SDKPA Group Leader Policy 2023-2024

1. Group Leaders must use appropriate language and exhibit proper behavior at all times, setting a good example and being a proper role model for young SDKPA members and peers.
2. Group Leaders must fully attend the Group Leader Training. (The mandatory training time does not count towards volunteer hours.)
3. In-Person Book Club Meetings (September 2023 -May 2024)
   a. Group Leaders are required to host a total of nine (9) monthly Book Club meetings from September 2023 through May 2024 in person.
   b. Each meeting should last 1 to 1.5 hours, and the Leader must attend from start to finish to achieve attendance.
   c. Group Leaders shall use the books and articles assigned by the SDKPA Book Club.
   d. During the flu season between November and February, online meetings may be permitted when cold symptoms are prevalent among the group members, and rescheduling the meeting becomes challenging. Permission must be obtained through the regional director prior to online meetings.
4. Open Book Club Meetings (September 2023 -May 2024)
   a. Group Leaders are required to host a total of nine (9) monthly Book Club meetings from September 2023 through May 2024 online.
   b. Group Leaders must send out the Zoom or Google Meet link and passcode to members at least a day before the meeting.
5. The roles and responsibilities of you as a Book Club Group Leader are as follows:
   a. Read the assigned book and article for each month and send homework to your group members. Refer to the SDKPA Homepage (http://sdkpa.org) or other online resources to find appropriate materials for preparing the homework.
   b. Utilize the Homework Form on the SDKPA Homepage to create the homework and send it to the group members at least 1-2 weeks prior to the meeting. Have the group members send their completed homework to you via email prior to the Book Club meeting date.
   c. Make sure to include a summary of the group members’ opinions of the book in the Evaluation section of your After Meeting Report.
   d. Meetings must take place during the relevant month. Group Leaders must be punctual, and if the meeting date or time needs to be adjusted, the Leader must contact the Group Mom well in advance of the meeting to adjust the schedule.
   e. After Meeting Reports must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the first day of the following month using the Google Form link available on the SDKPA homepage. Submission of the After Meeting Report is recorded based on the submission time, not the start time, so please give yourself enough time to complete and submit the report by 11:59 pm of the due date.
   f. Participate in the SDKPA Book Club Group Leader Survey to contribute to the improvement of the Book Club.
   g. In case of online meetings, all Group Leaders must abide by the following rules:
   (1) During the online meeting, the Leader and all members must have their cameras on and make their faces visible at all times.
   (2) The Group Leader must be online at least 5 minutes prior to the start of the meeting.
   (3) The Group Leader must inform the group members that recording the meeting is not permitted and should go over online meeting etiquette prior to starting the meeting. The Group Leader should also advise the group members that creating disruptive sounds or visuals unrelated to the meeting will result in being forced to leave the meeting and not being allowed to return.
6. The SDKPA Leader Team and other committee members may visit group meetings for one-on-one training purposes. Group Leaders are required to actively cooperate and provide meeting information upon request.
7. The SDKPA will issue a Volunteer Service Certificate to Leaders who have faithfully performed their leadership roles. Volunteer Service hours include book club meeting preparation time (reading the assigned books/articles, preparing discussions and activities, reviewing members’ homework, and completing the After Meeting Report) and the actual Book Club meeting time. The SDKPA will only accept up to 10 volunteer hours per month.
8. In the event of a lost book, the Leader must pay $15 to cover the replacement of the book and any packaging costs. In the case of a damaged book, a $5 ~ $15 fine will be charged depending on the condition of the book, which will be determined by the SDKPA Book Club. There will be a late fee of $10 for books returned after the due date.
9. Rules for Disqualification: 4 penalty points will disqualify you from serving as a Leader the following year. You will still be required to finish out the current year.
   a. A Leader will receive 1 penalty point when he/she:
   (1) does not read the assigned book by the time of the Book Club Meeting.
   (2) does not send the homework at least one week before the meeting.
   (3) does not set up and/or send the online meeting link and password to the group members by the day before the scheduled online meeting date.
   (4) does not submit the After Meeting Report on time (the due date is 11:59 pm on the first day of the following month.)
   (5) is more than 30 minutes late or misses the Book Club meeting without advance notice (except in emergency situations.)
   (6) receives a legitimate complaint from a parent or a group member in connection with the Leader’s lackluster preparation/hosting of the Book Club meeting, as determined by the SDKPA Leader Team
   b. Exception: The SDKPA has the right to disqualify a Leader in the case of dishonorable behaviors, such as drug use or expulsion, regardless of the rules for disqualification set forth above.
10. All SDKPA announcements will be sent directly to Leaders at the email the Leader provided to the SDKPA; Leaders are therefore responsible to check and read the emails from the SDKPA.
11. If a Leader must withdraw from the SDKPA Book Club due to inevitable circumstances such as moving to another state or an illness, he/she must prepare a written statement explaining the circumstances and send the statement to the SDKPA via email at least one month prior to the withdrawal date.
    a. Even though a Leader moves to another area in the middle of the school year, he/she must continue as Group Leader to his/her assigned group until the end of the school year.
    b. In the event of a shortage of Leaders in other regions, a Leader may, with the consent of the SDKPA executive board, hold the role of a Group Leader for a Book Club group in a different area than their own.
12. At the end of each academic year, Group Leaders will undergo an evaluation to assess their commitment, performance, and fulfillment of obligations. Those who do not pass the evaluation will be unable to continue their leadership position in the following year
13. Leaders can utilize the SDKPA Homepage (https://sdkpa.org) as a reference, research tool, or platform to share their ideas.
14. Leaders are always welcome to contact the SDKPA staff by email (leaderteam@sdkpa.org) and/or leave a comment in the Remarks section of the After Meeting Report if he/she has any questions or concerns about the Book Club meeting.
15. Photographs taken during the Book Club meetings can be utilized for promoting the SDKPA Book Club, such as for the BOOK PARTY, SDKPA Homepage, magazine, and other promotional materials.
    - Use of recordings: <<Photographs and recordings taken during the Book Club can be used in SDKPA promotional material such as the BOOK PARTY, the SDKPA Homepage, magazines, or other print material, etc.  (The photo/recordings may be used even if you withdraw from your leader position) [Use of recordings]>>
    - Use of photographs: <<Photographs and recordings taken during the Book Club can be used in SDKPA promotional material such as the BOOK PARTY, the SDKPA Homepage, magazines or other print material, etc.  (The photo/recordings may be used even if you withdraw from your leader position) [Use of photographs]>>