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Co-operative Director's Handbook

In 2001, CDS published the Co-operative's Director's Handbook for participants of director training workshops conducted by CDS. The 60 page handbook gives co-operative directors an overview of their duties and responsibilities, and outlines strategies to reduce their liabilities and improve the performance of the board.

Author Tony Gill has broad experience as a co-operative director, having been a director on the board of 15 co-operatives since 1981.

Table of Contents

Part 1  Directors - duties, responsibilities and liabilities

  • What is a co-operative?
  • Legal status of a co-operative
  • Board vs members
  • Directors
  • Directors duties
  • Directors liabilities
  • Statutory responsibilities
  • Restrictions on directors & officers
  • Preventing fraud
  • Protecting directors
  • Managing risk
  • Members
  • Ceasing membership
  • Contracts
  • Disclosure statements
  • Records
  • Registers

Part 2   Managing the co-operative

  • Co-operative management
  • Board vs management
  • Corporate governance
  • Financial management
  • Avoiding the liquidator
  • Board cycle of activities
  • Role of the chairperson
  • Role of the secretary
  • Committees of the board
  • Independent directors
  • Improving board performance
  • Planning
  • What is policy?
  • Policy guidelines
  • Sample policy topics
  • Policies and procedures manual

Appendices

  • Co-operative principles
  • Cardinal stakeholder group - company vs co-operative
  • Hierarchy of objectives - company vs co-operative
  • Guidelines on making co-operation work
  • Sample position description of a director
  • Sample position description of chairperson
  • Sample committee delegation form
  • Meetings
  • Dispute resolution
  • References
  • Selected articles from National Co-op Update.

"Helping people and their communities help themselves"