Communication Matters

Communication Matters

CALL FOR TRUSTEES 2017

This year there will be 5 vacancieson the Board of Trustees. The Election and announcement ofelectedTrustees will take place at the Annual Meeting on Sunday 10 September 2017 at theUniversity of Leeds, during the Communication Matters National AAC Conference.

What does being a Trustee involve? Trustees have a very important role. They share the ultimate responsibility for governing Communication Matters and directing how it is managed and run. Communication Matters is the UK Chapter of ISAAC (International Society for AAC).

The Board of Trustees appoints a Chair (Co-Chairs), Deputy Chair and Treasurer –howeverallTrustees have a role to keep Communication Matters running and to enable it to carry out its range of activities.

The Board of Trustees meets at the University of Leeds four times a year in November, March, May and September (the day before the Annual Conference).These are usually two day meetings and so overnight accomodationcan be arranged for those living a long way from Leeds.

Trustees are expected to attend all the boardmeetings and also to represent Communication Matters at a small number of other meetings and events during the year. As well as these face-to-face meetings, Trusteescommunicate with each other frequently by email, phone & Skype– there’s a lot to do to keep Communication Matters running smoothly!

Communication Matters members who are considering standing as a Trustee should discuss this level of commitment with their line managers before seeking electionand are welcome to contact either of our Co-Chairs with any further questions. (Ruth: & Toby: )

For more information about the role of Trustees, visit
and also please readFurther information from the Co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees on the next page.

Skill Mix:Communication Matters needs Trustees with a range of skills who can help to develop it as an organisation and implement itsstrategic objectives. Particularly important to us this year are representative from Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Perhaps most important is commitment and enthusiasm and a capacity to give of your own time.

Am I eligible to be nominated as a Trustee?

YES! If you:

(a) want to help Communication Matters develop and to further its aims and objectives;
(b) are a fully paid-up Individual member of Communication Matters for 2017;

Note that it is not the role of a Trustee to represent the organisation for which they work or in which they have interests, so if you have CM Organisational, ISAAC Institutional or ISAAC Corporate membership, you are required to have or to take out an Individual membership in your own name (to check your membership category and number, please email or ring 0845 456 8211);

(c) have time to devote to Communication Matters work, to attend Trustees’ meetingsand to represent Communication Matters at other events.

Further important information from the Co-Chairs of Board of Trustees-please read!

The time has come again to request nominations for Trustees for the next term in the life of Communication Matters. This is a role which demands stamina, commitment and skill mixing but which can be very stimulating and enjoyable!

The Board is made up of 12 Trustees. Each year at least fourTrustees have to stand down. There are also places on the Board for up to threeco-opted Trustees who serve for up to a year.

Trustees are usually elected for a threeyear term of office; they can then stand for re-election on a further two occasions, this is a change from previous practice and is included in our updatedMemorandum and Articles of Association.

In September 2016 the Board of Trustees appointed Communication Matters’ first Co-Chairs. Sharing the work and responsibilities of this role has worked well but we would have achieved so much less without the ongoing support from all the Trustees.

This year four Trustees have reached the end of their first term of office – ZoëClarke, Vicky Healy, Amanda Hynan and Adam Waits. Thank you to them for all the work they have done for and on behalf of Communication Matters. We are delighted that they have all decided to stand for re-election.

We have a fifth vacancy on the board as Janet Scott has decided to step down at the end of her second year. We thank Janet for being a great support to us during our first year as Co-Chairs.

As a Board of Trustees we also have the option, after the Annual Meeting, of nominating up to 3 places for co-opted Trustees who serve for a year. This is often a good way for people to be introduced to the role of being a Trustee. Please feel free to contact the Co-Chairsif you would like to discuss any of these roles further.

The present Board of Trustees is as follows:

At the end of one Communication Matters year and the start of another it is important to remember that all the Trustees serve on a voluntary basis, we want to express ourgrateful thanks to everyone who has served on the Board this year.

Ruth McMorran & Toby Hewson,Co-Chairs of Communication Matters

How can I be nominated?

You need to use the form below to provide information (no more than 200 words) to be included on the ballot paper (e.g. your role/interests/activities, why you want to stand as a Trustee, what you could bring to the organisation).

You must be nominated and seconded by current paid-up members (any category) of Communication Matters.

You must sign the form by hand or with an imprint/stamp if you are able to do so.To be included in this year’s election, send the nomination form by post, fax or scan/email, to reach us by Friday 28th July 2017.

The Voting Process

Current paid-up members of Communication Matters will receive ballot papers to cast their vote either by:

• Post: enabling people not able to attend the Annual Meeting to vote, or
• In Person: ballot papers must be placed in the ballot box (at Storm Jameson reception,University of Leeds) before the Annual Meeting by 3.45pm on 10th September 2017 (i.e. before the start of the Annual Meeting at 4pm in the Riley Smith Theatre, University of Leeds).

2017 Nomination for Election
Communication Matters Board of Trustees

Name of nominated person: Enter name of nominated person

Membership No. of nominated person: Enter membership no. of nominated person

Name of proposer: Enter name of proposer Membership No. Enter membership no. of proposer

Name of seconder: Enter name of seconder Membership No. Enter membership no. of seconder

Information for inclusion on the ballot paper (no more than 200 words):

Enter information for inclusion on the ballot paper (no more than 200 words)

I agree to stand for election as a Trustee:

Signature of nominated person______Date: Enter today's date

Please post, fax or email the completed form to Communication Matters, to arrive by Friday 28th July2017:

Communication Matters (Trustee Nomination), Leeds Innovation Centre,
103 Clarendon Road, Leeds, LS2 9DF
Tel & Fax: 0845 456 8211 Email: