National Association for Interpretation Young Professionals Council Organizational Charter

Date initially drafted and approved: February 28, 2022

PREAMBLE

The Young Professional Council (YPC) supports the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) core values around justice, equity, diversity, access, and inclusion. YPC strives to engage a younger audience and increase diversity in order to address the reality that the United States’ growing, diverse population is underrepresented in many professional associations. The council consists of a diverse group of young leaders working to address barriers to employment, create a more inclusive narrative of people in the interpretive profession and contribute advice to the organization on programs and policies designed to encourage membership, advocacy, and leadership from a younger and more culturally diverse population than our current demographic.

ARTICLE I – MISSION and PURPOSE

Section 1 – Mission:

To support the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) in engaging a younger and more inclusive audience in fulfillment of NAI’s mission to inspir[e] leadership and excellence to advance heritage interpretation as a profession.

Section 2 – Purpose:

The Young Professionals Council (“YPC” or “the Council”) will work toward its mission by supporting NAI in:

Communicating effectively about the relevancy of the NAI to a broader audience.
Advocating for the profession with new and diverse audiences.
Forging new partnerships with youth and multicultural organizations; and
Support innovative projects to support the Interpretive Profession.

Section 3 – Key Roles:

The Council has four key roles:

Advise the NAI and affiliated organizations on strategic questions that relate to YPC’s mission and purpose.
Connect the NAI membership to a broader network of people, ideas, and resources.
Support projects that further NAI’s mission and purpose.
Models a ladder of engagement to professional opportunities within the NAI & beyond.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 – Eligibility:

YPC membership is open to any individual between the ages of 18 and 35 that supports Article I of this Charter. Each member must be between the ages of 18 and 35 when their first term begins. Membership in the National Association for Interpretation is required.

Section 2 – Council Composition:

YPC will be a group of young individuals who contribute a variety of backgrounds and experiences to the Council. Specifically, the Council shall strive to have representation from/with:
- All regions of the United States and beyond.
- Urban, suburban, and rural communities.
- A range of skill sets and experiences; and
- A variety of ages between the ages of 18 and 35
YPC members should be a diverse group in aspects including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, religion, sex, political affiliation, and gender identity.
The composition of the Council will reflect the needs of the broader goals of NAI.
There shall be a NAI Staff Liaison, a National Board of Directors and an Advisory Council member serving as ex officio members of the council<

Section 3 – Membership Vacancy

If a Council member steps down before their term has expired, the vacancy shall be filled along with the next group of incoming members.

Section 4 – Membership Selection Process

Individuals seeking membership to Council shall complete the application available at the NAI website.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and membership offers are made every year, before the YPC annual meeting.

Initially the YPC shall be selected by a selection task force established by the President of the Association. This task force shall be composed of representatives from the National Board of Directors, Advisory Council and Members at large. This selection task force will make recommendations to the board of directors at the Fall 2022 National Conference.

In subsequent years, the YPC will create a formal selection and election of officers to make this a self-perpetuating community of the Association. The National Board of Directors will approve the selection and election process with refinements of the process being reviewed and approved as necessary.

Section 5 – Accountability

If a YPC member fails to communicate with other members and leadership, or engage in the Council’s meetings and activities, the leadership will contact the non-participating member and discuss the situation. The leadership and the non-participatory member will decide based on the circumstances to remedy the situation. Membership may be terminated due to lack of participation. Participation is outlined as the following:

Attendance at the Annual Meeting.
Presence in all full-council calls and meetings.
Involvement in at least one project or task force identified by the Council.
Collaborating in at least two requested tasks and projects, or one committee, identified by Council per year.
YPC members are encouraged to attend their Regional and Section community meetings but not required.

ARTICLE III – COUNCIL STRUCTURE

Section 1 –Structure:

YPC should consist of a total of 8-10 members. Expansion of the council membership is possible but will need approval by the National Board of Directors

There are three elected YPC leadership positions: Two Co-Chairs, and one Secretary

All member votes, regardless of elected position, shall carry equal weight.

Section 2 – Service Terms

YPC Member: Terms begin at the beginning of each Calendar Year.

A standard term is three years. However, initially there will be some one year and two-year terms to ensure future councils are not all terming out at the same time. YPC Members opting to serve less than their agreed-to term must give appropriate notice to the NAI President and Staff Liaison.

Members are expected to serve for one (three-year) term, but a member may choose to serve up to one additional term at their discretion, for a total of two terms (six years). Members may continue to serve on the Council regardless of exceeding the age limit. Members wishing to serve additional terms must notify the NAI staff and leadership prior to the annual member selection process

If a member of the Council becomes employed by NAI, that member may continue to serve on the council but must step down, at the latest, immediately prior to the next annual meeting. Employment refers to permanent employment* and does not include seasonal positions or interns. What constitutes employment can be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Terms must be consecutive. If a member wishes to rejoin after they leave the YPC, they must re-apply, and will be subject to the same criteria as all other new applicants.

Leadership: The term of a YPC Leadership Position (Co Chairs, Secretary) will be from annual meeting to annual meeting. Members may hold consecutive leadership positions.

Section 3 – Leadership Roles

There are three leadership roles in the YPC. The two Co- Chairs will work together with the NAI Staff Liaison to set agendas. In addition to the three leadership roles, a rotating member of the YPC will act as Facilitator for meetings and be involved in the agenda planning call.

Co-Chair, Internal Relations: This co-chair leads the operations of YPC. In addition to working with the Co-Chair, Secretary, and NAI Leadership and staff, the Co-Chair, Internal Relations is responsible for:

Scheduling and attending YPC meetings
Creating meeting agendas, informed by the Council and NAI needs
Scheduling Council leadership meetings prior to full YPC meetings
Email communication to council members that relates to council operations, meetings, surveys, and task forces
Coordinating with the Staff Liaison to send out Zoom and calendar links
Reminders to council members to record their volunteer hours
Keeping track of who the Facilitator will be for the call
Supporting the Co-Chair, External Engagement and Secretary
Serving as a member of the NAI Advisory Council representing the YPC. Shares one vote with the Co-Chair, External Engagement

Co-Chair, External Engagement: This co-chair leads the engagement of the YPC between Council members with specific interests/skills and NAI programs/staff. In addition to working with the Co-Chair, Secretary, and NAI Leadership and staff, the Co-Chair, External Relations is responsible for:

Communication related to the NAI Board and Advisory Council
Attending meetings with the Staff Liaison, National Board and Advisory Council projects
Communicating and coordinating requests that staff have for the council
Coordinating task forces that arise from NAI projects
Supporting the Co-Chair, Internal Relations and Secretary
Collaborating with Staff Liaison to share job postings from NAI and outside organizations
Attending YPC meetings
Supporting and organizing YPC members who are part of committees and doing external work within NAI on a rotating basis
Serving as a member of the NAI Advisory Council representing the YPC.
Shares one vote with the Co-Chair, Internal Relations

Secretary:

Recording and keeping meeting minutes (using NAI file organization and storage)
Creating, tracking, and archiving the discussions and work of the Council
Updating Council member contact information records, as applicable
With Co-Chair, Internal Affairs, set up recurring meetings and meeting links
Supervising ongoing/requested NAI projects with Co-Chair, External Engagement
Supporting co-chairs
Attending Advisory Council Meeting if one or both co-chairs are unavailable to attend
Liaising between YPC and NAI staff

Facilitator: There will be a rotating member of YPC serving as the Facilitator for meetings. This rotating role provides an opportunity for Council members to experience meeting management within the Council. The Facilitator will join the agenda planning meeting before the council meeting. They will facilitate meetings and phone calls to keep the group on track with the agenda.

They will also:

Monitor the conversation ensuring all voices are heard
Guide conversation back to community agreements if discussion driven off track
Guide discussion back to the agenda

Section 4 – Leadership Elections

Qualifications: Any active NAI Member 35 or under may run for any of the leadership positions. They shall be members of the YPC as well

Vacancies: In the event of a vacancy of an elected position, the remaining elected individuals or a volunteer will coordinate the election. A NAI member may nominate themselves or another qualified member to fill the position. Upon a majority vote of quorum , a vacancy will be filled for the remainder of their predecessor’s unexpired term.

Election Process: Elections will aspire to be conducted in the manner outlined below. Leadership positions start and end at the calendar year, and terms are for one year. Any NAI YPC member may nominate themselves or another member to fill a vacant position. NAI must meet quorum to vote. An individual who receives a simple majority of votes will be elected.

3 months until end of the year : Current leadership announces if any one person will be stepping down from their position. Leadership position descriptions are sent to council and nominations for leadership positions solicited.
- Leadership positions will still be up for a vote even if the current people in leadership roles are not stepping down. Council members can nominate other individuals for roles regardless of if a member of leadership is stepping down. A vote of confidence will be utilized for leadership not stepping down if no other members are nominated.
  - If the vote of confidence does not come back in favor of leadership, nominations for new leadership will be re-solicited. If still no nominations are selected, then leadership will continue as is for another term.
2 months until end of calendar year: Nominations are due. Nominees are notified and given the option to accept or reject.
- Nominees will not participate in running elections to avoid any conflict of interest.
- Elections will be coordinated by the Staff Liaison to the council
1 month prior to the end of the year: Nominees do one last pitch and private electronic votes are due from the council.
Three weeks before end of the year: Leadership is announced, and old and new leadership overlap and meet to share knowledge.
- Outgoing leadership provides succession document outlining roles and projects
- At the beginning of each calendar year new leadership is given “leadership orientation” where they are introduced to select NAI staff and elected NAI leadership and provided training materials related to leadership with their terms beginning with the new year

Section 5 – Quorum

Quorum for all votes, unless otherwise specified, is met by one half of current Council members plus one.

Section 6 – Voting, Decision-Making

Each member, regardless of elected position, has one vote to cast. Voting is reserved for elections and Charter amendments only, unless Council determines an issue should be voted on. Votes may be cast in absentia by e- mail, phone, or other means.

Young Professional Council Responsibilities

Section 1 – Regular Meetings

The entire Young Professional Council shall hold at least six meetings per year, at two-month intervals. Regular meetings shall be conducted via conference call, videoconference, or any other means that enables all members to participate. The meeting schedule will be recommended collectively by the Leadership but will be agreed upon by the majority of the Council. Other meetings will be held as
needed to accomplish our goals.

Section 2 – Annual Summit

YPC shall hold an annual, in-person meeting for all members. This meeting shall be at a time that is conducive for the majority of the group but if possible in conjunction with the National Board of Directors.

Section 3 – Special Meetings

YPC may call together and hold special meetings as needed to further and accomplish the Articles of this Charter.

Section 4 – NAI Immersion

NAI members are encouraged to attend Community workshops and events as well as National NAI events.

AMENDMENTS

Section 1 – Amendment Procedure

This Charter and organizational structure may be amended.

To amend this Charter, two-thirds of current YPC members must vote in favor of general amendment All amendments shall include a date of efficacy. Final approval for amendments is the responsibility of the National Board of Directors.