How We Do Things Around Here…

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

 

 

 

In the summer of 2005, a team of 8-10 volunteers began meeting every two weeks in an effort to develop a structure that could work to support our then fledgling home school organization over the long term.   That work has been continued over the past three years by a group of volunteers whose names have changed, but not their goals.

 

 

 

 

As the volunteers in 2005 began to work toward building a support group that would last over time, each proposal for structure, membership and leadership was presented in proposal form to the members and accepted by the organization prior to being adopted.

 

 

 

 

Since 2005, that process has been enhanced and additional avenues for gathering membership input have been added as the LAF membership has grown from 20 families in 2005 to nearly 90 families in 2008. This information represents the culmination of several years of proposals to the organization, input from the organization and adoption by the organization of the processes we currently use to support LAF.

 

 

 

 

Decision Making

 

 

 

 

In order for the LAF membership to understand organization issues and to have methods for voicing their opinions, the Leadership Team will:

 

 

 

 

·        Post the agenda items for each Leadership Team meeting

 

 

·        Ask for feedback on the items to be considered

 

 

·        Offer time on the agenda to members who want to offer suggestions or other ideas

 

 

·        Post the decisions on the major agenda items as proposals.  These are included in the meeting summaries as well as in the mini-minutes, both of which are posted to the Yahoo! loop

 

 

·        Wait for two weeks prior to acting upon any proposals under consideration

 

 

 

 

If there are other suggestions or discussion on the planned actions of the team, the team will:

 

 

·        Solicit further information using the poll feature on the Yahoo! loop

 

 

o       Create the poll

 

 

o       Announce the poll and the reason for it on the general loop

 

 

o       Run the poll

 

 

o       Take the information from the poll and post the results to the general loop

 

 

o       Take action based on the information gathered

 

 

 

 

To keep in touch with what the membership wants for the organization, the team will:

 

 

 

 

·        Continue distributing a yearly poll to gather information about how LAF uses it resources, what classes or activities might be planned for the coming year and to find out why members who are not returning have made that decision

 

 

·        Hold quarterly sessions of LAF Out Loud, which is another opportunity for LAF members to voice their opinions on issues facing the organization.  This informal gathering is held at Park Days throughout the year

 

 

 

 

Communication

 

 

 

 

In an effort to inform, report and provide an accounting to the membership, the team will:

 

 

 

 

·        Create and mail LAF Lines, a quarterly newsletter that contains information about the group’s events and activities

 

 

·        Maintain a LAF Post Office Box and a LAF Bank Account in the organization’s name

 

 

·        Post the Annual Budget for the organization, as well as, monthly reports on income and expenditures

 

 

 

 

Leadership

 

 

 

 

LAF members believe that a visible and empowered leadership is required in order for LAF to accommodate growth, resolve issues and provide important focal points for members when questions, suggestions or issues arise.

 

 

 

 

LAF members believe that there is an imperative requirement that everyone in LAF has a clear understanding of how decisions are made and who will make them.

 

 

 

 

LAF members agree that the LAF membership should be responsible for input on and approval of major decisions.  They also realize that there are hundreds of small decisions that go into daily activities that cannot be voted on by everyone, and therefore, that a level of empowerment is given to the Leadership Team. 

 

 

 

 

Leadership Team members serve for a two year period.  No more than three new team members are added in one school-year period in order to provide for continuity of the team’s roles and responsibilities.  New team members may be sought out by the team or LAF members may volunteer to be considered for the Leadership Team.  The Leadership Team will make the final recommendations to the membership on new team members.

 

 

 

 

The new Leadership Team members are ratified each year by the LAF membership at the Annual Members’ Meeting in May.

 

 

 

 

Membership

 

 

 

 

Learning Adventures of Fort Bend is a group that was formed to support families who are home schooling their children.  LAF activities are designed for children from pre-school through the completion of high school.  Membership in LAF is open to all families who have children in these age groups who are actively involved in a home school program.

 

 

 

 

The LAF Organization requires new members to present their membership forms in person. 

 

 

 

 

New member sign up is available at each Park Day, (held on the first, third and fifth Tuesdays of each month).  A LAF Leadership Team member is designated to accept new member registration forms and to hand out new member Welcome Packets.

 

 

 

 

 

LAF annual dues are $20, due with registration each fall.

 

 

 

 

LAF memberships need to be renewed each year. Returning members can access the registration form online on the LAF Yahoo! site and need only fill in changed or added information and mail their checks to the LAF P.O. Box.

 

 

 

 

Additionally, LAF provides a desk for registration at our Not Back to School Park Day event each year.  Members can also join throughout the year.  Annual dues are not pro-rated.

 

 

 

 

LAF provides many opportunities for each member to contribute…no matter how small the contribution.  The organization is a cooperative group where members share their time and talents to offer activities for others and every offer to help is important.

 

 

 

 

There is approval from the LAF membership to facilitate a LAF Alumni Group by providing a place on the Yahoo! site for an Alumni Loop. This would be an autonomous group made up of previous LAF families whose children have completed their home school educations. 

 

 

 

 

Problem Resolution

 

 

 

 

Parents or guardians are responsible for the safety and behavior of their children at all times. When conflicts arise, parents are expected to work out any issues they may have directly with each other.  Only when attempts to resolve issues directly have failed, should the Leadership Team be called upon for resolution.

 

 

 

 

Learning Adventures of Fort Bend reserves the right to deny or terminate membership in the organization at anytime without notice or explanation.