A Message From Your FCSLA Board of Directors

A message from your board of directors: Questions and Answers pertaining to the governance topic to be discussed at special convention.

In October 2010, the delegates to the national convention of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association will be asked to vote on a change to the association's bylaws that will modify the way the national president, national treasurer, national secretary and editor are chosen for these positions. Because this change is so important to the future of our association, we've put together the following answers to questions you may have.

1. How is this different from what we do now?

Currently, delegates to our national convention vote for the board members and the top management at First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association. Those individuals – our national president, national treasurer, national secretary and editor – they serve paid, four-year terms, manage the association's day-to-day activities and oversee the staff at FCSLA headquarters.

With the proposed change, delegates to the national convention will vote for the members of the board of FCSLA. The board will then hire the national president. Once hired, that person will have the authority to hire the national secretary, national treasurer and editor with the approval of the board. This approach is similar to the way most non-profits operate these days: the top paid officer of the organization reports directly to the board, and the other officers of the association report to the president. The board sets the vision and goals for the organization, and the top management carries out the vision and undertakes various activities to meet the organization's goals.

2. Why is this change needed?

With this approach, there is more accountability for meeting the association's organizational objectives. The board has the authority to dismiss a president who is not performing well. This approach also gives the association more continuity. With the current approach, FCSLA potentially could have an entirely new management team every four years. That could be very disruptive to day-to-day operations. The current approach also discourages some well-qualified candidates from applying for the job because they face the possibility of relocating for the position and then being without employment four years later if they lose the election at the national convention.

But most importantly, the regulatory authorities who oversee our business are urging that we change the way we select our management team. In fact, the Ohio Department of Insurance has characterized the way we currently select our officers (our national president, treasurer, and secretary) as potentially risky to our members, because the possibility exists that someone with virtually no experience or qualifications could be elected to our most important management positions.

3. Who else does it this way?

Many fraternal benefits organizations like FCSLA have moved in this direction and select their top management team this way. Our national trade association – the National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) – is strongly in favor of this approach.

4. Won't this cost more than what we're doing now?

We don't expect it to increase costs by any significant amount. Currently, our top officers are paid salaries that are considered fair and competitive for the duties of their position and for the local economy. Those costs amount to only about two-tenths of one percent of FCSLA's total assets. There would be no reason to adjust those salary levels by any significant degree. There may be some additional costs to find and interview qualified candidates, but those should be minimal and well-worth the value they'll provide in terms of helping the board find the best person for this critical job.

5. If this change won't take effect for more than a year, why are we voting on it now?

By doing this now, we'll be able to have the new process in place for the October 2011 convention. The new board will be elected at that time. Their term of office will begin January 1, 2012.

6. How will this change affect me as a certificate holder?

Certificate holders should expect to see no changes in the way FCSLA operates on a day-to-day basis. If anything, you can rest easier knowing that every effort has been made to find the best individuals to run our organization and safeguard our assets.

7. What will the role of board members be under this system?

Under this system, the board will set goals and the direction for our society. The board will hire the new president and the president will report directly to the board. His or her job performance will be under the scrutiny of the board.

8. How else will the board change?

Under the system, only the new national president will be a member of the board with voting rights after one year. The national secretary, national treasurer and editor will not be members of the board. They will, however, most likely have regular contact with the board on many matters. The board will be expanded to l5 members (one of which will be the national chaplain), so there will be more seats for the delegates to the national convention to fill. We also expect the board to name several committees.

9. How will board members be selected?

Any delegate to the national convention can run for office as a member of the board of directors. All candidates will need to obtain a form from FCSLA headquarters, submit that form with a resume to the president at least 60 days before the national convention and pay a registration fee of $50. A slate of candidates will be presented at the convention and voted on by all the delegates.

10. How will new management team members be found and selected?

The board will conduct a broad search for candidates that meet the requirements of the position of national president. The position will be advertised within FCSLA, and possibly, with the help of a search firm. The board likely will interview a number of candidates for the president's position and will select the successful candidate based on those interviews, references and work record. The president will use the same process to seek candidates for the positions of national secretary, treasurer and editor.

11. Will current officers be considered for these new positions?

Yes, if they wish to apply.

12. When can someone apply for the open management positions and the editor's position?

The term of office of the next board of directors begins 1/1/12. It is expected that the search for a president will be a top priority. The other positions will be open for applications when the president's position is filled.

13. What will the requirements be for these management positions?

All of these positions have a written job description. The requirements will most likely be similar to the duties carried out by the individuals in those positions right now.

14. Who will fill the management positions between October 2010 and January 1, 2012?

Our current management team will remain in place until the end of their term.

15. Does this mean all of the current management team will be gone on January 1, 2012?

The transition will probably take place over several months, with the new president assuming office first, followed by the rest of the management team. Since it will take some time to fill all of these positions, we expect there will be a period when we have some current officers in place, and some new officers.

16. Does this system change the responsibilities of our delegates?

This system increases the responsibilities of our delegates. Since the members of the board of directors select the President and approve the other managing officers, their positions are the most important in the society. The delegates have the awesome responsibility of selecting qualified people for the board of director seats.