LCS Governance

Documents

The LCS is governed by a  Constitution which was approved on December 14, 2010, revised March, 2015.

In March, 2019, the Board approved a Long-Range Plan for the Lake Chapala Society to extend the legacy as an oasis for personal enrichment, socialization and collaboration throughout the greater community. The plan is focused on improving, modernizing, reinventing and transforming LCS by creating a continuous quality improvement culture, and expanding the use of information technology with greater collaboration between and among the Mexican and foreign communities. We will take our best practices from LCS 1.0, with its rich history, culture and traditions of programs, services and activities over the past 60+ years and transcend the organization into Lake Chapala Society 2.0.
To understand the future direction charted for the LCS, please read our LCS 2.0 plan

The LCS Standing Committees report to the Board of Directors, as illustrated in our Organization Chart  
The LCS Standing Committees are charged with specific mandates developed by the Board of Directors. Click on the following to read each mandate. Following the mandate is a report on the annual objectives of each of the Committees.
Community Committee
Finance Committee
Fund Development Committee
Campus Committee
Program Committee
Audit Committee
Community Committee Mandate
The Community Committee assumes the following functions:
  1. To ensure Committee decisions are respectful of LCS governing documents.
  2. To identify LCS clientele’s needs.
  3. To recommend to the Board of Directors strategies, plans and policies with respect to marketing, promotion, communications (media) and information sharing.
  4. To monitor the implementation of the Strategic Plan with respect to the Committee’s mandate.
  5. To evaluate results in accordance the Committee’s mandate.
Report on annual objectives: This Committee: is developing a marketing plan to reach potential residents, recent arrivals, and those projected to arrive in the next 5 years. This committee expects to increase awareness of the value of LCS' programs to the Mexican community. New Initiatives include a pending revision of the web site to be rolled out in mid-May; a new member orientation; a volunteer training and orientation program to help our volunteers become better ambassadors for LCS, its members and  the community by improving the volunteer services.
Finance Committee Mandate
The Finance Committee assumes the following functions:
  1. To ensure that committee decisions are respectful of LCS governing documents.
  2. To ensure the efficient management of LCS financial resources and policies.
  3. To recommend to the Board of Directors the annual budget and its revisions; Monthly and Annual financial statements; and long-term legal agreements financial in nature.
  4. To monitor the implementation of the Strategic Plan with respect to the Committee’s mandate.
  5. To evaluate results in comparison with established policies and objectives within the Committee’s mandate.
Report on annual objectives: implemented financial policies to strengthen internal controls and ensure financial assets are managed properly; worked with LCS management to implement a new financial accounting software package to streamline accounting practices and operational processes; participated in the preparation, review and adoption of 2015 budget; and worked with Grant Thornton on the first external audit of LCS financial records.
Fund Development Committee Mandate
The Fund Development Committee assumes the following functions:
  1. To ensure that committee decisions are respectful of LCS governing documents.
  2. To recommend to the Board of Directors policies and implementation plans for membership, fund development projects and fundraising activities; and prioritize strategic goals and annual objectives with respect to fundraising.
  3. To monitor the implementation of the Strategic Plan with respect to the Committee’s mandate.
  4. To evaluate results in comparison with established policies and objectives within the Committee’s mandate.
Report on annual objectives: New Initiatives are in the process which include developing programs for annual and legacy giving and developing plans to recognize donors.
Campus Committee Mandate 
The Campus Committee assumes the following functions:
  1. To ensure that committee decisions are respectful of LCS governing documents.
  2. To recommend to the Board of Directors: policies and plans to ensure the efficient management and development of LCS material, physical and technological resources; and   establish SMART objectives to fulfill strategic goals relating to the campus.
  3. To monitor and evaluate the implementation of the SMART objectives with respect to strategic goals relating to the campus.
Report on annual objectives: Committee – assigned to re-engineer campus characteristics and building design to accommodate forecasted requirements for all activities, to determine space, technological, accessibility, and "green" requirements, outdoor space needs and landscape design. This committee expects to develop a unified campus design for board review later this year.
Program Committee Mandate
The Program Committee assumes the following functions:
  1. To ensure that committee decisions are respectful of LCS governing documents.
  2. To ensure that programs and services are relevant to community needs.
  3. To recommend to the Board policies and plans governing LCS programs and services; prioritize long-term goals, strategic goals and annual objectives with respect to LCS programs and services; and long-term legal agreements non-financial in nature.
  4. To monitor the implementation of the Strategic Plan with respect to the Committee’s mandate.
  5. To evaluate results in comparison with established policies and objectives within the Committee’s mandate.
Report on annual objectives: Has been focusing on future relevance of programs and services offered by the LCS with new initiatives. This committee coordinates with Community Committee on developing new member focus groups develop future programs, explore ways to support the ESL program. This committee is also developing a job description for an Education Director at the  Wilkes Education Center.
Audit Committee Mandate
The Audit Committee assumes the following functions:
  1. Ensures the integrity of LCS’s financial statements through the selection, appointment and monitoring of a professionally qualified external auditor; Meets with the external audit firm to review the audited financial statements;
  2. Reviews with management and the external auditor the internal control process and risk management and mitigation process;
  3. Reviews with management and external auditors, compliance with laws and regulations governing LCS;
  4. Reports and recommends the results of audit findings to the LCS Board for approval;
  5. Acts as external point of contact for any whistle-blowing issues and, if necessary, initiates special investigations of policies, procedures and practices;
  6. Makes recommendations to management and the Board with respect to governance issues;
  7. Reviews the presentation of the financial information in the annual report to members;
  8. Coordinates with the external auditors the latter’s oversight of proceeding at Annual General Meetings or other meetings called by Members; and
  9. Ensures that there are policies and procedures in place to handle complaints from members.
Report on annual objectives: charged with the oversight of the external audit by Grant Thornton, coordinated the LCS response to audit findings, developed and coordinated with the treasurer plans to remedy issues identified by auditor and coordinated those plans with Grant Thornton to develop a final report with a clean opinion of LCS finances for 2014.