Board Training Event (BTE) is open to all camp personnel with a special focus on Board Members. Seeking a great way to get some basic information about non-profit camp and conference center board management? BTE is for camp professionals and board members who want to more more about being responsible managers in the non-profit world of Outdoor Ministries. Faculty will bring years of OM experience and professional consulting to the table. If this sounds great, then we invite you to join us for the Board Training Event (BTE)!! It will have a concentration on Board function and role as well as strategic visioning.
Purpose of Event
To provide organizational leaders (board members) with an intensive learning experience in core areas of outdoor ministry administration, legal and financial responsibilities, organizational visioning and a clearer understanding of a board member’s role within an outdoor ministry organization.
Goals of Event
Participants will:
- Gain a basic understanding of the core areas related to outdoor ministry governance.
- Be challenged to think about board member roles and how the organization can impact telling the greatest story ever told.
- Develop action plans for your ministry related to course content.
- Experience fellowship and support while building a network of board members through intentional small group community.
Target Audience
Individuals who have interest in governance of outdoor ministry organizations and are seeking new ideas to strengthen their boards and ministries.
Board Training Event Curriculum
(The number in parenthesis is class length)
Basics of Being on a Board (1.5)
- Orienting/training board members
- Recruiting board members
Board function (3.0)
- Board-staff relations
- Defining staff and board member roles
- Staff relationship with other staff
- Board speaks to executive with one voice
- Duality of roles of executive and board
- Board meeting design and roles
- Working with consultants (who are they; why use them; advantages; when to use consultants and when to use staff members; value versus cost – using professionals; possible consultants usage: human resources, IT, financial development, strategic planning, marketing, board development, site planning, consultation/design teams, task teams)
- Achieving diversity (importance of being diverse begins with leadership, decisions made and modeled; anti-racism training; being intentional about recruiting people of color and those whose primary language is other than English; strategies for diversity; awareness of cultural traditions, obstacles; role models)
- Hiring executive (professionalism – diverse areas of knowledge needed; don’t settle for the local pastor or board chair; pros and cons of rostered leaders; resources – Board Source, LOM network, ACA network, etc.; secession planning, exit interviews)
- Leading a meeting, agenda planning, job descriptions
- Crisis Management [how to be prepared (media, policy, crisis plan – sample to share), what is the board’s role, staff role, when it happens, then what?)
Mission/Goals/Philosophy (3.0)
- Outdoor Ministry Philosophy
- Organizational vision
- What are mission, vision, goals
- How to develop mission, vision, goals
- Reviewing mission statement on a regular basis
- How you use your mission to guide your program
- Strategic planning (looking to the future, taking the vision and putting it into a plan, importance of strategic planning, how to do it, board’s role, executive’s role, what is a strategic plan, what is a master plan versus strategic plan)
Fiduciary Responsibilities and Legal Obligations (3.0)
- Board’s responsibility in financial development
- Financial reporting
- Audits
- Financial controls
- Endowment policies
- Gift acceptance policies
- Insurance needs if the organization
- Officer’s and director’s insurance
- Legal counsel
Lutheran Theology (1.5)
- Core Lutheran beliefs and doctrinal cornerstones (including: justification by grace through faith, the distinction between law and gospel, vocation – faith in daily life, organizational leader as the spiritual guide, Lutheran theology as the foundation for all of our programs and practices)
Diversity (1.0)
- Define
- Move beyond racial and cultural diversity to be inclusive of all people
- Evaluate how diversity is valued in your organization – hiring practices, user populations
Lutheran Outdoor Ministry and Partnerships (.75)
- Overview of Outdoor Ministries (LOM, partnership with congregations, synods, regions)
- Partnerships and alliances (higher education, seminaries, ecumenical partners, fraternal organizations
Financial Assistance Information: There is a limited amount of money available from Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM) to reduce the registration fee for LOM members in need. The fee reductions vary in amount. Outdoor ministry organizations or individuals will be required to pay part of the registration fee. If you are interested in financial assistance, please review the Application Form.
Criteria for Financial Assistance: To qualify, applicants must be an LOM Member in good standing and the individual or organization must be in financial need. Recipients may only receive one financial assistance per year. Recipients may only receive financial assistance for first time attendance to event. **NOTE: If you will be applying for financial assistance, you will still register for the event and pay the entire registration fee. If you receive financial assistance, you will be refunded that amount following the event.