Leadership and Conflict Policy
Leadership structure:
Board of Trustees
President, President Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Member at large, tasked with deciding on/approving activities, guiding the organization, hiring/firing staff should we ever be able to afford any, and managing finances in concert with the Executive Director.
Leadership motto:
You think herding cats is hard? Try herding unicorns!
Mediation Council:
Three to five well respected members, appointed by the Board in consultation with the Executive Director, who are tasked with mediating internal conflict.
Mediation Council guideline:
You're not supposed to win or lose arguments. You're supposed to reach a mutual understanding and agreement on a way forward together. Otherwise, everyone loses.
Executive Director:
Actual day to day management of The Unicorns membership, finances (in concert with the treasurer) and activities. We strongly encourage at least one volunteer assistant director.
Childcare Supervisor:
Tasked with providing childcare and/or supervising and organizing childcare volunteers.
Conflict policy:
In any community, there is conflict. It is essential to act with good will and assume others are as well until proven otherwise as judged by the Mediation Council or Executive Director/Board if no council is yet in place.
We expect our members to be considerate of each others' feelings and opinions even when they disagree, to listen actively and speak gently, and interact with a cooperative, non-confrontational attitude.
Members who persistently and/or unrepentantly fail to do so will be required to leave. We won't hold people to an impossible standard; passions sometimes run high, people sometimes fail at emotional self-regulation, miscommunication and misunderstandings happen, but it is essential to strive to correct for or make reparations when these things occur. If our community is not what you are looking for, we encourage you to seek elsewhere.
