The Club Nominating Committee: Your Gateway to Better Club Leadership

by Bev Herzog

2015-2017 Leadership Training and Development Chair

Following on Beth’s blog of August 17 about getting Altrusans to step into leadership roles, the goal of this column is to provide a practical method of implementing these ideas by enlisting your club  Nominating Committee to help. This committee is one of the most important committees in your club, yet it’s one that often receives the least attention. According to the International Bylaws (Club Bylaws, Article XIV, Section 2), “The Nominating Committee will be elected by the membership at least eight (8) weeks prior to the March business meeting and will consist of no fewer than three (3) members. The individual receiving the largest number of votes will serve as chairman.” Following this policy, many clubs wait until midyear to hold their election, leaving committees scrambling to put together a slate by their March business meeting and sometimes settling for people who happen to be home when they call. Obviously, this is not an idea solution.

I suggest you elect your committee soon—no later than October, and the sooner the better. Why? Because the Nominating Committee’s responsibility is to put together the best possible slate. They also need time to identify, mentor, and encourage potential leaders. To do that, they need to pay attention at club meetings and other activities to learn who comes, is engaged, and is willing to step up—in short, who has placed importance on their Altrusa membership by making a commitment to it. 

Let’s look at the three reasons Beth identified as reasons someone might decline a leadership position and what the Nominating Committee can proactively do to lessen the chances of a no.

• She thinks she isn’t qualified.” By observing a member over a few months, the committee can learn a member’s strengths for a specific position and use this information when they ask someone to serve. Rather than say, “We’d like you to serve as president-elect,” it’s much more persuasive to say, “We’d like you to serve as president-elect because you….”
• “She thinks she’s already overcommitted and this role would take too much time.” The committee can pay attention to what is actually required in each position, especially if the committee members haven’t held all of the leadership roles. They can then tell prospective candidates what the actual requirements are and suggest things that could be delegated to other club members. They can also let prospective leaders know that they appreciate that everyone has a different leadership style and that no one is expected to be a clone of his or her predecessor.
• “She thinks she would not like the role.” Committee members can get to know their members better by sitting and chatting with them at dinner meetings. They can learn their hobbies, skills, and interests to better match them to a specific leadership position.

If clubs put more of an effort into identifying and cultivating potential leaders through their nominating committees, they may find more people willing to step up and have fewer last-minute scrambling for slates of officers.

Please comment below to share your own wisdom and thoughts.