1. Running an Effective Region Board Meeting
08/19/14
Running an Effective Region Board Meeting
Introduce the workshop, yourself and any co-instructors. Survey the attendees to find out who is in the workshop.
What positions are represented?
AYSO National Management Program
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2. Why? What are some of the reasons to have a Regional Board Meeting?
Quickly get as many verbal responses as possible before clicking to Slide # 3.
For purposes of this workshop, any time we see the acronym RBM, it stands for Regional Board Member.

3. Reasons to Have a Regional Board Meeting
Work on the Regional budget
Develop a Regional calendar
Develop Regional policies
Hear Regional Board Member reports
Approve volunteers for the upcoming Membership Year from the CVPA report
Regions should be approving volunteers. We discuss how a Region can easily avoid using a problem volunteer for a new MY in the Dispute Resolution course by having the Board approve or not approve each volunteer annually. Those not approved are simply told "No thank you.”
Ask who, where, when questions about each of the bullets. All answers are acceptable. If you have a co-instructor he/she can be a scribe for answers to this question.

4. Reasons to Have a Regional Board Meeting
Schedule games, training, events, etc.
Work on Regional Assessment Program progress
Debrief an event
Announce upcoming webinar and training schedule
Work on solutions to problems
Plan for the future
Ask questions about each of the bullets to get additional details. Who, when, where, how, etc.

5. Be Prepared!
Send out the agenda via one week before the meeting.
Print out hard copies for everyone.
Make Regional Board Members responsible for sending in their report if they can’t attend.
If there is a change in the usual time or location of the meeting, remind everyone.
Send out the agenda via one week before. This allows RBMs a chance to preview the agenda and get prepared for any assignments.
Have hard copies of the agenda available for everyone. Many RBMs might not have a computer to bring to a Board meeting.

6. When? How often should Regional Board meetings be held?
Monthly during the season and at least every other month outside of the Region’s season is usually adequate.
Sometimes there is a need for a special meeting to elect new officers or plan a special event such as a tournament.

7. Sample Agenda

8. Be Prepared! RCA RRA RC Treasurer Registrar Instructor Notes:
Prepare a folder for each RBM. During the month as you think of something you want to share, make hard copies for everyone, put in each folder. Put things in the order of delivery. Ask RBMs to also make copies for everyone and come early to put in folders. Collect the folder at the end of each meeting.

9. Make It Fun Lighten the mood, at least once each Board Meeting.
Ask each Board Member what is something about you we don’t know? It can’t have anything to do with soccer A “fun fact”!
Celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries or special personal happenings.
Notice this at your next Regional Board meeting… did everyone laugh at some point? Were you having fun even when doing serious work? Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Ask a RBM to keep track of birthdays or anniversaries. Give a gift card to the RBM who is celebrating an anniversary during the month. It is a way of thanking the supportive spouses.
Ask each RBM to say one thing that made them smile during their AYSO month.
Did they see anything that made them proud to be associated with AYSO?

10. Serve Food
Once in a while have pizza and soda for everyone. Send out an announcement ahead of time.
Don’t be afraid of serving “healthy snacks”
Assign one RBM to be in charge of food for each meeting or once a year. Give them an allotted amount of money to work with.

11. Inspire Them
Start the meeting with a leadership quote: ask them why this resonates with them.
Pick one of AYSO’s Six Philosophies: what are we doing to support it?
Ask Board Members to share something they saw that epitomized the AYSO Mission or Vision Statement.
“Catch them doing something good”
Philosophies – quotes – remind them at every meeting to thank their spouses or significant others for support their AYSO volunteer time.
Start each meeting with one of the philosophies and how they could support or reinforce this philosophy in the Region.
Pass out the Leadership Quotes from RC Training and ask one RBM to pick one of the quotes at the start of the meeting and say why the quote resonates with them. (The quotes will be in the Regional Toolkit.)
Ask RBMs to share something they saw at a practice or a game that epitomized the AYSO Mission/Vision Statement or the 6 Philosophies.
“Catch Them Doing Something Good” – send a snail mail note to volunteers from the Regional Board recognizing their positive attitude. RBMs are the ambassadors to AYSO at all practices/games and anytime they are out in the community.
Make sure the RBM who can’t seem to be the positive influence has a turn early in the meeting or season so that maybe you can change their perspective.

12. Season Tracker Have you checked out Domino’s Pizza Tracker?
Determine how many volunteers you need before registration. Discuss at all Board meetings. Every Board Member can help.
Display the season tracker on your website so parents can see how recruitment is progressing.
The Domino’s Pizza Tracker allows a customer to track their order from the point it its ordered until it is delivered. It is a clever idea that can be transformed for letting parents know how many volunteers are recruited from registration up until the start of the season.
You could use a thermometer or a graph to show how many volunteers are needed versus how many have been recruited.
Months before registration have Regional Board meetings devoted to the progress in recruiting coaches and referees.

13. Domino’s Pizza Tracker
2016 AYSO Tracker
Almost there!
150 75
____________________________________
150 Coaches and Referees Needed
We’re Almost There!
Help!

14. Let Everyone Talk
Each Regional Board Member sets a goal at the beginning of the season.
They have 5-10 minutes to report on their goal at each Board meeting.
Go over the Region’s calendar. Did we complete last month’s tasks? Are we set for next month?
What do they say? At the beginning of each season ask each RBM to set a goal and objectives for their position. What will they do this year that is new and different than they did last year? Will it help grow the Region? Give each RBM 5 – 10 minutes to report on their goal. What will this do for RBMs who are just placeholders in your Region? Go over the calendar each month. “Did we do everything we were supposed to do in May? Is everyone set for June?”

15. Regional Board Meeting
7pm- Joe’s Place
Parent Meeting
7pm- Rec Center
Line Fields
6:30am
Regional Boards usually meet monthly and meetings are open to all parents and volunteers alike. Make sure your meeting times and locations are publicized, in advance, on your website.

16. Seating Arrangements Classroom Round Rectangular
Which seating arrangement discourages participation? Classroom
Which seating arrangement encourages full Board participation? Round/Rectangular
Round Rectangular

17. Move It Around
What are the pros and cons of same night, same time, same place each month?
Ask the Board Member who always travels the farthest to pick a location once a year.
Treat everyone to dinner in the off season. Do a quick meeting and then just socialize. Make sure to invite the spouses.
What are the pros and cons of always having the Regional Board meeting on the same night/time and at the same location? Offer a babysitting service if it would help young parents.

18. “Start the Clock” 00:00 How long should the meeting be?
Start on time regardless of who is missing.
Use a countdown clock.
Use a timekeeper to keep all reports to the allotted time. Ring a bell or use a buzzer.
Put times in the agenda.
00:00
Start and end on time. Use a clock as a fun way to count down the time for the meeting. What is the optimal time for a Board meeting? (2 hours)

19. Choose Wisely: Do you have all of these?
Men/Women
City councilpersons
Young parents
Ethnic diversity
Recent AYSO grads
“Computer whiz”
School board members
Each school or town represented
Does the diversity on your Regional Board represent the diversity in your Region?
City council members, school board members, ethnic groups, women/men, young parents, AYSO graduates, alumni, etc….

20. “National” Exposure
“Start Your Laptops”! You can share at your meetings.
At your monthly Board meeting, do a live presentation of the Region Toolkit, eAYSO or ayso.org.
Talk about the eNewsletters each meeting. Each Board Member should share information.
Check out other Region’s websites.
Ask RBMs to bring in their laptops. Sharing is okay for those who can’t bring theirs in. Ask everyone to go on to the Region Toolkit, eAYSO or ayso.org. During the month as you see things in any of the eNewsletters, print out copies for everyone and ask the appropriate RBM to report on it. After a few times, make each RBM accountable to report on their own. Check on omissions.

21. More Soccer For More Kids Dollars & $ense Treasurers
The AYSO Insider
RCs ADs SDs Boards
Whistle Stop
Referees
More Soccer For More Kids
Dollars & $ense Treasurers
Registrar Resource Registrars
Safe Haven CVPAs and Safety Directors
90 Second Soccer Parent
Hey Coach!
Coaches

22. Can you teach an old Regional Board new tricks?
Yes – you can make your Regional Board meetings better!
If your Board meeting need a boost, come up with a plan. The next slide will give some ideas.

23. As Regional Commissioner:
Discuss your proposed changes with the Secretary and Treasurer in advance.
Get support from other key Board Members.
Notify Board Members that you will reserve minutes at the next Board meeting to talk about a new format for future Board meetings.
Here are some additional tips. After you go over the list ask attendees if they have any ideas.
Don’t give up.
Propose changes to the board. A good time to start is at the start or end of the season.
Make the first meeting that you institute the changes a fun meeting so that they might not even be aware of what is changed.
You might want to stagger some of the changes.

24. Frustration!
What frustrates you most about your Regional Board meetings?
Don’t click to the next slide until you have gotten a lot of responses.
Accept all answers.
Ask your co-instructor to scribe for you.

25. Typical Answers Not starting on time Too long Side bar conversations
Late arrivals
Disorganized
Same old agenda items
Revisiting topics after decisions were made
Discussions becoming arguments
The naysayer
The dominator
Poor attendance
These are only a few. They may have others to add to the list.

26. Some Solutions…
Not starting on time – Offer a “carrot” for those that arrive on time. It could be something like a gift card or other small gift.
Too long - Decide on a start and end time for the meeting and stick to it. Assign each presenter with a certain amount of time and utilize a time keeper.

27. Solutions
Side bar conversations - Use tent cards to position board members. Set up “ground rules” that everyone agrees with. Stop talking until you get their attention (this is a classic teacher trick).
Late arrivals - Don’t acknowledge the late arriver or get them caught up with what has happened. Do that after the meeting so that they have to stay later to be up to speed.

28. Solutions
Naysayer - “Every problem has to have a solution. If you complain about something, give us one idea on how to make it work.” Joke about his/her attitude. Compliment the positive attitude of others.
Dominator - Assign times to each topic and have a process for giving presenters a warning when their time is almost up. Be direct and tell them that “we need to give others a chance to comment.”

29. One more solution…
Poor attendance - Set a standard meeting time, day and location each month. Send a meeting reminder two weeks in advance asking for agenda items (secretary).
Send an five days before accompanied by an agenda. Be sure to include location, date and time (secretary). Ask for meeting confirmations (attendance or absence).

30. Offer to help the Regional Commissioner run a more effective meeting!
Be part of the solution!
Get input from attendees before clicking to the next slide.

31. You have options!
Have a one-on-one, frank discussion with “your friend” the RC about ways to shorten the Board meetings or get them more organized.
Put a different Board Member in charge at each meeting.
Confidentially contact the Area Director and ask for a Board meeting visit. After that the AD can offer suggestions.
Ask attendees for other ideas to deal with the RC. This is a more delicate situation.

32. Regional Board Meetings
Everyone Plays®- Encourage everyone to participate.
Balanced Teams- Everyone has talents and they are valued for it.
Open Registration- Board meetings are open and parents and volunteers are welcome.
Positive Coaching- The RC encourages constructive comments and solutions.
Good Sportsmanship- Listen to and support one another and have fun!
Player Development- Board meetings offer a great opportunity for members to learn from each other and to develop skills and knowledge.

33. Thank you for attending!
Thank the attendees for coming.
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