Advocacy

2(1) The Board will govern,

• with an emphasis on being visionary rather than reactionary,
• by encouraging and embracing diverse viewpoints and opinion,
• with clarity in the delegation of authority and expectations,
• with unity by speaking with one voice publicly.

(2) The Board shall,

• (a) cultivate a sense of group responsibility,
• (b) be responsible for excellence in governing,
• (c) be an initiator of policy, and,
• (d) use the expertise of individual members to enhance the ability of the Board to develop fulsome policy, rather than to accept individual judgments over the group’s values.

(3) The Board shall,

• (a) Direct, control and inspire the organization through written policies reflecting the Board’s values and perspectives.
• (b) focus policy efforts on the intended long-term impacts on the organization, not on the administrative means of attaining those effects.

(4) The Board shall enforce discipline as needed to govern itself with excellence in matters such as attendance, preparation for meetings, policy-making principles, respect of roles, and ensuring continued governance competence.

(5) The Board shall orient new Board members to the Board’s governance process and periodically discuss process improvement.

(6) The Board shall not allow any member or committee of the Board to prevent the Board from fulfilling its commitments.

(7) The Board reserves the right to alter its governance process policies at any time, however, it will adhere to them scrupulously while in force.

Approved: July 10, 2014

From Part 3 – Governance Process of ABP’s Policy Manual