Each Affiliate shall create a succession plan for its Board of directors.
Each Affiliate shall implement a plan to annually assess the performance and
accountability of its Board of directors. It is expected that each Affiliate Board will hold
the Affiliate leadership accountable for meeting its short term and long term goals. (See
Guidelines)
The Affiliate Development and Support Committee has the right and ability to
appoint one or more representatives to conduct an exit interview of any member of
the Board of directors of an affiliate who is leaving the position.
GV 1.4 Maximum terms for Board members
It is recommended that, for good governance purposes, each Affiliate sets a maximum
term of service for Board members (e.g. a maximum term of 10 or 12 years), in order to
bring in fresh ideas, profiles and ensure the sustainability and excellence of the Affiliate
past its current directors. This is in line with many charity supervisory authority
practices. To this end:
Affiliates who have been in existence for over 10 years, must have a policy on a
maximum term of service for its Board members.
GV 1.5 Composition.
• Each Affiliate shall maintain a skills-based Board of directors appropriate to the
Affiliate’s growth stage.
• When recruiting Board directors, the Affiliate should ensure that principles of diversity
and inclusion are taken into account, so as to be representative of all constituents of
the community as far as possible.
• Directors are expected to contribute their 3Ts (Time, Talent and Treasure) to the
Affiliate.
• In order to ensure that Board members have the above characteristics, the Affiliate shall
promptly inform the International Office when a new Board member is being recruited,
and allow enough time so that the President & CEO of the International Office can meet
with the candidate, if requested, before final appointment.
• The Board of directors should appoint a Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary and Treasurer as
these are key officer positions.
• The Board of directors shall appoint a qualified medical professional, attorney and
accountant to serve as external advisors to the Board of directors.
• Members of the Board of directors shall not be immediate family to any of the Affiliate’s
staff (“immediate family” includes a spouse or significant other, parent, child, sibling,
parent-in-law, sister or brother-in-law, and daughter or son-in-law.)
• An Affiliate Board member cannot be an Affiliate officer or staff member at the same
time, i.e. (s)he cannot occupy two positions in the Affiliate, even if there is no
remuneration involved. Exceptions must be approved by the Affiliate Development &
Support Committee.