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Revision as of 23:42, 16 November 2008
, 23:42, 16 November 2008Outline of Mission and Bylaws (work in progress)
The '''Internet Review Corporation''' is a new non-profit organization being chartered in [[Directory:Florida|Florida]] by four key stakeholders:
:*[[Directory:Gregory J. Kohs|Gregory Kohs]]
:*Anthony Dipierro
:*Paul Wehage
:*Judd Bagley
Generally, the corporation's purpose is gathering, discussing, analyzing, and distributing news and information. More specifically, its Mission Statement will be along these lines:
==Mission Statement==
(DRAFT)
''The IRC mission is to eliminate unethical practices and content on the Internet by educating the general public about the elements having measurable detrimental impacts on our society. We strive to exercise journalistic excellence to present complex issues to the average citizen, while deepening our commitment to values like respect for others, personal responsibility, attribution of work, and common courtesy.''
<!-- THESE ARE NOTES FOR THE EDITORS, NOT VIEWED BY READERS OF THE PAGE
The following concepts are critical in defining "who" your organization
is:
The Purpose Statement
The purpose statement clearly states what your organization seeks to
accomplish: Why does your organization exist? What is the ultimate
result of your work?
Purpose statements usually include two phrases:
* an infinitive that indicates a change in status, such as to increase, to
decrease, to prevent, to eliminate
* an identification of the problem or condition to be changed.
An example of a purpose statement is "to eliminate homelessness."
In defining purpose, it is essential to focus on outcomes and results
rather than methods: How is the world going to be different? What is
going to change? Thus, the purpose of a mental health counseling agency
would never be simply "to provide counseling services," for that is
describing a method rather than a result. Rather, the purpose might be
"to improve the quality of life" for its clients.
The Business Statement
This statement outlines the "business(es)" (i.e., activities or
programs) your organization chooses in order to pursue its purpose.
Specifically, you must answer, "What activity are we going to do to
accomplish our purpose?" For example, there are many ways to work on the
problem of homelessness:
* to construct housing for homeless individuals
* to educate the public and advocate for public policy changes
* to provide job training to homeless individuals.
Each of these are different businesses, but they may be different means
of achieving the same purpose.
Business statements often include the verb "to provide" or link a
purpose statement with the words "by" or "through." For example: "To
eliminate homelessness by providing job training to homeless
individuals."
A cautionary note: If the word "and" is in your purpose or business
statement, ask yourselves, "Are we really committed to both ideas
connected by the word" and, "or have we simply not been able to accept
that one idea is more important?"
Values
Values are beliefs which your organization's members hold in common and
endeavor to put into practice. The values guide your organization's
members in performing their work. Specifically, you should ask, "What
are the basic beliefs that we share as an organization?"
Examples of values include: a commitment to excellent services,
innovation, diversity, creativity, honesty, integrity, and so on. Values
may include beliefs such as: "Eating vegetables is more economically
efficient and ecologically responsible than eating beef." (Vegetarian
Association)
Marvin Weisbord writes in Productive Workplaces that values come alive
only when people are involved in doing important tasks. Ideally, an
individual's personal values will align with the spoken and unspoken
values of the organization. By developing a written statement of the
values of the organization, group members have a chance to contribute to
the articulation of these values, as well as to evaluate how well their
personal values and motivation match those of the organization.
The example of a mission statement cited at the beginning of this
response sheet includes all three elements of what should be included in
a mission statement. To review:
At the Developmental Studies Center we develop, evaluate, and
disseminate programs [business] that foster children's ethical, social,
and intellectual development [purpose]. While nurturing children's
capacity to think skillfully and critically, we also strive to deepen
children's commitment to prosocial values such as kindness, helpfulness,
personal responsibility, and respect for others - qualities we believe
are essential to leading humane and productive lives in a democratic
society [values].
Below is another example of a mission statement which includes all three
elements:
The YMCA of San Francisco, based in Judeo-Christian heritage [values],
seeks to enhance the lives of all people [purpose] through programs
designed to develop spirit, mind and body [business].
In addition to the three elements discussed above, you may want to
address the following questions in developing your organization's
mission statement:
* What is the problem or need your organization is trying to address?
* What makes your organization unique?
* Who are the beneficiaries of your work?
Clearly, the answers to the these questions could be included in the
mission statement or added as elaboration of the mission statement.
How To Write a Mission Statement
There is no formula for finding the wording that best expresses the
collective intention of your organization. It can be drafted by one
person alone or after input gathered at leadership retreat. The most
important issue is that there is consensus on the answers to the
questions used in developing the mission statement.
One approach is to use time at a board retreat to discuss these
questions and find out where the areas of consensus are and where there
are differences. There is a "process" benefit to hashing over an
organization's mission statement as well. In the course of discussion
and debate, new members are introduced to nuances of an organization's
mission and changes in the environment, and old members refresh their
understanding of both. As a result, the group will have confidence that
the mission statement which emerges (whether it is a new statement or a
rededication to the old mission statement) is genuinely an articulation
of commonly held ideas.
Groups are good at many things, but one of them is not writing. Have
group discussions about big ideas and concepts and then let one or two
individuals draft and redraft the wording before submitting a reworked
version for the group to respond to. It is important to circulate the
draft mission statement a few times to board, staff, and other
stakeholders. Some consultants advise organizations to also seek an
outside opinion from someone unfamiliar with the organization to see how
easily the mission statement can be understood.
Mix with passion, humanity and an eye on the big picture, and keep
refining the mission statement until you have a version that people can
actively support.
-->
==Bylaws of the Internet Review Corporation==
# Name
## The name of the organization shall be '''Internet Review Corporation'''
# Board of Directors
## The Board of Directors shall serve without pay and consist of four members.
## Board members must publicly identify themselves by real name.
## Board members shall serve two-year terms.
## Vacancies shall be filled by the Board.
## Board members with three consecutive absences from either Board meetings or from publication schedule shall be dismissed from the Board.
<!--
III. Officers
1. The officers of the board shall consist of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer nominated by the Board.
2. Elected officers will serve a term of one year.
3. (a)The Chair shall preside at all Board meetings, appoint committee members, and perform other duties as associated with the office. (b)The Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in case of the Chair’s absence. (c)The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of the Board, keep all approved minutes in a minute book, and send out copies of minutes to all. (d) The Treasurer shall keep record of the organization’s budget and prepare financial reports as needed.
IV. Committees
1. The Board may appoint standing and ad hoc committees as needed.
V. Meetings
1. Regular meetings shall be held on [frequency and time of meetings]
2. Special meetings may be held at any time when called for by the Chair or a majority of Board members.
3. Agendas shall be provided at least [number of days] in advance.
VI. Voting
1. (a) A majority of board members constitutes a quorum. (b) In absence of a quorum, no formal action shall be taken except to adjourn the meeting to a subsequent date.
2. Passage of a motion requires a simple majority (ie, one more than half the members present). [Or whatever your board’s decision-making process is}
VII. Conflict of Interest
1. Any member of the board who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending before the Board, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will offer to the Board to voluntarily excuse him/herself and will vacate his seat and refrain from discussion and voting on said item.
VIII. Fiscal Policies
1. The fiscal year of the board shall be[start date to end date]
IX. Amendments
1. These by-laws may be amended by a two-third vote of Board members present at any meeting, provided a quorum is present and provide a copy of the proposed amendmend(s) are provided to each Board member at least one week prior to said meeting.
-->
:*[[Directory:Gregory J. Kohs|Gregory Kohs]]
:*Anthony Dipierro
:*Paul Wehage
:*Judd Bagley
Generally, the corporation's purpose is gathering, discussing, analyzing, and distributing news and information. More specifically, its Mission Statement will be along these lines:
==Mission Statement==
(DRAFT)
''The IRC mission is to eliminate unethical practices and content on the Internet by educating the general public about the elements having measurable detrimental impacts on our society. We strive to exercise journalistic excellence to present complex issues to the average citizen, while deepening our commitment to values like respect for others, personal responsibility, attribution of work, and common courtesy.''
<!-- THESE ARE NOTES FOR THE EDITORS, NOT VIEWED BY READERS OF THE PAGE
The following concepts are critical in defining "who" your organization
is:
The Purpose Statement
The purpose statement clearly states what your organization seeks to
accomplish: Why does your organization exist? What is the ultimate
result of your work?
Purpose statements usually include two phrases:
* an infinitive that indicates a change in status, such as to increase, to
decrease, to prevent, to eliminate
* an identification of the problem or condition to be changed.
An example of a purpose statement is "to eliminate homelessness."
In defining purpose, it is essential to focus on outcomes and results
rather than methods: How is the world going to be different? What is
going to change? Thus, the purpose of a mental health counseling agency
would never be simply "to provide counseling services," for that is
describing a method rather than a result. Rather, the purpose might be
"to improve the quality of life" for its clients.
The Business Statement
This statement outlines the "business(es)" (i.e., activities or
programs) your organization chooses in order to pursue its purpose.
Specifically, you must answer, "What activity are we going to do to
accomplish our purpose?" For example, there are many ways to work on the
problem of homelessness:
* to construct housing for homeless individuals
* to educate the public and advocate for public policy changes
* to provide job training to homeless individuals.
Each of these are different businesses, but they may be different means
of achieving the same purpose.
Business statements often include the verb "to provide" or link a
purpose statement with the words "by" or "through." For example: "To
eliminate homelessness by providing job training to homeless
individuals."
A cautionary note: If the word "and" is in your purpose or business
statement, ask yourselves, "Are we really committed to both ideas
connected by the word" and, "or have we simply not been able to accept
that one idea is more important?"
Values
Values are beliefs which your organization's members hold in common and
endeavor to put into practice. The values guide your organization's
members in performing their work. Specifically, you should ask, "What
are the basic beliefs that we share as an organization?"
Examples of values include: a commitment to excellent services,
innovation, diversity, creativity, honesty, integrity, and so on. Values
may include beliefs such as: "Eating vegetables is more economically
efficient and ecologically responsible than eating beef." (Vegetarian
Association)
Marvin Weisbord writes in Productive Workplaces that values come alive
only when people are involved in doing important tasks. Ideally, an
individual's personal values will align with the spoken and unspoken
values of the organization. By developing a written statement of the
values of the organization, group members have a chance to contribute to
the articulation of these values, as well as to evaluate how well their
personal values and motivation match those of the organization.
The example of a mission statement cited at the beginning of this
response sheet includes all three elements of what should be included in
a mission statement. To review:
At the Developmental Studies Center we develop, evaluate, and
disseminate programs [business] that foster children's ethical, social,
and intellectual development [purpose]. While nurturing children's
capacity to think skillfully and critically, we also strive to deepen
children's commitment to prosocial values such as kindness, helpfulness,
personal responsibility, and respect for others - qualities we believe
are essential to leading humane and productive lives in a democratic
society [values].
Below is another example of a mission statement which includes all three
elements:
The YMCA of San Francisco, based in Judeo-Christian heritage [values],
seeks to enhance the lives of all people [purpose] through programs
designed to develop spirit, mind and body [business].
In addition to the three elements discussed above, you may want to
address the following questions in developing your organization's
mission statement:
* What is the problem or need your organization is trying to address?
* What makes your organization unique?
* Who are the beneficiaries of your work?
Clearly, the answers to the these questions could be included in the
mission statement or added as elaboration of the mission statement.
How To Write a Mission Statement
There is no formula for finding the wording that best expresses the
collective intention of your organization. It can be drafted by one
person alone or after input gathered at leadership retreat. The most
important issue is that there is consensus on the answers to the
questions used in developing the mission statement.
One approach is to use time at a board retreat to discuss these
questions and find out where the areas of consensus are and where there
are differences. There is a "process" benefit to hashing over an
organization's mission statement as well. In the course of discussion
and debate, new members are introduced to nuances of an organization's
mission and changes in the environment, and old members refresh their
understanding of both. As a result, the group will have confidence that
the mission statement which emerges (whether it is a new statement or a
rededication to the old mission statement) is genuinely an articulation
of commonly held ideas.
Groups are good at many things, but one of them is not writing. Have
group discussions about big ideas and concepts and then let one or two
individuals draft and redraft the wording before submitting a reworked
version for the group to respond to. It is important to circulate the
draft mission statement a few times to board, staff, and other
stakeholders. Some consultants advise organizations to also seek an
outside opinion from someone unfamiliar with the organization to see how
easily the mission statement can be understood.
Mix with passion, humanity and an eye on the big picture, and keep
refining the mission statement until you have a version that people can
actively support.
-->
==Bylaws of the Internet Review Corporation==
# Name
## The name of the organization shall be '''Internet Review Corporation'''
# Board of Directors
## The Board of Directors shall serve without pay and consist of four members.
## Board members must publicly identify themselves by real name.
## Board members shall serve two-year terms.
## Vacancies shall be filled by the Board.
## Board members with three consecutive absences from either Board meetings or from publication schedule shall be dismissed from the Board.
<!--
III. Officers
1. The officers of the board shall consist of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer nominated by the Board.
2. Elected officers will serve a term of one year.
3. (a)The Chair shall preside at all Board meetings, appoint committee members, and perform other duties as associated with the office. (b)The Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in case of the Chair’s absence. (c)The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of the Board, keep all approved minutes in a minute book, and send out copies of minutes to all. (d) The Treasurer shall keep record of the organization’s budget and prepare financial reports as needed.
IV. Committees
1. The Board may appoint standing and ad hoc committees as needed.
V. Meetings
1. Regular meetings shall be held on [frequency and time of meetings]
2. Special meetings may be held at any time when called for by the Chair or a majority of Board members.
3. Agendas shall be provided at least [number of days] in advance.
VI. Voting
1. (a) A majority of board members constitutes a quorum. (b) In absence of a quorum, no formal action shall be taken except to adjourn the meeting to a subsequent date.
2. Passage of a motion requires a simple majority (ie, one more than half the members present). [Or whatever your board’s decision-making process is}
VII. Conflict of Interest
1. Any member of the board who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending before the Board, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will offer to the Board to voluntarily excuse him/herself and will vacate his seat and refrain from discussion and voting on said item.
VIII. Fiscal Policies
1. The fiscal year of the board shall be[start date to end date]
IX. Amendments
1. These by-laws may be amended by a two-third vote of Board members present at any meeting, provided a quorum is present and provide a copy of the proposed amendmend(s) are provided to each Board member at least one week prior to said meeting.
-->
