The Anatomy of AlterHéros
An Association likeAlterHéros is comparable to a village. Our members play the role of the village citizens who have the right to vote on everything that goes on within the association. The role that our members play in the AlterHéros mission is invaluable and essential for the survival of the association. As a citizen of a village contributes to their village by playing taxes, members of AlterHéros make their contribution by the expression and sharing of ideas, volunteering, and through projects that are born from the benevolence and ambitions of our members. A potential member could be a visitor to our site who develops an active interest in staying informed on the association, upcoming events, and the latest related news. A potential member could also be an individual who desires to involve themselves and to donate some of their time by becoming a volunteer. Additionally, a member can be someone who wishes to gain work experience, to meet new friends, and despite their daily schedule, to do something extra for the association and its cause by becoming an administrative volunteer.

The Board of Directors
The board of directors of a small association like AlterHéros, is simultaneously a team who makes decisions together and additionally who executes the ideas born from these decisions. As opposed to a larger enterprise or organisation that might distinguish between its administrative counsel – where strategies, visions, and plans are developed and defined – and its executive counsel – where these concepts and plans become concrete actions – the AC at AlterHéros is responsible for both of these sets of duties. While certain people might take a more « administrative » role, like the tresorer-secretary who oversees the associations finances and budget, other members may take on a more interactive role, like that of the director of interventions. Nevertheless, no matter what role an individual may take within the association, the strength of AlterHéros comes from its team as a whole. One of the wonderful benefits of a system like ours is the creation of mutual support between its members. Additionally, since AlterHéros is dominantly based on an internet site, our team can be widespread geographically without sacrificing efficient communication. Networking between members can be done by means of conference calling, the use of a shared intranet, communal mail boxes, as well as lists to disseminate tasks. This has enabled us to take on members from across Canada, Europe, and the United-States.

How do I become a director?
To become a member of our board, you must be motivated, have enough spare time, and believe in theAlterHéros mission. May we be gay, hetero, bi, trans, young, old, male, female, Pakistani, Québécois, Anglophone, or Francophone, at AlterHéros a diverse team is the ideal.

In order for an individual to become a director, it is required that they be present at our annual general assmbly and apply for a particular position which will then be decided on through an election process. If an interested individual is unable to physically appear at the GA, they can inform us of their application by explaining their motivations to the group through an e-mail.

Based on whether the year is even or uneven, certain positions are available while others are already filled by an director that has been previously elected. Additionally, other positions might become available as administrators leave throughout the year. If more than one candidate applies for a particular position, the present directors decide who will take that position through an election. There are also certain appointed positions that are granted to individuals based on the decision of the directors. The GA also gives members the opportunity to voice their opinion about the future of AlterHéros.

Every year about half of the faces on the board of directors change. While certain administrators decide to renew their position for another year, others are given the opportunity to involve themselvesfor the first time. At the GA, we can generally count on twenty to thirty members and non-members who come to get to know the yet unseen faces behind AlterHéros and to learn about our actions. More often than we would suspect, this experience inspires individuals to join our team.

Once elected to the board, there is a transition period between old and new directors that can last from one to three months, depending on the availability of the previous and present administrators. Additionally, an director’s guide is available to ensure that the new members understand their tasks, and the way in which the association functions. Meetings in person are held 8-12 times per year and generally take place in the evenings or on the weekends. And of course, the whole team is there to help our new members to properly integrate into the AlterHéros community.

How to get involved in 2008?
After the GA in April, several opportunities for involvement will be available for the year which spans from April 1st, 2008 to March 31st, 2009. The following diagram illustrates the structure of the AlterHéros team.

For more information we encourage you to visit our « Becoming a Member » section. We also

urge you to read our regulations and our annual reports from previous years.