Frequency of board meeings
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Running Your Theater
Forum Discription: General questions about how to make it work
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3526
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 12:37am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Frequency of board meeings
Posted By: stageman 2
Subject: Frequency of board meeings
Date Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:13am
Our board has had monthly meetings for the last 35 years. The talk now from a board member is that too much time is spent in micro management and he feels that more work should be done at the committee level and bi-monthly or even quarterly meetings would be more appropriate. Communication by e-mail would increase for the daily/monthly questions, financials and other issues. This is a valuable board member and very busy both professionally
and in his personal life. Any thoughts on the change of frequency of our Board meetings? We have a board of 12 and present 3 regular season and 1 to 2 special shows per year.
-------------
Les Liss
Fine Arts, County of Effingham
info@effinghamface.com
www.effinghamface.com
Always be yourself because the ones that matter don't care and the ones that care don't matter.
|
Replies:
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:38am
Just informational on what we do. We have one board and one general membership meeting a month. Other theaters I have worked in may only have general membership quarterly, but all have a monthly board. Once upon a time we even had a second board meeting each month, I believe. We, and most of the others nearby, do a five show season with two specials thrown in. We own our own theater as well and there is ususally SOME buisness that needs a board vote over the course of a month. Usually, we need to make a "board level" decision when there is not a meeting scheduled for a while. I would feel very uncomfortable with your proposed schedule in our house, but as I've said countles times, all theaters are not the same...
-------------
Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
|
Posted By: skoehler
Date Posted: 10/10/08 at 11:36am
We have monthly Finance, Exec, and Board meetings, with some other committees meeting somewhat regularly. Traditionally we forgo our Board meeting in June in lieu of the annual member meeting, and we generally cancel the December Board Meeting.
I think it really depends on the company, my Board does not micro-manage (a true risk with monthly meetings I agree) but it is a great way for them to stay informed, report on committee work and appeal for Board support (financial, volunteer or just plain old emotional) of a specific project. I have worked at theatres where we desperately tried to get the Board to go to bi-monthly to eliminate the micro-management aspect, they did not go for it. My opinion is that as long as the members stay engaged with committee work, then bi-monthly can be okay, quarterly is too long between meetings, it makes performing their number one duty, which is to ensure propper governance, next to impossible. Just my opinion though.
-------------
Steven Koehler
Managing Director
Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette
www.lafayettecivic.org
|
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/10/08 at 12:05pm
Something that might be helpful to know is, what is the size of your group/theater.. Do you have a permenint place to keep up or just do a move in kind of thing when you have a show.. Again, some of us are bigger with more responsibilities to oversee.. other are kind of "mid size" In our theater those who are most active ARE the board and if not the committee heads, are the active workers on the committees.. so the "right" answer for your group kind of depends on where your at? Does that make sense?
-------------
Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
|
Posted By: stageman 2
Date Posted: 10/10/08 at 12:56pm
Thanks to all for your input. We are sort of in between. We have a permanent home at our City Recreation Center. Others use the building when we are not in production. We have no upkeep to be concerned with. We are considering a building purchase, possibly with performance space, but our needs are more for office and storage which we do not have now. The economy is affecting our decisions on this matter and we are taking a wait and see position. Our membership base is about 350. We average around 700/750 per show but this has been fluctuating with the economy. We are entering Stage lll according to "Spotlight on the Boards. We have 4 scholarships we sponsor and are trying to start a senior readers theater and possibly a children s' summer theater program this year. We operate as a President, V.P., Sec. and Treas. and 8 Directors on the board. We have always been a working board. We are considering changing to an Artistic Director (production), Managing Director (Board growth and issues)and Executive Director (legalities , rules of order, preside over meetings, etc.)this is a recent proposal to get those with particular talents channeled into their areas of expertise.This is a synopsis of where we are now.
-------------
Les Liss
Fine Arts, County of Effingham
info@effinghamface.com
www.effinghamface.com
Always be yourself because the ones that matter don't care and the ones that care don't matter.
|
|