Bowls Victoria Board nominations now open

by Team BV

Each year Bowls Victoria (BV) seeks nominations for two female and two male elected Director positions for a two-year term to join the BV Board as per the BV constitution.

Directors must act in the best interests of BV and its members and must use their best efforts to ensure BV is properly governed and to seek ongoing improvement.  Their role is to assist with governing the sport, complementing the professional staff at Bowls Victoria.

In line with modern governance, the Bowls Victoria Board have introduced a Nominations Committee whose role is to give advice to the BV Board with regard to succession planning for Board positions and sub-committee positions.  The Board sub-committees are:

• Governance
• Finance, Audit, Investment, Review
• CEO Performance
• Nominations

The Nominations Committee have stated that alongside the information below, applicants with strong experience in the following are highly desired to complement the skill set of the current BV Board:

• Governance (at high level NFP or corporate bodies)
• Government Advocacy (the ability to open doors to government and other stakeholders)
• PR/Marketing (experience in either or both fields)

The principal role of the BV Board is to:

• Oversee, approve and monitor strategy;
• Oversee the implementation of the Business Plan including the Annual Budget;
• Appoint the Chief Executive Officer and evaluate his or her performance;
• Provide guardianship of corporate values;
• Monitor the integrity of financial reporting;
• Oversee risk management and legal compliance; and
• Oversee stakeholder communications.

What are the requirements?

• Nominees for a Director position must be a member of a BV member Club.
• Nominees should be aware of the time commitment involved: the Board meets a mixture of online and face-to-face eight times each year.  Board committees (on which Directors may be required to sit or attend meetings) also meet several times a year as required (generally online).
• In addition to Board meetings, Directors may be asked to make occasional trips in support of the association’s strategy by attending bowls and non-bowls events throughout the State.  Reasonable travel and accommodation expenses incurred are reimbursed at cost.
• This is a voluntary role without remuneration.
• Nominees will be subject to a Police Check

Further Information:

Nominees should familiarise themselves with the following:

• BV Constitution
• BV Regulations
• BV Nominations Committee composition and ToR
• BV Strategic Plan 2018-2022
• BV Board Charter

Desired Attributes of a Director:

A Director should:

• Demonstrate integrity by putting BV’s interests before personal interests and should at all times act ethically;
• Have curiosity and courage to ask questions and persist in asking or challenging management and fellow Directors where necessary;
• Demonstrate advanced interpersonal skills by working well in a group, listening well and respectfully communicating their point of view;
• Demonstrate good business instincts and acumen and an ability to get to the crux of an issue quickly; and
• Able be an active contributor with adequate time to devote to the association’s affairs, read Board papers and actively contribute during meetings.

How to Apply:

• Nominees must complete the nomination form with an introduction and career statement and attach their CV (no more than 4 pages).
• Nomination Forms are to be signed by members representing two (2) different Clubs affiliated with BV and supported by written consent of the person being nominated.
• Nominations must be submitted via email to tonys@bowlsvic.org.au and must be received no later than 4.30pm, Monday 23 August 2021. Late nominations will NOT be accepted.

Election Process:

If the number of nominations received exceeds the number of vacancies, an election must be held.  First, the BV Nominations Committee will review nominees and assess whether they are suitable for the current needs of the Board and to ensure the appropriate mix of Directors skills are on offer.  Once the Nominations Committee approves candidates for election, members (clubs) can vote for their preferred candidate as per the online election.

The proposed timetable for the conduct of the election is as follows:

• Nomination Forms distributed to Clubs – Wednesday, 28 July 2021
• Nominations close – 4.30pm Monday 23 August 2021
• BV Nominations Committee meets to review nominees and determine candidate pool by Friday 27 August 2021
• Voting papers issued to Clubs – Monday, 6 September 2021
• Voting closes – 4.30pm Friday, 8 October 2021
• Declaration of election results – Thursday, 23 September 2021
• Annual General Meeting – Thursday, 28 October 2021.

Please contact Bowls Victoria on 03 9861 7100 if you have any queries regarding the role of a Director at Bowls Victoria.