funds in the annual budget to cover expenses of representatives, with any overruns covered from reserves. NPYM will reimburse all reasonable costs for all of the appointed representatives who attend the annual governance meeting(s) of an affiliated organization. Submit expenses to the NPYM Treasurer using the reimbursement form (available online).

Reimbursement is not available for expenses related to participation on a program or administrative committee; it is assumed that the affiliated organization will assist with those extra costs. It is assumed that all representatives will be thrifty in their arrangements, and limit reimbursement requests to essential expenses. Representatives who are financially able to do so are encouraged to cover a portion of their own costs, and to report those expenses as an in-kind contribution to the YM.

For travel to Coordinating Committee meetings, travel expense is reimbursed according to the NPYM travel reimbursement policy. For attendance and travel to Annual Session, Friends may request assistance per the NPYM financial aid policy.

CONVENER: One of the directors (typically the longest serving) is appointed through the regular NPYM nominating process as a Convener to help the directors coordinate their activities.

The Convener has the following responsibilities (which may be delegated to another director):

  • Coordinate production of an annual report on the organization by June 1.

  • Coordinate an extended oral report or other program presentation from the organization (on a rotating basis with other affiliated organizations) OR make a brief (five minutes or less) pitch during a plenary at Annual Session on the activities of the organization.

  • Coordinate a display table for the organization at Annual Session.

  • Coordinate an interest group related to the area of focus or activities of the organization at Annual Session.

  • Work with the Nominating Committee to identify potential candidates to serve as future directors for the organization.


Nominated By:

Nominating Committee