About the Board of Directors
Bylaws
Posted in About the Board of DirectorsBylaws are the set of rules which regulate how an organization functions. In 2009, the members of the Syracuse Real Food Cooperative voted to accept bylaws that were redrafted by the Board of Directors. See them here.
Policy Governance
Posted in About the Board of DirectorsMany boards use the Policy Governance model as a powerful tool to structure governance. In brief, Policy Governance offers a way to clearly delegate authority to a single person, typically the cooperative’s general manager; and then to monitor the performance of the organization according to clearly articulated written policies.
Joyal; Cooperative Grocery Magazine, “A Board’s Duty”, September-October 2008.
Thane Joyal is a member of the Syracuse Real Food Co-op Board of Directors and Consultant with CDS Development Co-op as well as Contributor to Cooperative Grocer Magazine.
The Syracuse Real Food Co-op Board of Directors has created a Policy Register that sets the expectations for the General Manager. The Policy Register sets the expectation through an Ends Policy. Our Ends Policy states that the Syracuse Real Food Co-op is a “sustainable, thriving cooperative commerce in our local community centered on an excellent grocery store, built upon participation and ownership”. The Policy Register sets limits on how the General Manager may and may not go about meeting the ends policy.
Each month, the General Manager submits a monitoring report to the Board of Directors , and reports on one or more of the Policies (i.e. Financial Condition, staff relations, etc) . These reports are carefully reviewed and questioned by the Board. The Board then accepts the report or requires additional monitoring on a certain policy. The Board’s decision is recorded in the Board of Director Meeting Minutes.
