PSR: Leader Rights and Responsibilities

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Leader Rights and Responsibilities

Definition of a Leader

A La Leche League (LLL) Leader is a volunteer who pursues the LLL Mission through Leader responsibilities as outlined in this policy. An LLL Leader acts in accordance with the most recently published version of the LLL Policies and Standing Rules as posted on the LLLI website. An LLL Leader is current in paying any required Leader fees, keeps up to date with Leader education about breastfeeding information and organizational changes, and communicates regularly with the organization. Individual Areas and Direct Connect Entities (DCEs) may define more specific expectations for Leaders in their entities, as appropriate to their cultures.

As a result of the LLL preparation for accreditation, a La Leche League Leader has the skills to fulfill these basic Leader responsibilities.

  1. Help one-to-one through online, phone, or in-person breastfeeding support
  2. Plan and lead LLL Group meetings
  3. Supervise the management of an LLL Group
  4. Keep up to date on breastfeeding information
  5. Help potential Applicants find out about LLL leadership and prepare to become Leaders.

Other work such as, but not limited to, presentations, collaborative action, advocacy, administrative work, participation on entity or LLLI committees, councils and boards, are additional opportunities for service and growth.

Entity guidelines, if they exist, determine whether those additional opportunities are volunteer or may be paid work. If there are no entity guidelines, these additional responsibilities are volunteer positions. See Code of Conduct 5.1.

Leader Responsibilities
In order to fulfill the LLL Mission, protect the La Leche League International (LLLI) brand, and maintain a cohesive LLL presence throughout the world, every Leader:

  1. Commits annually to the LLL Mission by signing the Leader Statement of Commitment, following the process outlined in their Area, Area Network, and/or DCE. Upon signing the Leader Statement of Commitment, the Leader agrees to act in accordance with the most recently published version of the LLL Policies and Standing Rules (PSR) as posted on the LLLI website, including the responsibilities described in this policy. The Leader may then use the designation “La Leche League Leader” and represent La Leche League. Signing may be done electronically, digitally, or on paper
  2. Has a primary connection to an Area or DCE officially connected to LLLI, for mutual support and accountability and for the right to be able to use the LLLI logo and any Combined Mark within the territory of the Area or DCE.A “primary connection” is the entity in which a Leader is counted for the purpose of the annual DCE Connection Contribution. Through this connection, the Leader is able to vote for, or serve as, a global representative to LLLI for their DCE. A Leader has only one primary connection. A Leader may have multiple secondary connections within the same DCE or among different DCE administrative units.
  3. Fulfills their administrative responsibilities to the organization by
    1. Keeping relevant LLL entities up to date with any necessary contact information
    2. Keeping current any required Leader fees or volunteer hour calculations, reporting statistics for meetings and helping contacts as required
    3. Communicating regularly with the organization and with any designated support persons. (See Code of Conduct 2.1)
  4. Maintains all requirements for being in good standing in every entity to which the Leader connects. Each entity determines its own requirements for a Leader to be in good standing, in addition to the requirements set by LLLI as described in the Leader Statement of Commitment
  5. Knows and complies with domestic laws relevant to the Leader’s volunteer work in each of the territories in which the Leader offers online or in-person LLL support.
  6. Establishes a connection or mutually satisfactory agreement with a DCE or an Area within the DCE that is responsible for any territory where the Leader wishes to advertise or offer online or in-person support to families.When seeking to advertise or offer online or in-person support to families who live or participate within the territory of a DCE or Area to which they are not formally connected, Leaders communicate with the relevant entity where they want to advertise or offer LLL support. The Leader works with the entity to make a connection or a mutually satisfactory agreement that includes a process for coordinating with local Leaders, for reporting contacts and other data, for resolving conflicts that might arise, and for permitting relevant use of the LLLI trademarks and Combined Marks within the DCE’s territory.The Leader may request the assistance of their primary connection’s administrators to communicate with the additional DCE or Area, as necessary.
  7. Uses the Combined Marks of only those entities to which they have a connection or with which they have an agreement that allows them to use another entity’s Combined MarksWhen forming and naming their online spaces, projects, Groups, Areas, Area Networks, or DCEs, Leaders may not adopt any geographical place name without written permission of the DCE(s) assigned to that territory by their DCE Connection Agreement. If Leaders are operating in a region that has not been assigned to a DCE, they may seek permission from LLLI to use a geographical name or Combined MarkLeaders doing LLL work in online spaces that advertise support to families in a particular geographic territory must have written permission from the DCE responsible for that geographic territory to use the LLLI Marks, the local entity’s Combined Marks, or the online space’s own Combined Mark.
  8. Complies with the most recent version of the [Code of Conduct LINK] for Leaders, as published in the LLLI website.
  9. Communicates and coordinates with all other Leaders affected by their work regardless of the entity to which the Leaders connect, respecting differences in entity structures and procedures (see also Code of Conduct, article 3.1).
  10. Stays current on information about breastfeeding management and leadership skills by taking advantage of LLL continuing education and other learning opportunities such as publications, workshops, conferences, and online Leader Groups. (See also Code of Conduct article 2.1)
  11. Stays current on organizational changes and policy revisions at all levels of the organization, if available in an accessible language and format
  12. Keeps confidential medical or other sensitive personal information when the individual’s identity may be reasonably inferred and permission has not been granted, unless otherwise required by law or where the reporting of a danger to a person is specifically protected by law
  13. Appropriately uses and protects the LLLI Marks (logo and name) and Combined Mark (LLLI approved local variant of the logo and name), in accordance with LLLI guidelines

Leader Rights

A La Leche League Leader who fulfills the responsibilities listed above may

  1. Through one-to-one, phone, online, in-person, or group conversation, provide breastfeeding, chestfeeding, human milk feeding, mothering through breastfeeding, or responsive parenting information to support families in making their own feeding and parenting decisions (See also Code of Conduct article 7.2)
  2. Offer online or in-person support within any LLL territory, provided the Leader has a connection to or mutually satisfactory agreement with an Area in a DCE that is responsible for that territory as designated in their DCE Connection Agreement as described above
  3. Take an active role in helping others learn about LLL leadership and prepare to become Leaders
  4. Create new parts of the system (including but not limited to Groups, Areas, Area Networks, or DCEs) according to the processes designated by LLLI and the DCE(s) to which the Leader connects
  5. Vote for or serve as a global representative through the processes determined by their primary DCE
  6. Take on other LLL or LLLI work and represent their Direct Connect Entity (DCE) on global forums
  7. Work in collaboration with other organizations that do not contradict LLL philosophy and that meet their obligations under the International Code of the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and relevant WHA resolutions. Leaders may not give breastfeeding help for another similar breastfeeding support organization (See Code of Conduct, article 5.4)
  8. Advocate, as a Leader, to promote breastfeeding, chestfeeding, human milk feeding and/or mothering through breastfeeding principles to public officials, heads of state, and other recognized government groups at any time, subject to the local laws relevant to advocacy and the legal status of LLL. Such advocacy is especially appropriate when action is pending anywhere that may affect lactation, breastfeeding, or mothering through breastfeeding
  9. Sell or rent products for the purpose of fundraising for LLL provided that:
    • the manufacturer meets its obligations under the International Code,
    • the Leader renting or selling the product abides by local laws and the sales policies of their Area, Area Network, or DCE, including any requirements for product liability insurance, and
    • the Leader acts in accordance with the Financial Code of Ethics [Link to Financial Code of Ethics}


Leader Retirement

A Leader retires by informing the entity(ies) to which the Leader connects. A Leader who does not annually indicate their agreement with the Statement of Commitment by signing, or some other means designated by their Area, Area Network, or DCE, may be declared retired by their Area, Area Network, or DCE.

If a Leader is no longer willing to represent LLL in accordance with the LLLI Bylaws and LLL Policies and Standing Rules, that Leader is obligated under the Leader’s signed Statement of Commitment to resign.

Leader Reactivation after Retirement

To be reinstated after retiring as a Leader, the retired Leader contacts the relevant Leader support person, or other relevant entity (Area, Area Network, or DCE) administrator for guidance. In the process, the retired Leader discloses the reasons for retirement.

The process of reactivation will include familiarization with current information about breastfeeding and LLL.

Disciplinary Removal of a Leader from a DCE, Area Network, or Area

An Area, Area Network, or DCE may remove a Leader’s connection to that DCE, Area Network, or Area for cause related to violations of LLL policy or violations of the Leader’s signed agreement with the Area or DCE. Areas and Area Networks comply with the removal policy of their DCE.

Leaders cannot do LLL volunteer work without a primary connection. A Leader whose primary connection has been severed may seek to connect elsewhere. In that process, they disclose that they were not in good standing with their previous connection.
Disciplinary Removal of a Leader’s Accreditation
Only the LLLI Board of Directors may remove a Leader’s accreditation.

The LLLI Board of Directors may remove a Leader’s accreditation only after consultation with all of the entities to which the Leader is connected. [See Leader Accreditation Removal policy] Only LLLI can remove a Leader’s accreditation.

Leader Re-accreditation after Disciplinary Removal of Accreditation

Only the LLLI Board of Directors can re-accredit a Leader whose accreditation has been removed.

After a period of twelve months, a Leader who has had their accreditation removed may ask the LLLI Board for re-accreditation. When the former Leader asks LLLI to have their accreditation reinstated, they acknowledge that they understand why their accreditation was previously removed and provide assurance and evidence that they are willing and able to abide by the PSR. The former Leader follows the accreditation renewal process as required by LLLI. LLLI determines requirements for re-accreditation on a case by case basis

If the former Leader is re-accredited, they then make a primary connection to an Area that is willing to accept them. They may also make any number of secondary connections.

(Nov 76; Oct 09; April 22)