Nominations to and sitting on the MTANS Board of Directors: Everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask! The following is a brief and concise information brochure on the whys and wherefores of the MTANS Board of Directors. Any further information can be obtained from members of the Board or by reading the Constitution and Bylaws of MTANS.

Criteria for suitable candidates to the MTANS Board of Directors 1) Shall be an active member in good standing of MTANS for a minimum of 1 year 2) Shall have their MTANS account paid in full 3) Shall have an interest in the profession, locally, provincially and nationally. 4) Shall intend to serve in the best interest of the membership 5) Shall not be currently employed in an administrative position at a school of Massage Therapy or hold a teaching or supervisory position of ten hours or more. 6) Shall not be currently an employee/owner of a business which has direct financial or promotional benefit from the profession of massage therapy (i.e. massage supplies and/or massage education) 7) Shall not have a criminal record or have been disbarred from another professional association/college

How to be nominated as a candidate You can be nominated by another active member in which case you will be notified by the MTANS Office and asked if you accept or reject the or you can nominate yourself. In either case the following documentation is required. 1) A brief statement of the candidate’s qualifications. 2) The signature of 2 active members endorsing the candidate 3) The signature of the consenting member to stand for election In addition to the above criteria, existing Board members seeking re-election will need to submit a record of past attendance to Board events and, in their own words, summarize their involvement and value to the Board. Forms can be obtained from the MTANS Office.

Why nomination and not just appointment? The membership is the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors is the membership. That being said, the best interests of the membership are served by honest and fair elections to select a member who will represent the concerns of the . If there are no for positions, the Board of Directors has the constitutional right to appoint a member to fill the vacancy (Bylaws 26.1, 27.1). Nomination is the optimal practice to generate the best possible candidate as they are selected and elected from the membership as a whole.

Perks of the Job! Yes, there are a few perks that go with a position on the Board of Directors 1) every two hours directly involved in participation as a director equates to one CEU (MTANS Guidelines for Approved Professional Activities p. 3) 2) all directors shall be paid a final expense allowance of $200 at the successful completion of a full two year term( Bylaw 29.1) 3) looks impressive on a resume/CV 4) Ask not what you can do for your association…… (apologies to JFK). Participation and advancement of the profession is part of the ethical standards we all agree to uphold

And the job is…… At the AGM, elections are held to fill the expired terms of directors. Once elected to the Board of Directors, officer positions (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary) are determined by the Board of Directors at the first meeting following the AGM (Bylaw 25.2). There are at least 5 directors on the Board of Directors (at present there are 5). All directors must commit to a minimum of 3 hours a week to MTANS business and regularly attend Board of Directors meetings either in person or by teleconference. They are expected to be fully informed on organizational matters and to contribute to debate on issues and policy deliberations. All terms for the Board of Directors are two years in length unless otherwise noted. Directors may serve two consecutive terms but not in the same position, at which point they shall not be eligible to re-offer until 2 years has expired.

Title: Director Responsibilities and Duties: 1) To familiarize themselves with and uphold the MTANS Constitution and Bylaws, Code of Ethics, Rules and Regulations, Policies and Procedures and the proposed Massage Therapy Act of NS 2) Read past of the Board of Directors and general meetings and keep updated on present minutes, agendas, motions, directives, budgets, errors and omissions 3) Be familiar with the issues at hand and be able to contribute to and /or implement the Associations’ needs and goals in accordance with the bylaws and policies. 4) Assist in the development and maintenance of relations with the Board of Directors, MTAC, educational institutions, MTANS , association members and the general public. 5) Promote the purposes of MTANS, membership in MTANS, National Massage Therapy Awareness Week and encourage and recruit members to serve on committees and the Board 6) Speak on behalf of the Association if called upon 7) Keep all pertinent Association information updated and report on or account for decisions and actions implemented during their term in office 8) Be realistic and honest about their needs, commitments and restrictions 9) Must exercise due diligence, care, skill and prudence in carrying out the business of MTANS and act in good faith and in the best interests of the Association 10) Disclose any conflict of interest and the nature of that conflict in matters of consideration by the Board and, in doing so, remove themselves from any discussion and on said matter 11) Submit expenses claims, reports, evaluations and /or assigned directives in a timely fashion to the appropriate persons/groups in accordance with the MTANS policies and procedures 12) Approve and evaluate the annual budget proposal, year end reports, contracts with employees of MTANS, fund raising initiatives, public relations campaigns and any other administrative or planning documents 13) Attend monthly Board of Directors and biannual general meetings (AGM/SAGM) of the association - inform the secretary, in a timely manner, of any times and dates they will not be available. 14) Serve as liaison to a standing 15) Train someone for the position either before or after the end of their term 16) Respond within 48 hours to emails, phone calls or letters between members of the Board of Directors.

For responsibilities of the officers consult the Constitution and Bylaws.

All information can be made by contacting MTANS at (902) 429-2190 or by email at [email protected]

STEP UP and BE A PART OF THE TEAM!!!