Branch Council and Election FAQs

What is the Branch Council?

The Council is vested with the entire management and governance of the Tacoma Branch. This includes the appointment of committee chairs, monitoring and approval of expenditures, administrative management of the Tacoma Program Center, support and oversight of volunteers, approval of new activities or major changes to existing activities, and ensuring activities are aligned with the organizational purpose, mission and values.

Who can be on Council?

Any adult (18+) member of the Tacoma Mountaineers.

What experience is required?

The only experience necessary to be considered for Council is being an active member of the Tacoma Mountaineers in good standing. If a position looks interesting to you, apply.

What positions make up the Council?

Council is comprised of 5 officers and up to 5 additional at-large voting members. Officer positions are:

CHAIR

The duty of the Chair is to provide leadership and oversight of the entire Tacoma Mountaineers organization. This includes the coordination and facilitation of all Council meetings, communication and problem solving with membership, oversight of activities and committees, delegation of responsibilities and ensuring organizational objectives are carried out in accordance with the expectations and values of the Mountaineers. The Chair shall have the authority to enforce policy and procedure, appoint Committee Chairs and appoint members of Council in the case of vacancy.

CHAIR-ELECT/VICE-CHAIR

The duty of The Chair-Elect is to act in the place of the Chair in the latter’s absence and shall then have all the powers and duties of the office. The Chair-Elect shall assist the Chair with organizational and management tasks, understand the role and responsibilities of the Chair and assist with delegating responsibilities among Council members.

SECRETARY

The duty of the Secretary is to take minutes at all Council meeting and ensure proper procedure is followed for agenda items requiring Council vote. The Secretary is also responsible for transmitting minutes to Council members for approval and posting the approved minutes where they can be accessed by membership and the public.

TREASURER

The duty of the Treasurer is to guide the Branch Council and various activity committees in meeting the organizational requirements of operating as a financially sound unit of a not-for-profit corporation, The Mountaineers. To this end, the Treasurer is tasked with providing a channel of communication and coordination, relative to Branch financial matters, between the various Branch activity committees and the Branch Council.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES REPRESENTATIVE

The Tacoma Council Member serving on the Mountaineer Board of Trustees (Seattle Representative) shall attend and participate in the meetings of that board and shall render a written record of its activities to the Tacoma Branch Council.

How are Council members selected?

Council members are ultimately selected by members of the Tacoma Mountaineers via an electronic election process.

How long are terms?

Terms for all positions are 2 years.

What is the time commitment?

Varies. On average, 1 meeting per month for either a Council meeting or committee meeting. The Chair, Chair-Elect and Treasurer do have other duties but are mostly handled via email.

If I’m elected to an officer position, what support or training will I be provided?

All current officers will mentor and transition their replacement for the upcoming term.  If a position looks interesting, go for it!

How does the process work?

September 1, 2020 – Tacoma Branch Newsletter announces, “Call for Council Nominee Bios.” All those interested in running for Council will submit a short bio to be considered by the Nominating Committee, a group of branch leaders representing various activities. The bio will contain which position the candidate is running for and brief personal/professional/Mountaineer background information. Bio samples will be provided.

September 14, 2020 – Bios due.

By September 24, 2020 – Nominating Committee approves candidates to run for election. All those submitting bios will be notified of committee decision.

October 1, 2020 – Tacoma Branch Newsletter publishes candidate bios and begins electronic voting period.

October 20, 2020 – End of voting period. Candidates are notified of result.

November 5, 2020 – New Council Members are installed at Tacoma Branch Council meeting  and announced via the monthly newsletter.