• Sample Questions and Answer


Running For State Office


• Campaigning



• Descriptions/Duties of Office



• Application
  Applications to be Pre-slated for State Office are Due Friday, September 7, 2007

Running for State Office

Campaigning

1. A regular or tri-fold poster will be allowed for display during the caucus. The size of this poster may not exceed 36 inches tall, 48 inches wide, and 12 inches deep (outside wings 12 inches and middle section 24 inches).
2. All campaign materials are the responsibility of the candidate and must be removed following the completion of the final caucus.
3. No campaigning is allowed in the convention hall during House of Delegates or during any session with speakers.
4. No campaigning is allowed after voting begins.
5. It is recommended that each candidate have a manager to assist with the campaign. This person may not be a GANS Executive Board Member.

1. Following the close of nominations, the candidates are presented to the House of Delegates. This includes candidates already on the slate and those nominated from the floor.
2. During the Candidates' Forum, candidates for all offices, except President, will have a total of two minutes to present their personal statement, and up to two minutes for impromptu questioning.
3. Candidates may use notes for impromptu questions. For examples of the kinds of questions that candidates may be asked during the Candidates' Forum, please see the Chapter Resource Booklet section on the GANS Executive Board and NEC, pp. -. Questions are listed along with the duties for each office. Immediately following the personal statement and before impromptu questions are asked, the candidate must remove all notes and hand them to the Nominating and Elections Committee.
4. Only the candidates may speak on their own behalf, unless there is illness or an equally good reason for their absence. The Nominating and Elections Committee will decide if the absence is justifiable and, if so, will present the candidates remarks. If possible, a response to an impromptu question will be recorded and played.
5. This meeting is mandatory for all delegates.

1. Candidates for President shall present a three-minute statement of introduction, and up to five minutes for impromptu questioning. For examples of the kinds of questions that may be asked during this time, please see the Chapter Resource Booklet section on the GANS Executive Board and NEC, pp. -.
2. There will be a question and answer session on "Running for the President of GANS." The questions will be selected by the Nominating and Elections Committee. (Note: all candidates will be given one minute to respond to each question. The number of questions will be based on time and the number of candidates).
3. A series of questions on the debate topic will be developed by the Nominating and Elections Committee. The exact content of the questions shall remain confidential until the time of the debate.
4. The number of questions asked during the debate will equal the total number of Presidential candidates. One question will be asked to each candidate who will have two minutes to respond. All other Presidential candidates will have one minute to respond to the candidate's answer.
5. Each candidate will be allowed a two-minute summation at the conclusion of the debate.
6. The Chairperson of the Nominating and Elections Committee will serve as moderator of the debate.

Descriptions/Duties of Office

Duties of Office:
• Assume the duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President
• Accede to the office of President in the case of a vacancy in the office.
• Be responsible for the program at meetings of the association.
• Provide a monthly written report to Executive Board members at board meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the President.


Suggested Questions for Candidate for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of First Vice President?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• What will you do to ensure policies passed by the House of Delegates are carried out?
• The vice president may have to fill in for the president; how would you fulfill this role?
• You are chairing a Board meeting and a conflict develops between two members. How are you going to deal with this?
• What changes, if any, would you make to next year’s convention?

Duties of Office:
• Assume the duties of the First Vice President in the absence or disability of the First Vice President. Accede to the office of the First Vice President in case of a vacancy in the office.
• Be responsible for review and recommendation for change in the bylaws and policies.
• Be familiar with parliamentary procedure. Assure that parliamentary procedure is followed at all Board Meetings and at the state conventions.
• Submit resolutions from the state Executive Board to the House of Delegates at the annual state convention.
• Work in conjunction with the Director of Legislation in submitting Georgia-drafted resolutions to the House of Delegates at the NSNA Annual Convention.
• Be responsible for upkeep and maintenance of GANS archives.
• Provide a monthly written report to Executive Board members at board meetings.
• Perform other duties assigned by the President.


Suggested Questions for Candidate for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of Second Vice President?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• What will you do to ensure policies passed by the House of Delegates are carried out?
• The vice president may have to fill in for the president; how would you fulfill this role?
• You are chairing a Board meeting and a conflict develops between two members. How are you going to deal with this?
• What changes, if any, would you make to next year’s convention?

Duties of Office:
• Prepare the minutes of all business meetings of the association and Executive Board.
• Inform GANS of all current programs and activities and provide up-to-date names and addresses of local and state officers.
• Prepare monthly calendar and minutes.
• Mail out monthly minutes, calendar, and board reports to each board member and consultant within ten (10) days prior to the next meeting.
• Provide a monthly written report to Executive Board members at board meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the President.


Suggested Questions for Candidate for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of Secretary?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• Describe your organizational skills.
• How will you be responsible for the minutes and making sure that all information is accurate and appropriately distributed?

Duties of Office:
• Act as custodian of the organization’s funds and see that a detailed annual financial report (i.e. previous year and year-to-date) be prepared and presented in writing to all constituent association at the state convention.
• Be bonded and have treasurer's books audited at the end of the fiscal year, when deemed necessary by the Executive Board.
• Serve as chairperson of the finance committee when the Executive Board establishes such a committee.
• Furnish to the chairman of the tellers, not less than two (2) hours before the opening of the polls, a list of delegates entitled to vote at the annual meeting.
• Monitor funds and inform the Executive Board of allocated funds and expenditures related to the budget at monthly board meetings.
• Provide a monthly written report to Executive Board members at board meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the President.
• Serve as Chair for the Finance Committee as selected by the Executive Board and submit to the House of Delegates at the annual meeting.


Suggested Questions for Candidates for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of Treasurer?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• How are GANS dues spent?
• Describe your organizational skills.
• You are reviewing the financial statements with the board and you notice a discrepancy. What steps of action would you take?
• If there were a noticeable decrease in income, how would you work with the Board to turn this around?

Duties of Office:
• Serve as a communication link between their district and the Executive Board.
• Act as resource person for schools in their district.
• Contact each school in their district at least once per month during the school year by telephone, email, or in person.
• Have their duties defined by the Executive Board according to needs and priorities.
• Provide a monthly written report to the Executive Board members at board meetings.
• Perform other duties assigned by the President.


Suggested Questions for Candidates for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of District Director?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• What major responsibilities do you identify for a director?
• You will be acting as a liaison between GANS and other organizations. What are your responsibilities?
• How will you enhance communication between your district schools?
• What is your main priority other than communication?

Duties of Office:
• Solicit and communicate with potential exhibitors and advertisers for the purpose of convention and EKG/website financing.
• Handle invoicing of all advertising and exhibiting of GANS functions.
• Organizing exhibit hall during GANS state convention.
• Coordinate GANS press releases to nursing publications in Georgia.
• Coordinate the annual IMAGE OF NURSING AWARD.
• Provide a monthly written report at board meetings.
• Perform other duties assigned by the President.


Suggested Questions for Candidates for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of Director of Public Relations?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• What “people” skills do you have?
• One of your responsibilities is to organize the Exhibit Hall during the annual GANS convention. How do you plan to make this area more adaptable to the exhibitors?
• How would you find sponsors?
• How would you find contacts and maintain relationships with them?
• What nursing publications will you focus on to increase media coverage for GANS?

Duties of Office:
• Be responsible for the publication of GANS EKG.
• Be responsible for the publication of the annual GANS convention booklet.
• Be responsible for submitting article biannually to NSNA for publication for the "Happenings" column.
• Coordinate the annual CHAPTER NEWSLETTER AWARD.
• Provide a monthly written report to Executive Board members at board meetings.
• Update and maintain GANS website, http://www.ganursingstudents.org, on a monthly basis.
• Perform other duties assigned by the President.


Suggested Questions for Candidates for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of Director of GANS EKG?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• Why should I pick up the EKG and read it?
• How will you determine that the content of EKG is of interest to students?
• What criteria will you use to accept an article for publication?
• How will you find sponsors?

Duties of Office:
• Stay informed concerning legislation in Georgia affecting nurses and nursing students.
• Keep the Executive Board and GANS constituent’s informed concerning nursing legislation in the state and nation.
• Submit resolutions from the state Executive Board to the House of Delegates at the annual convention. Work in conjunction with the Second Vice President in writing the resolutions. Have approved resolutions selected during the GANS Annual State Convention to be submitted at the NSNA Annual Convention.
• Write a legislative update for each issue of the EKG.
• Coordinate the annual POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT AWARD.
• Provide a monthly written report to the Executive Board members at board meetings.
• Perform other duties assigned by the President.


Suggested Questions for Candidates for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of Director of Legislation?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• What is the most important function of your position?
• What are your major responsibilities?
• How do you plan to increase legislative involvement?

Duties of Office:
• Submit BTN Project to District Directors to disperse to school chapters by the third month in office and keep the Executive Board informed of the goals and progress of the project.
• Maintain communication with the local school BTN directors.
• Work to develop nursing school recruitment materials and guidelines for recruiters appropriate to the state's recruitment needs.
• Assist local chapters in developing recruitment materials and guidelines for recruitment in the area.
• Write a BTN update article for each issue for the EKG.
• Identify and compile a listing of state and national financial aid sources for nursing students.
• Coordinate the annual CHAPTER BTN AWARD.
• Responsible for GANS membership recruitment and retention.
• Provide a monthly report to Executive Board members at board meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the President.


Suggested Questions for Candidates for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of Breakthrough to Nursing Director?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• Would you please explain the role of the BTN director?
• How would you promote diversity in the nursing profession?
• How would you help improve the BTN program for state chapters?
• What is your main goal for the BTN position and how will you accomplish it?

Duties of Office:
• Submit Community service projects to the District Directors to disperse to school chapters by the third month in office and keep the Executive Board informed of the goals and progress of the projects.
• Work to develop or participate in statewide, national, or inter-national community service projects.
• Assist local chapters in developing or participating in statewide, national, or international community serve projects.
• Coordinate the annual CHAPTER COMMUNITY PROJECT AWARD.
• Provide a monthly report to the Executive Board at each Board meeting.
• Perform other duties assigned by the President.


Suggested Questions for Candidates for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the office of Community Service Director?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• What do you think should be next year’s goal for community service?
• What do you think should be the most important function of a Community Service Director?
• How will you raise money?
• What activities do you have in mind for increasing community service involvement?

Duties of the NEC Chair:
• Supply ballots for the annual election of officers.
• Conduct mandatory candidate review meetings as stated in “Candidate and Campaign Regulations”.
• Have voting privileges during the monthly GANS Board Meetings with suspended voting privileges during the Annual State Convention.
• Attend monthly GANS Executive board meetings as specified by the current GANS Executive Board with absences dictated according to Article IV, Section 3, C-D.


Duties of the NEC:
• Receive nominations for GANS officers.
• Assist with the mandatory candidate review meetings as stated in "Candidate and Campaign Regulations".
• Accept the board meeting monthly minutes.
• Attend monthly board meetings from June to October.


Suggested Questions for Candidates for Office:
• What experiences have prepared you for the Nominating and Elections Committee?
• What are your goals for office and how will you go about achieving them?
• What is the most effective way to seek national office?
• Name five qualities that you would consider when selecting a student leader for the slate?
• How would you define the NEC’s role in encouraging future candidacy for NSNA?
• What ideas will you promote to GANS members that will encourage them to run for a national office?
• How would you maintain contact with potential candidates?
• How would you assist a potential candidate in deciding which office would suit that individual best?
• What ongoing information and contact should the NEC initiate within their districts?
• How would you promote the idea of running for GANS office?
• If elected to the NEC, what measures would you implement to ensure that the process of running for office is beneficial for everyone involved, including candidates, delegates and GANS members?
• How do you think that you can effectively seek candidates and provide a full slate?