Angela Ellis Paine writes:-
Due to the exciting developments that have taken place in the Network this year, there are plenty of opportunities for you to engage in supporting our work. The imminent launch of Voluntary Sector Review (VSR) has in particular opened up new areas for involvement. This year we will be running two elections: one for the VSSN Steering Group (trustees) and one for the VSR Editorial Management Board. We are now inviting self-nominations for both.
VSSN Steering GroupWe currently have four vacancies for the VSSN Steering Group. The roles elected members take are decided between them consensually after the election. These roles include chair, secretary, online services, membership and marketing, external relations, treasurer, research directory, and the annual conference. We are losing skills in the first four of these areas as current members come to the end of their terms of office and we are particularly looking for people to nominate themselves to cover these, though we encourage nominations whatever your expertise. Terms of office will vary according to election results (based on Single Transferable Vote counts) but will be for a maximum of three years. Details of existing Steering Group members and our roles can be found here.
VSR Editorial Management Board This will be the first time that we are holding elections for the VSR Editorial Management Board (EMB) and we are therefore looking for six members. The process is one of self nomination, followed by election by Single Transferable Vote, with terms of office set for one, two or three years depending on the vote counts in order to establish a three-year cycle of office. Once elected, the EMB will select the Editorial Team; who may be drawn from within the EMB or from VSSN members outside it. Our agreement with the publishers, The Policy Press, is that Peter Halfpenny will continue to serve as the principal Editor throughout the first volume of the Journal (i.e. until end 2010), after which a new Editor may be appointed by the Board. Additional details about the roles and responsibilities of the EMB can be found at the end of the attached nominations form.
Only formal VSSN members may nominate themselves for either group, and you are reminded that standing for a VSSN SG role means becoming a trustee of the organisation. You may stand for both groups, but will need to complete separate nomination forms for each:
VSSN SG elections nomination form 2009VSSN EMB elections nomination form 2009
All nominations must be received by 28 October 2009 at the address specified on the forms. All members will be notified of the nominations received and, if elections are necessary, ballot papers will be sent out to all members in the first week of November. Results of the election will then be announced at the VSSN Annual General Meeting which will be held at 12:30pm on 2 December at the University of Birmingham, at which point the new members will formally become active.
In addition to these roles within the formal governance structures of VSSN and VSR we are also keen to draw more of you into other areas of work – to make use of your skills and expertise in developing the network. We already involve several volunteers in this way – Jill Mordaunt, for example, has been supporting VSSN through moderating the email discussion list many years now; Jo Stuart heads up our work to develop the new researchers’ activities; and Robert Dalziel leads on the development of the VSSN course directory. All provide a valuable and much appreciated service to the Network. We now need more of you to volunteer for similar activities in order to develop the Network to its full potential. We will get back to you about this after the elections; so this is really a forewarning of our intentions to ask again for your help.
If you have any questions about this process please do not hesitate in contacting me by emailing: secretary@vssn.org.uk, otherwise we shall look forward to receiving your nomination forms as soon as possible!
Best wishes,
Angela Ellis Paine, VSSN Secretary
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