One strategy for organization is a master document called "Win-The-Lotto-Able." As in, if I win the Lotto tomorrow and go to Jamaica or any other place warm and tropical -- everything anyone would need to do my job is in one place. 

To access this document, you must be signed into your gmail or Google Account that is subscribed to this Google Group. 

• Collect Roster Information. 

• Make a new Tab for each Year. This keeps an accurate record of who was on the Board and when. Hide previous tabs as useful. 

• Keep track of all usernames / passwords for things outside of Google (such as Canva, Zoom) on Master List Tab. 

We have 2 Google Groups - One for the Executive Members ONLY and one for ALL of the PAC Members. 

NOTE: Google Groups is how we share content on our Google Drive. Which ever email address is subscribed to the Executive Committee Google Group is what will be able to see the Shared Google Drive Folders. 

Executive Committee Members: https://groups.google.com/g/NavigatePACExecutive 

• All PAC gmail addresses are already added to the PAC Executive email list. 

• Remove former members personal email addresses. 

• Add new members. Be sure to add the email address that each person actually checks.

  • Suggestion: Some members may want their personal email address added to this group, as well as their PAC gmail address to alert them to look at their PAC gmail address. 

• Who is allowed to Post: ALL -- this is serves as an email discussion group where we can all talk to each other! 

Navigate PAC Members: https://groups.google.com/g/navigatepacmembers

• This is for ALL people who have subscribed to our Navigate PAC email list. 

• All PAC gmail addresses are already added to the PAC MEMBERS email list. 

  • Suggestion: Some members may want their personal email address added to this group, as well as their PAC gmail address to alert them to look at their PAC gmail address. 

  • Because Executive Members email addresses are added to BOTH groups, no need to send the same message to both groups as then the Executive Members will receive the same information twice. 

• Who is allowed to Post: Executive Committee PAC gmail account ONLY.

  • This serves as a "Distribution List" where we send out messages for our members to receive. 

  • You must be logged into your PAC gmail account to post a message to the members. 

  • Be mindful about when and who is sending emails to the PAC Members list, so that we don't overdo it! 

Resources: 

• Understand "Using Groups to Share Content." 

• Add people to your group.

• Share content with a group.

• Google Group Advanced Features. - Scroll down to see a list of features!

• Non-Gmail Google Account - For those who would like to use their existing email address and register it as a Google Account. 

• PAC gmail addresses belong to the PAC. 

• Use the PAC gmail address when making PAC documents so the "owner" of the documents. 

• Update Usernames, Passwords, and Recovery Information the Win-The-Lotto-Able

• Pro-Tip: Keep the First and Last Name of the gmail account be the position description: 

  • First Name: Chairperson Last Name: Navigate PAC.

• Pro-Tip: Include an Out Of Office / Vacation Responder OR Signature Line with information about how often the email is checked, supporting you in setting the tone for what people expect of you and your Volunteer role.  

• Pro-Tip: Include a link to our Website in your Signature Line. 

• Use NavigatePAC@gmail.com as the Recovery Email List. 

• Use best practices to keep your Inbox in good shape to pass along to the next Volunteer in your position. 

Documents ready for sharing:

Save all of your documents to one of two folders: 

• Navigate PAC - Private, Shared with Executive Committee - must be logged into your account to access. 

• Navigate PAC - Public Viewable - anyone with the link can view.

Documents for your own use while serving in your position, or not ready for publishing:

• • Your own PAC Google Drive

Standard File Naming: 

• Filing Naming  for Meeting Minutes, Agendas, and Reports: YYYY - MM/DD Title

• Suggest using YY for other projects as well that happen more than one year. 

Step 1: Open Google Site from Google Drive

Location: Google Drive > Navigate PAC - Private, Shared with Executive Committee > Navigate PAC Website

Step 2: Scroll to the top Sharing Icon. 

Step 3: Add people by email address

Include both personal and PAC email address. 

Step 4: Remove people no longer affiliated with Navigate PAC. 

• Review pages that are part of your job descriptions. 

• Use the Google Photos Album "Color Blocks" to access additional "Section Color > Image > Select Image > Google Photos > Color Blocks

• Our Website is built on Google Sites (training available!)

• Move retired or complete programs to the appropriate spots. 

  • Leadership > Archive  > (Related Year)

  • "Show in Navigation" pages we'd like to continue to show. 

  • "Hide from Navigation" content that is no longer relevant. 

    • Keeping pages, even if no longer relevant helps to create a record for future iterations of our Executive Committee. 

    • This can be helpful especially if the Gaming Grant Branch has questions in the future. 

    • It helps to be able to reach previous leadership team members if there is an audit. 

Schedule PAC Meetings

• Historically, they've been on the First Wednesday of the month. Once our Gaming Grant got huge, we added an additional meeting on the Third Wednesday to focus on program / Gaming Grant spending approvals. 

• If you are changing from the First Wednesday of the Month, please make sure the new date works for Principal Gerald, as he attends the meetings and gives reports. He also has other evening meetings scheduled. 

• PAC Executive Committee Members are asked to attend as many General meetings as they can, with at least 1 meeting a month. 

• Our bylaws state a minimum of 14 days notice must be given. 

• Publish meeting dates on Website. 

• Submit notices to Gerald the WEDNESDAY prior to the WEDNESDAY meeting, before 9:00am (week before).

  • Principal Gerald then sends the emails to the Vice-Principals who send it to their students. 

    • Given that our students can change quickly, this allows the VPs to send it to the most recent list. 

  • Pro-Tip: Send several upcoming dates in the same email. 

• Generally, the first Wednesday of January is either cancelled or poorly attended given that most people are still in "Winter Break Mode."

Schedule Executive Committee Meetings

• Historically, Executive Committee Meetings are called "as needed" and the date is set for "as many people who can attend."  

• As of this writing, there is not a Bylaw that sets the minimum notice, but there should be. 

It is important to understand the current and changing Gaming Grant Rules. If we make a mistake using these restricted funds, those monies spent must be returned to our Gaming Grant Account and may make us ineligible for future grants. 

Please take time to read and continually reference Guidelines published by the Gaming Grant Branch. 

• ProTip: Go to the Gaming Grant Branch each instance, given that they may publish addendums. 

• IMPORTANT: Be sure you are reading the Guidelines for PACS & DPACS -- NOT the "Community." There are different rules! 

For more details, see Gaming Grant Project Mentor page.  

• Use "Navigate" as our school name. Think of each of the programs, for example "Heartwood Surrey," "Heartwood Smithers," and "FAe" as different "Classrooms" (even though those "Programs/Classrooms" may have sub-classrooms). 

We represent ALL the students in ALL of the programs in Navigate. It is important to make sure that we do our best to include opportunities for all students to have access to our Gaming Grant Funds. However, given some of our unique challenges, please don't try for "perfectly" and instead have "our best." 

The PAC provides extra-curricular opportunities. Think of a Brick and Mortar PAC, they might have a family game night, movie night, holiday parties. We do the same. Sometimes, comparing what a Brick and Mortar school would do helps to translate what we can do as a Provincial-Wide program. 

School Staff are invited to the PAC as guests. We invite Principal Jeff, but are in no way obligated to invite him. Recommendation: Invite to meetings with a focus on reports vs. spending money or getting our work done. Keeping our relationship with the Principals, Vice-Principals, Teachers, and Staff positive is important. 

Challenges:

• Given that we never, as a whole, meet in person, email and social media are the only ways for us to reach people. We like to be clever and inviting in our communications. 

• Given that we don't know each other, recruitment can be a challenge. Connecting with teachers / classroom leadership can be a great way to find new volunteers, as well as asking people who have participated with receiving Gaming Grant Funds. 

• There are thousands of students, and we may never be able to reach everyone. A Brick & Mortar PAC would be able to send emails, decorate the school for a carnival, send a paper flyer home. We are limited to what happens on a computer. 

There are more links on the Home Page that are appropriate for all Members, including PAC Executive Members.

This list is curated especially for Executive Members:

Very helpful >> PACs Helping PACs - BC, Lower Mainland

DPAC

Comox Valley DPAC Reps - Facebook Group - for DPAC Reps 

https://www.sd71dpac.com/

SD71 DPAC (District PAC) Facebook Page

BCCPAC

https://www.facebook.com/YOURBCCPAC/

As a strategy, I try to keep ONE subject per email. This helps keeps our communications on-topic, and searchable in the future if someone needs to look at our Google Groups Conversation Archive.

Because we have such a large amount of money from the Gaming Grant Branch, it's very important that if we are ever audited, that future Executive Team Members can find the information that they are looking for -- and be able to find the person who may have the information if they have questions. 

If you'd like to start a new topic, please start a NEW subject and email it to: NavigatePACExecutive@googlegroups.com, and it will populate to our Executive Team, and keep an archive. This means you, as a PAC Member can delete emails that you are complete with processing, in the game of keeping your Inbox at Zero. 

This means that I may send 5-7 emails in one day -- and then zero emails for the next week or two. Please do not get overwhelmed and think, "OMG she sends so many emails!" Instead, think, "OMG she's being productive today!" 

"Inbox Zero" is a strategy to keep on top of your emails. 

Your inbox becomes a representation of the actions that need to be taken, and when it's all done is when your inbox is at Zero! 

For each email, ask, "What is the next action here?" 

• FYI Email - Read it, delete it. If you did need it again, it's on the Executive Team Google Group. 

• Takes 2 or less minutes of your attention to complete - do it quickly, and then delete it. 

• Reference Email - Something that you will need to keep and reference

  • Consider if the reference is better suited for this Toolbox, and put it in the right spot. 

  • Process it quickly and create a label, and archive the email to the correct label. 

• Emails whose next action require more attention and time -- schedule time to complete that, or do it now.

Why? 

Inheriting an inbox that has *thousands* of emails -- some of which are important, some of which could have been thrown away is incredibly inefficient. It is important to keep this shared Inbox accessible for the next person who will have your position. 

Do you really want to geek out on Inbox Zero?

https://www.43folders.com/43-folders-series-inbox-zero