N siah Guide to Chapter Elections

Transcription

1 Hannah Sacks Julia Laibstain Sadie Gary Rebecca Low N siah Guide to Chapter Elections 1

2 What s Inside: Message from Buzz Light Year (AKA ME) 2 Pre-election Preparation 3-4 Election Process! 5 Job Descriptions! 6-7 Election Script 8-11 Being the best Madricha! 12 To Infinity and BEYOND! That s right gals, you have conquered the world and taken over your city...but what s next? The feeling of accomplishment. The feeling of trust. The feeling of improvement. The feeling of being a role model and leader. Who would have thought all of these feelings could evolve over a short term of being chapter N siah? I am so proud of each and every one you for your hard work, dedication, and pride given to your thriving chapters. Though I can t have complete bragging rights over you, I am here to help make your lasting weeks as N siah run as smoothly as possible. This is your chance to inspire others, reach out to that lone MIT, and transition yourself from being a chapter N siah to chapter Madricha. The opportunities are endless. Cherish every moment and continue to be your amazing self. Your chapter STILL needs you. Remember to be a source of guide and strength to the new N siah, and as always remember I will be here if you need anything. Please use this release while preparing for elections and paving the way for your chapter. I hope this will help make the election process as rewarding and exciting as engulfing a delicious piece of birthday cake (hint- I LOVE CAKE)! Submitted with every lasting love for, Buzz Light Year, transitioning, ending STRONG, you, me and VAC BBG, I proudly remain, Jessica Erin Kocen 21st VAC N siah Jessica Kocen VACNsiah21@gmail.com

3 Files- Clean and ADD Over the past term you have collected a bunch of stuff relating to the chapter and council. Take the time to organize and clean out all files. Print off old and new releases, make a How To document, or even create a photo album of the past term. Think about putting everything on a flash drive. It will be much appreciated by your successor. Pre-election Shindigs Appreciate your board Think of how you can make each girl that served on your board feel extra special. Write a personal letter to express how great they are! Create a CD with everyone s favorite song and give to them at your states! Have one last board dinner or sleepover! Make a board t-shirt! Try to do something to show your appreciation. :) Going the extra step In order to truly make an impact on your chapter go the extra step by doing some of these things: 1. Create a survey to get feedback on your term (surveymonkey.com) 2. Sit down and talk with your advisors about strengths, weaknesses, and what went well or bad with your term. It will help you determine what to tell your successor. 3. Send a letter to parents reminiscing on the past term. Be sure to include programs, fundraisers, and accomplishments of the chapter! PRINT this RELEASE 3

4 Stay ORGANIZED & FOLLOW ME... Read and print entire release :) your advisors and me the DAY and TIME of you elections. Create an elections packet (see page 5 on what to include) and send to everyone in your chapter...even parents. They love to see how things are run. Create an event on Facebook to start promoting. Be sure to include the when and what of elections in every 3-4 weeks prior to election day. Open up declarations 3-4 weeks prior to election day. You are doing great! Set interview times for candidates with chapter advisors, city directors, parents, and yourself. (Every chapter does this different- check with Ellie or Jordan) Close declarations ONE week prior to elections and create a table to reference with all candidates that have declared. Time to create ballot sheets! Include two spots for every board position and extra spots in case you need them when voting. (See page 6) Is your State s Ceremony the same day? Communicate with your S ganit to plan this. Print out Election Day Credo (See page 11) and Ballot Sheets Go over What to bring to Election Day (See page 19) Election Day: Follow pages Installations (See page 18) Give yourself the bigggggggest pat on the back: YOU ROCKED YOUR TERM & ELECTIONS Call me if you need ANYTHING! 4

5 It s time to make my election packet... A personal letter from you to all potential candidates A TIMELINE of the Election Process (deadlines for declaration, interviews etc. ) Officer Responsibilities (including contact info for the current officers and specify the responsibilities of the position to specific way in which your chapter operates) (SEE page 8-10) Procedure for Election Day (proper attire, BBG pin etc.) Regulation for Speech and Caucus Sheets (5 minutes N siah, 4 minutes S ganit, 3 minutes everyone else) Contract (signed by the candidate and parents if necessary) Politicking Rules & Guidelines (emphasize NO Politicking!!!) How To: Declare, Drop-Down, Run off the Floor Interview Procedure (Current N siah, Advisors, City Director, Parents) A reminder for candidates to contact current board members with any questions Advice for ALL chapter members!!! What do I include? Remember to send out to all members: 21st VAC Board- Why chapter board is important! 5

6 Declarations Ballot Making 6

7 What type of candidate are you? Remember to make a table with the names of who has declared CAUCUSED: Someone who has declared her candidacy to you, our advisors, and your city director. They recite a full speech and hand out platforms (if used by chapter) NOMINATION: This is someone who is running off the floor. Someone has nominated her for the position. They recite qualifications only for one minute and do not use platforms. DROP-DOWN: Someone who lost a prior election. They drop down to a lower position, by nomination or personal choice (candidates are able to declare their drop down positions during their interview with you). They are given one minute to say anything they would like and are not permitted to use platforms. 7

8 Board Descriptions N siah * You can copy and paste this into your very own election release...how nice! You may need to change a little depending on what applies to your chapter* Represents the chapter to Virginia Council/Eastern Region and the general community Enforces and in some cases sets, chapter policies and rules Runs business meetings Promotes (and hopefully attends!) BBYO summer programs Serves as chapter head delegate at all meetings of the Council/ Regional Executive Body Creates committees and chairwomen as needed to share leadership responsibilities Oversees all committees and chapter program coordinators as well as the Exec Board Holds final responsibility for the progress of the chapter and chapter board and thus holds the youth leadership accountable by setting goals and deadlines and keeping the chapter informed about board doings Serves as a liaison to parents, BBYO staff, and the general community, the Council Board Keeps in CLOSE contact with the Council N siah (aka me!) about her chapter s doings Embodies the spirit of the B nai Brith Girls through the Menorah Pledge Principles and seeks to infuse her chapter and VAC BBG with a passion and love for the ideals of our order S ganit Oversees all programming- ensures all 6 folds are being covered Presides over fold chairwomen and committees Runs Executive board meetings Makes sure members are involved in programming and that programming reflects members interests Assumes all N siah responsibilities in her absence Communicates often and thoroughly with Regional S ganit Fills out and turns in to Council S ganit program write-ups after EACH program Uploads every program PROMPTLY after it is held to the International Program Bank Embodies the spirit of the B nai Brith Girls through the Menorah Pledge Principles and seeks to infuse her chapter and VAC BBG with a passion and love for the ideals of our order 8

9 Aym Ha-Chaverot Mazkirah Recruits CONSTANTLY both MITs and older, inactive members Plans Chapter Intake Educates new members about BBG and the International Order and helps form a MIT board (optional) Gathers membership dues from new and old members Pushes 4 year registration Push for year round recruitment Makes sure every member is happy in the chapter and feels included at every program Re-educates older members Plans Senior Appreciation, Advisor Appreciations, other grade Appreciations, and Senior Life Encourages (and attends herself!) participation in Summer Programs Plans MIT Inductions Communicates consistently with the Council Aym Ha-Chaverot (MIT Mom) Embodies the spirit of the B nai Brith Girls through the Menorah Pledge Principles and seeks to infuse her chapter and VAC BBG with a passion and love for the ideals of our order Gizborit Updates all member communication information (such as phone numbers or addresses) regularly Makes entertaining and informative WEEKLY s sent to EVERY member of the chapter Creates fun and exciting ways to deliver information out to the chapter (phone tree, flyers, txts, facebook messages) Writes thank you notes to anyone who contributes his/her home, money, time etc. to the chapter Communicates regularly with the Council Mazkirah Embodies the spirit of the B nai Brith Girls through the Menorah Pledge Principles and seeks to infuse her chapter and VAC BBG with a passion and love for the ideals of our order Keeps track of all incoming and outgoing Chapter funds Pay chapter expenses with checks Balances chapter checkbook Regularly reviews chapter accounts with N siah and Advisors Creates a budget for EVERY chapter event and coordinates with planners to ensure it is followed Plans chapter fundraisers Educates about ISF & Stand UP campaign Corresponds OFTEN with the Council Gizborit Submits fund reports to Executive Board, Chapter, Advisors, and Council Gizborit Embodies the spirit of the B nai Brith Girls through the Menorah Pledge Principles and seeks to infuse her chapter and VAC BBG with a passion and love for the ideals of our order 9

10 Sh licha Orechet/Safranit Plans chapter Judaic and social action programs Coordinates chapter community service projects including a long term project Promotes Israel Awareness: Speak Up Plans Shabbat Services- Friday night, Saturday morning, and Havdallah Educates chapter on Jewish customs and holidays Advocates social action and sees to it that the chapter knows what is going on in the world, as well as educating the chapter on the new Stand Up Initiative Communicates often with the Council Sh licha Embodies the spirit of the B nai Brith Girls through the Menorah Pledge Principles and seeks to infuse her chapter and VAC BBG with a passion and love for the ideals of our order Collects officer reports and articles and create chapter newspaper to be given out at major events such as intake, formals, regional programs, and chapter program Publicizes chapter to the public Provides chapter reports for the council newsletter Creates scrapbooks and/ or slideshows as a way to savor the memories and pass them on Communicates regularly with the Council Safranit Embodies the spirit of the B nai Brith Girls through the Menorah Pledge Principles and seeks to infuse her chapter and VAC BBG with a passion and love for the ideals of our order That s YOU! Madricha Provides any resources to the new board Guide the newly elected N siah and chapter board with wisdom throughout the term Embodies the spirit of the B nai Brith Girls through the Menorah Pledge Principles and seeks to infuse her chapter and VAC BBG with a passion and love for the ideals of our order 10

11 Election Day Oy Vey, the day is HERE! 1. Open an elections meeting as if it were a regular meeting. (Use opening rituals, do the Menorah Pledge, sing the Hatikvah, perform roll call) 2. Explain the election procedure to the chapter body. 3. Remind them how important this decision is and give them a basic outline of the proceedings. 4. Emphasize the importance of voting on the correct ballot, not talking during voting, and maintaining integrity throughout the election procedure. 5. Take up phones to maintain respect 6. Read together the Election Credo--> "I AM A B NAI B RITH GIRL... I am a B'nai B'rith Girl, and I will make a decision today according to the ideals I believe in and what I believe will best represent those of (CHAPTER) BBG. I am a B'nai B'rith Girl, and I will vote for the girl who inspires, motivates, and encourages others to be leaders. I am a B'nai B'rith Girl, and I will vote for someone who loves what she will be doing and will work hard on behalf of the region to achieve success. I am a B'nai B'rith Girl, and I will vote for the girl who offers to help before it is asked. I am a B'nai B'rith Girl, and I vote for the girl who attends programs and supports her chapter, council, and region. I am a B'nai B'rith Girl, and I will vote for the candidate based on her experience, qualifications, goals, & dreams: not on our friendship. FOR I AM A B NAI B RITH GIRL." 11

12 Election Script After explaining the election procedure do the following: Step 1: Dispense with all business (new & old)... To do this, YOU SAY: "Is there a motion to dispense with all business and move directly into the elections of the 2011 Fall Term Board?" I recognize my sister, is there a second? I recognize my sister, is there a call? I recognize my sister, is there any dissent? (rap gavel) Dissent? (rap gavel) Dissent? (rap gavel). Seeing none and hearing none we will now move into the election of chapter N siah. REPEAT for ALL POSITIONS Step 2: All those caucusing for the position of (insert position here) All those caucusing for the position of (insert position here) please rise (Rap Gavel), (Everyone rises) All those caucusing for the position of (insert position here) please rise (Rap Gavel), (Everyone remains standing) All those caucusing for the position of (insert position here) please rise (Rap Gavel), and remain standing." (Only girls who have declared remain standing) "All those caucusing for the position of (insert position here) HAVE RISEN. I recognize in alphabetical order,. Ask each girl, "If elected, will you serve?" (it is tradition to ask this to each girl 3 times, unless she declines immediately.) The candidate may then be seated. 12

13 Step 3: Nominations YOU: Are there any nominations? (rap gavel) nominations? (rap gavel) nominations? (rap gavel) As girls are nominated they stand and you say: Nominee s name has been nominated If you re nominated for a position, give your gavel to the S ganit. Nominations are closed. I recognize in no particular order, my sister (nominee s name). (Nominee s name) if elected, will you serve? (rap gavel) If elected, will you serve? (rap gavel) If elected, will you serve? Repeat for all nominated candidates If a nominated candidates say they will not serve they respond: I accept the honor, but decline the nomination NOTE: Nominations are NOT accepted for N siah Step 4: Speeches Call the candidates up alphabetically for speeches, beginning with declared candidates, then slidedowns, then floor nominations. Don t forget the song (shoo-bop-shoo-wadda-wadda...bop bop!)! Note: speech time will vary from chapter to chapter. Please check your constitution or ask your Madricha or advisor if you are unsure of how much time to allow. Suggested time: N siah: 5 minutes, all other positions: 3 minutes, Slide-downs: 1 minute to state goals and qualifications. Nominations: 1 minute for qualifications only. Ask the candidate about gavel warnings before she begins. It is common to rap the gavel once at 1 minute, twice at 30 seconds and then three times when time is up. 13

14 Step 5: Voting Inform the voting body which ballot they will be voting on and their options for voting. It is CRUCIAL that they vote on the correct ballot square. If you receive votes written on the incorrect square, you will need to re-vote (this prevents people from putting extra votes in the box). For each election, the voters may choose any of the candidates or to abstain. Make sure each candidate sits together, separated from the rest of the voting body (Suggestion: Set up chairs in the front of the room for candidates). DEMAND silence during voting. (It might be a good idea to write each candidate s name on a poster-board, or call out each name) Also, remind the voting body that any blank or unclear ballots will be counted as abstentions. VOTING even the N siah votes, she DOES NOT pocket her vote during elections. Have each girl place the ballots in a box. Note: If a member leaves the room for any part of the process of electing a candidate (nominations, speeches), she is not eligible to vote in that election. Even if the election goes into a runoff, the delegate still may NOT cast a ballot for that office. The same people must vote throughout the election of an office. It is CRUCIAL that girls say ami and you acknowledge them before leaving the room so that you may accurately keep track of the number of votes that will be cast. Make sure your Mazkirah is taking detailed minutes throughout elections. Step 6: Counting the ballots Remind people not to talk about elections while you re gone (they can make top 10 lists, tell stories, sing songs, or snack, as long as they are not talking about the elections have your board members entertain the group), hand your gavel to your S ganit, go outside the room, and count the ballots. Ballots should be counted by the N siah and advisor. In the case that the N siah is running for a position, the S ganit shall take over the elections for that position. 14

15 How to count the ballots Determine the Majority needed to elect a candidate (More than 50% of your voting body. Example, if you are collecting 29 ballots, 15 votes are required to win the election ~ 29/2 = 14.5= 15) 2. Count ballots while still CLOSED to ensure the correct # and determine if you need a recount/revote (all votes must be on the ballot square that you determined). 3. Open ballots and pile them up by candidate. 4. Count all of the piles, beginning with the abstention pile. To clarify: an abstention is a ballot marked abstention, a blank ballot, an unclear ballot, or a non-candidate. 5. Determine the majority. Majority: More than half of the votes cast by persons legally entitled to vote, excluding abstentions. For example in a delegation of 100 people with 10 abstentions, a simple majority would be calculated out of 90, not 100 voting members. (this directly follows Robert s Rules of Order) Any Ballot marked with abstain, a blank ballot, an unclear ballot, or a with a person not in the election are counted as abstentions and do not count towards the majority. If the majority is 16, but there are 5 abstentions, the majority would then be only 11. In that case, no girl would receive the majority, and there will be a runoff between the girls who received the highest number of votes. 6. If a majority is not reached, determine the candidates in the runoff election using the instructions outlined below. Rules for Run-Offs... In order to have a run-off, you have to have at least two people because there has to be a winner and a loser. You must assume that if you went back into the room and said, Everybody vote again! without any other discussion or debate, they d all vote the same way. You automatically keep the candidate with the highest number of votes in the run-off and drop the candidate with the lowest number. To determine other candidates, follow these steps: If the candidate with the second-lowest number of votes could achieve the number of votes needed to win when her ballots are added to the first candidate who was dropped, keep that candidate. If not, the candidate is also dropped and does not get included in the run off. Continue this process of adding the votes of dropped candidates to the person with the next highest number of votes. 15

16 Unopposed Election: Option 1 If there is only one member caucusing for a position and no other member has accepted a nomination against her, she may be elected on a white ballot (acclamation). This motion needs to be seconded and the N siah must ask for a dissent. Here is how the motion is presented: YOU SAY: Is there a motion off the floor to accept (name of candidate) as (chapter) s (year/term) (position)? Motion is made. YOU SAY: "Is there a second?" Second to the motion is made. YOU SAY: "Any dissent? Dissent? Dissent? Seeing none, (Name of Person) has been elected as our new (Name of Position)." (You may move into a standing roll call vote if desired) *If there IS a dissent and a vote is called for, the N siah must then move into a vote. The choice of the vote is either the candidate or abstention. The candidate is elected regardless of the vote however even if every member abstained the majority would just keep getting lowered until it equalled one and it is assumed the candidate would vote for themselves. Unopposed Election: Option 2 You can also elect the position through a regular vote from the beginning instead of going through the motions of passing a motion at all. In this case the voters choices become abstain or vote FOR the candidate. It can be assumed the candidate would vote for themselves however, so the candidate will be elected regardless of the outcome. 16

17 PLEASE NOTE: The N siah votes with the rest of the chapter. The N siah counts ballots with the Advisor. If the N siah is a candidate, this privilege is passed to the S ganit. Both an Advisor & Quorum must be present for elections to occur. Voting on the wrong ballot can either create a new election or count as an abstention. If the votes do not add up to the total amount, you MUST do a recount/revote. In order to win an election, the candidate must receive the majority of the votes such that they have received more than half of the votes cast by persons legally entitled to vote, excluding abstentions. Do we have a winner? Almost DONE! Make sure girls get quiet and sit down when you return... They will say: Have we been successful in electing a new (chapter)(position) You say: Bop-a-doo, bop-a-doo. The new (chapter)(position) is (winner s name). OR We have not been successful in electing a new (position). We will have a runoff between (name) and (name). Please vote on the (pick a square) of our ballots. Regardless of the outcome, there should be NO EMOTION. Once a girl has been successfully elected, say: We will now move into the election of chapter (next position in board order). Will all those caucused for the position of chapter (next position) please rise... And repeat... 17

18 Installations for the new board YOU are responsible for discharging your board. You tap each girl on the left of her chest with your gavel and say the following: By the power vested in me by the B nai B rith Youth Organization, Inc. Board of Directors and (chapter/council) B nai B rith Girls, I relieve you of all duties and responsibilities as (chapter) (year or term number) (office). Then install the new N siah and say the following: By the power vested in me by the B nai B rith Youth Organization, Inc. Board of Directors and (chapter/region) B nai B rith Girls, I install you as (chapter) (year or term number) (office). You may want to RUN AWAY before you get relieved that is totally okay :) The new N siah will relieve YOU of all duties and then install her board with the same process as above. 18

19 It s ELECTION day...do I have my? Gavel? Red or Blue Book? Ballot Sheets? Pens and Paper? BBG Pins? Table/List of Declared Candidates? Timer? Installation cards? MUSIC, COLORING BOOKS food AKA SPOOOOEY! THIS Release? Confidence, smile, leadership? QUICK RECAP 1. ME & ADVISORS with dates/ time of your elections (by APRIL 22nd) 2. Create a simple, easy to read Election Release (at least 5 weeks before elections) 3. Promote Election Day via Facebook and (at least 5 weeks before elections) 4. Declarations- Open (3-4 weeks before) and close (1 week before) 5. Set Interview Dates (completed before elections) 6. Communicate with S ganit to plan States 5. HAVE FUN, cherish your last few weeks as N siah, and be the BEST Madricha you could possibly be :) 19

20 JULIA is smokin hot I WANNA BE SADIE HANNAH is SOOO COOL! REBECCA=GODDESS 20