Before nominating, or being nominated, for a position on a committee of a club or association it is important that you have prepared yourself for the role and have an understanding of the requirements and responsibilities.

The Australian Womensport & Recreation Association (AWRA) and Axelis want to encourage the active participation of women in the administration of sport and recreation organisations. Committees and boards need members/directors who, as well as being appropriately knowledgeable, can bring some balance in gender representation and gender considerations to the board table

This Speedlearn will provide a basic understanding of the issues, considerations and the particular personal skills development and qualities that are useful for a someone seeking an introductory position on a local or regional Not for Profit (NFP) sport or recreation Board (committee).

The key components of preparing to undertake a Board role include:

• Understanding the roles and responsibilities you assume as a Board member;
• Identifying your own strengths and weaknesses and how to deal with these in seeking a Board position;
• Understanding the importance of a CV and resume and what they should contain; and
• Impact of gender issues on boards and gaining Board positions.

Everyone has their own unique needs, circumstances and preferences. Accordingly, SpeedLearns have been designed to be flexible so they can be used in various ways. Consider the following suggestions and use the one that best fits your particular needs:

• For immediate access to useful workplace-relevant tools such as templates and exemplars, go straight to them via the Useful Tools menu items found on the left;
• If you need information only about main topics, use the contents menu found above left; or
• If you need to learn as much as you can about this topic, read through the product from start to finish. To navigate through this product simply click on the relevant content items which appear in red in numbered order under the Main Topics item found in the upper left corner.

In addition, make sure that you check the definitions provided in the glossary. We will use a standard terminology to avoid confusion and you need to be clear about the meanings of particular terms to get the most out of this Speedlearn.

If you require more information regarding Board preparedness, check out these related SpeedLearns:

• Understanding Governance;
• How to Establish the Health of your Organisation;
• About Financial Management.

Visit our eShop catalogue for details.