By: Lisa Jackson, ICF ECC Director At Large (Governance)

Recently I came upon a program on HGTV called “Hot Mess House”. The premise is that a person virtually helps people bring order to their messy spaces. It proposes that we each have a unique organizing style that brings us satisfaction. I’m a bee – that means that I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I am visual. I like to see things in front of me. (Hmmm… a good person to dig into the governance!) What type of clutterbug are you? https://clutterbug.me/

What does this have to do with good governance? The ICF Edmonton Charter Chapter has bylaws that help us operate. Over time, the bylaws need cleaning, organization and de-cluttering. Regular maintenance helps us make sure that we are operating at our best and it will allow us to focus on the work we really want to do – pursue our shared interest in coaching!

One of the bylaws that needs some attention is our quorum bylaw. Quorum is the minimum number of members we need at a meeting to approve chapter business. Why is quorum important? Because we as a board want to make sure we are representing the interests of you, and that our business plan is reflecting your input.

Section 3 of our bylaws says that 33% of members in good standing will constitute quorum at any meeting. In today’s numbers, assuming we have approximately 150 coaches, that means we would need 50 people at our annual general meeting so that our programming could be approved! We would love to have 50 or more attend our meetings, but more typically our attendance is between 20 or 30. This year we have held virtual meetings in response to the global pandemic, and that has impacted attendance.

So how do we start bringing order to this messy space?

ICF Edmonton Board is taking a couple of approaches to get a quorum for the AGM

First, we are going to get your input, even if you cannot attend a meeting in person. Look for more online voting opportunities and surveys. 

Second, we did a jurisdictional scan of what other ICF coaching charters set for quorum. From this scan it appears that our quorum is high: the other charters we looked at range from 10-25%. The Board will be proposing updates to our bylaw prior to our 2021 AGM. This proposal will include a reduction in % with the inclusion of an alternative minimum number of required attendees. Including a minimum number will allow us to remain adaptive and accountable as our membership grows. You will have the opportunity to provide input on this proposal and you can expect us to report back on what we hear. 

We welcome your thoughts on bylaws anytime, either through the survey or directly through email at president@edmontoncoaches.com.  

Finally, during our fall board strategic session, we are going to keep governance on the agenda and make sure it all stays organized.

Best wishes everyone as we all organize our homes and yards (and bylaws) for fall!