Leadership Advancement Plan

Leadership Advancement Plan

Strategic Planning Retreat

GFWC Florida – GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club

The GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club (FL) members held an intensive and effective strategic planning meeting. Especially important was bringing the board of directors and committee chairmen together to strategize and discuss goals/projects because seven were new board members. Small and large group discussions were held to engage everyone in the process of finalizing written goals. This also allowed members to get to know one another and begin to work together.

 

Board Preference Sheets

GFWC Illinois – GFWC Lombard Junior Woman’s Club

The GFWC Lombard Junior Woman’s Club had a well-organized process to fill leadership and committee positions. They created Board Preference Sheets to assess member interest in all positions available. These sheets were sent to members to complete and return if interested. The incoming President spent time encouraging members to get involved and defining the roles and responsibilities of each position. The Nominating Committee called members to get their consent to serve on the Board.

 

Mentors and Supportive Transitions

GFWC Massachusetts – GFWC Northboro Junior Woman’s Club

The GFWC Northboro Junior Woman’s Club believed that developing and supporting leaders was important to keep the Club vibrant and growing. Therefore, NJWC’s Nominating Committee promoted the role of Co-Presidents. Past presidents were encouraged to team with and mentor less experienced members. The hope was that each newer Co-President felt more familiar with the president’s responsibilities and confident enough to continue into a second year, taking on the mentoring role to another inexperienced member.

 

Sponsoring Empowering Women Conference

GFWC Minnesota – GFWC Nevis Women’s Club

The GFWC Nevis Women’s Club demonstrated various leadership skills by sponsoring the Empowering Women to Lead conference for rural Minnesota women. They gained 501(c)(3) designation and raised over $50,000. Scholarships were offered to Native American women and high school students. Outcomes include three hundred rural women being inspired to envision their future; new collaborative partnerships with foundations, businesses, and community-based organizations; name recognition for GFWC; and new confidence developed by club members.

 

Transitioning New Officers

GFWC New Jersey – GFWC Woman’s Club of Hammonton

The Woman’s Club of Hammonton had a change in leadership, with mostly new officers. As the new board prepared for new roles, they shadowed the outgoing board members for a month. Both boards met after the installation to hand over files and exchange ideas about their roles. Former officers wrote suggestions on how to transition and make their jobs easier. The new officers felt more comfortable taking over their new positions through mentoring.

 

Sponsoring Local Juniorette Club

GFWC Oregon – GFWC of Central Oregon

GFWC of Central Oregon proudly sponsored a local Juniorettes Club. As a sponsor, the club assisted with dues and expenses for supplies while mentoring young women and encouraging them to understand the importance of volunteering in their community. This was truly an effort to develop Living the Volunteer Spirit. As a result, more clubwomen were taking the opportunity to attend their meetings and assist with their projects, helping the young ladies develop leadership skills.

 

Make Learning Fun

GFWC Texas – GFWC History Club of Whitesboro

The president of the GFWC History Club of Whitesboro (TX) was a GFWC LEADS graduate in 2022. She applied what she learned to her club, district, and state. She knew members learn new skills when presented in a fun manner; thus, she developed skits and games and adapted songs used at various levels. Two games were GFWC Trivia and GFWC Communication Jeopardy, both great ways to teach members about GFWC.

 

Juniorettes Plan Membership Event

GFWC Virginia – GFWC Dominion Juniorette Club

The Dominion Juniorette Club demonstrated leadership skills in planning a membership event. The girls arranged the event and planned to give an informative presentation about the club. Each member had an opportunity to contribute to the presentation, some preparing the PowerPoint and some speaking. They explained what the club did and the fun they had while completing projects. Only minor guidance from the sponsoring club was given to these girls early on.

 

Member-At-Large Board Positions

GFWC Virginia – GFWC Woman’s Club of Newport News

The GFWC Woman’s Club of Newport News had three Members-At-Large positions on the Board, appointed by the President. These three members were selected based on their desire to explore the possibility of eventually running for elected office. Although Members-At-Large positions are non-voting, they were placed on the agenda and allowed to speak at each board meeting. These At-Large members were also encouraged to submit articles for inclusion in the newsletter.

 

Technology Is Our Friend – Please Don’t Take Our Technology Away!

GFWC Wisconsin – Lakeland Area GFWC

Hybrid meetings were commonplace for the Lakeland Area GFWC as they had a new venue with excellent Wi-Fi capability. Every meeting was recorded through Zoom and housed on the club’s YouTube channel for members to access. This assisted the recording secretary and was available for members who could not make the meeting. Club members also benefitted from email, recorded reminder phone calls, Facebook, and a Shared Google Doc for recording Volunteer Hours.