AORE Association News October/November 2018 | Page 6

With, as our members are not typically immersed in non-profit governance knowledge, the questions are: What does governance really mean? More importantly, how can efficient governance benefit me and make our association better?

As a part of our current strategic plan, AORE has continued to invest in improving its organizational health. In doing so, our boards over the past several years have invested time in educating ourselves about governance. It is my hope that this article can provide some context to this topic that makes sense to you, as fellow outdoor programmers, educators and AORE members. One of the most resonating themes I have seen is that associations need to separate governance from association management. Governance is the structure and rules that dictate how your association operates and governs itself. Governance creates the checks and balances that a board is responsible for upholding in representing its membership. Governance is not the management and daily operations of the association. In my mind I think about governance as the foundation that makes sure our association stays within the fundamental building blocks of our mission. Effective governance structures allow our board to be nimble and advocate for our association 365 days a year, not just tending to high level business 3 days a year at our annual conference. Association management is the operations - for me, I liken it to the micro level of marketing, membership, technology, staffing infrastructure and other administrative tasks and projects.

AORE’s current governance model is antiquated for an association of our current size and structure, and certainly for an association that aspires to continue to grow and serve its membership on a greater scale in the future.

As members, we must understand and take very seriously who we elect to our board. We need to seek varying perspectives and seek out individuals that will help move our association forward; we need industry experience, legal expertise, business strategy and access to networks. Successful associations know that individuals who possess these skills and connections are often not found only from their membership, but by casting a wider net based on the greater vision of what their association wants to aspire to become.

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