Quoting: DavidBooth7
Quoting: DavidBooth7
Seems like from the responses received, we'll have the following events occur on these days
August 12th: deadline to announce you are running for BOG
August 13th - ?: BOG elections
August 21st: second wave of FA begins
BOG has passed this, but we'll wait one day before making it official, in the event anyone else has any problems with this
If anyone has any issues with this, please post so in reply to this comment
I feel like we need a BOG Charter or Mission Statement of sorts. The BOG has a number of responsibilities and is not intended to be a status symbol.
It's work. For the good of the game and on behalf of the other GM's.
The people who have the time and level of commitment necessary, are taking it upon themselves to put in the effort that more casual GM's can't afford to spend.
This involves checking rules and working them into our game, making decisions on issues, and the processing/planning of rules/methods to incorporate the various game elements.
Other parts of the job involve hosting discussion, hearing feedback, communication, aiding GM's in understanding and implementing procedures, disciplinary action, etc.
In order to take on all of those tasks, an above average commitment, the ability to communicate effectively, researching/fact checking, and awareness of the rules in place are paramount.
If not every member possesses those requirements, there should at least exist a balance, but the time available to commit to the job and having someone who can communicate effectively, are the most important factors. It isn't easy to keep everyone on the same page with time delayed communication. Being concise and able to respond promptly go a long way toward closing those time gaps.
1. GM Representation: It is the duty of the BOG to represent all 31 GM's. Primarily for voting purposes, as expecting all 31 GM's to vote on every issue is both impractical and time consuming.
However, the BOG should also be able to separate their personal opinions and goals from those of the GM's they represent. The BOG still gets their input as individual GM's, but final decisions should be made with the majority of the league's remaining GM's in mind. If you don't believe your input is in line with the wishes of the majority of GM's, it is your duty to act accordingly. That might mean your vote has to go against your own opinions. If feedback or popular opinion is overwhelmingly in opposition to your own input, you have to be able to accept that.
2. League Representation: It is the duty of the BOG to represent the best interests of the league. At times, this will be directly against GM Representation. That is fine, as long as you are able to remain objective. Sometimes, what the majority of the GM's want, may not necessarily be in line with the rules or the best interests of the game. In such cases, it is your job to explain your position to the other GM's and work with them to take suitable action if you are unable to convince the majority of the validity of your stance. (Just because 16 GM's want a $90M salary cap, does not mean it should be implemented.) When in doubt, get as close to real life circumstances as possible and work from there. This also includes disciplinary action, penalties, GM replacements, etc..
The primary method to represent the league, is to work with public feedback in developing rules that cover these situations, so that there is a clear expectation and outlined consequences for failing to meet those expectations. In this way, you are representing GM's by giving them fair opportunity to control their own fate, while also representing the needs of the league.
If a GM is in line with the rules and expectations placed upon them, the BOG represents the GM. Even if they disagree with the GM.
If a GM is out of line or has failed to meet expectations, the BOG still has a responsibility to the GM, but the rules will take precedence.
If this is not possible with the current structure, the BOG represents the GM until the structure has been corrected.
3. Communication: Off-site communication has become an increasing trend and has been creating issues. While this is acceptable and voluntary for teams in the course of managing their teams, it is not an acceptable method of communication for league issues. It circumvents the responsibility of the bog to host discussion and hear feedback. All league-related discussion should take place within the forums.
4. Resolution: The majority of the issues should be resolved by the rules and proper communication, in addition to that which is outlined above. When this fails, precedence and fairness between teams should be considered, along with the general health of the league.
5. Voting: When required, passing of resolutions should be based on a nearly unanimous BOG vote. If the BOG is divided on a vote, chances are the other GM's will be as well. In those cases a public vote should be held to gauge the public's opinion and the BOG vote should be modified to reflect that, or the popular vote should take precedence. Voting is not just a chore, it is a serious responsibility. You are expected to vote in accordance with what you feel is in the best interest of the majority of the GM's and the league as a whole. If you are only voting to go along with another BOG member's choice, you are not doing your job. If the BOG are not critical of each other and willing to take a stance when required, they are not fulfilling their responsibilities. Do your own thinking, make a judgement based on feedback, and read into other GM's opinions before making a decision.
6. Activity: As a BOG member, you are expected to maintain a visible profile, engage in discussion, help with the implementation of procedures, debate and vote on issues, monitor for issues, and bring any important matters to attention. Simply managing your team and voting when required are not enough and/or engaging in activities outside of the forum, do not provide the necessary presence or confidence that you are indeed carrying out your duties to the satisfaction of the GM's you represent. BOG members may be assigned active roles within the group to have members specialized in certain areas, if their level of activity and profile are maintained and other BOG members are willing to shoulder certain responsibilities, but that does not excuse BOG members from active participation in issues, or their responsibilities to the GM's they represent.
7. Removal: Sometimes a BOG member will step down or need to be removed/replaced for a number of reasons. Negligence or inactivity primarily, but failing to live up to the expectations of the GM's you represent is just as important.
a) If a BOG member needs to step down, that is not an issue. It is a voluntary position and it isn't for everyone, or circumstances can change and make it unavoidable.
b) If a BOG member has been negligent, not active enough, or otherwise not fulfilling their duties, it is the prerogative and expectation that the remaining BOG acknowledge the issue and make efforts to correct it. Whether it be a warning or vote for removal, it is a BOG member's duty to make sure the BOG is fully operational and functioning as intended. This should always be picked up on and corrected by the BOG before it becomes a larger issue.
c) If a BOG member falls under b) and the BOG does not take the initiative to deal with the issue, or a BOG member is not meeting expectations according to the majority of GM's that they represent, they may be asked to step down. A nomination for removal, accompanied by at least 6 other GM's (7 GM's in total) should be sufficient to request a BOG member admit they have not been performing their role and voluntarily step down so a better suited member can be voted in.
If a BOG member does not wish to step down voluntarily at that point, the remaining BOG members must hold a vote for removal.
After the BOG vote for removal, if those GM's are still not satisfied, they may request a public vote with another 3 supporting GM's (10 GM's in total, with the number of BOG in favor of removal counting towards that total).
This should always be considered a last resort. The individual member or other BOG members should recognize and admit to there being an issue before it ever gets this far.
8. BOG Elections: When an election is held for the BOG, it will always be a new public vote conducted by the BOG. Past voting results are not a factor, neither is seniority. Those who wish to volunteer for consideration may do so. The BOG will give at least 48 hours before conducting a vote, and another 48 hours to allow GM's to place their votes. Activity, maturity, knowledge, communication, and reputation should all be considered by voters. BOG members have a number of responsibilities and expectations to fulfill and you will want someone in place who is able to carry out the role effectively so your job as a GM is made simpler and easier.
** Disclaimer: I wrote this stream of thought in intervals, so if anything is confusing or redundant, I apologize. It wasn't something I had planned out, just a bunch of stuff in my head. Nobody should take offense or be concerned about something based on what I wrote here. I'm only worried about meeting objectives and systematic elements.
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P.S. I'm going to be looking into some FA things as well, but I'll get to that at a later time.