Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: What do you talk about at your board meetings?

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imamember
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Joined: 8/18/08
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Topic: What do you talk about at your board meetings?
Posted: 10/26/08 at 4:29pm

I'm a brand new board member as of September and it seems like we talk about policy ethics and stuff that really doesn't matter. Okay, maybe it matters but there's virtually no discussion of what shows would be interesting, what shows are safe or risky, how to make theatre in our town better and so on.

We seemed to table a lot of the items on our October agenda til December or November and i guess this happens a lot. No follow through and a lot of tabling of issues and it doesn't seem like committee meetings happen often if at all.

So what are your board meetings like? How far ahead to you have your seasons planned?

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chelserin
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Posted: 10/26/08 at 8:06pm

I'm also a new board member, as of June. So far most of the meetings have been about the upcoming season, and what needs to be done for the current production/ aka trouble shooting.

When I came on several people were leaving who had been there for years and did EVERYTHING. So it's also been a lot of "so and so used to do this, and now we need to learn how to do it"

But most of our meetings are about the theatre, the shows and how to make them better.

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skoehler
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Posted: 10/27/08 at 9:10am

It really depends on your theatre's structure and what type of Board you are on. My Board of directors approves the season, but there is little to no discussion on the show selection, or reasoning at the Board level. Our Board though is more of a Governance Board at this time.

Technically all Boards are in charge of Governance, watching the money, and assuring good stewardship of gifts, and yes ethics. If your theatre is on the smaller side and without a staff then I would expect more discussion on the day to day operations, and the "art" of the theatre.

Either way, give it time, Board service is a crucial role to play in the non-profit world, and your volunteering to serve in this way is critical to the success of the company, so congratulations. Times that I have served in the past I usually don't really feel like I can contribute much in the first year, my Board members seem to have the same feeling. Like I said, give it some time.

Steven Koehler
Managing Director
Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette
www.lafayettecivic.org

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imamember
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Posted: 10/27/08 at 8:49pm

Our group has a problem with a board member always handling one or two things, then resigns or isn't re-elected and then doesn't pass any information along to the group.

I'm starting at ground zero with a printer and a t-shirt screen printer and building those relationships and then i'll have all that information on a protected section of the new website I just built so future people can get at it. Also thinking of making orientation power point presentations and uploading those too, so new people can figure stuff out if they get stuck.

I guess since i'm new I'm th best person to iron this stuff out as I learn it.

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Stageref
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Joined: 7/30/08
Location: United States
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Posts: 13

Posted: 10/31/08 at 5:20pm

Interesting distinction Mr. Koehler. In your setup who does handle the "art" aspects?

Stageref.com
The new, free, on-line social experience of community theater productions and people

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skoehler
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Posted: 10/31/08 at 5:35pm

Our volunteers. We have more than 500 in or database, I would say about 100 every season are used. Some of the Board Members are the more artistic types, and we have the Season Selection committee that picks every season. However Board Meetings pretty much stick with the legal Board obligations, which involve governance, etc. We are though a 77 year old organization with a budget of about $350 K, not every theatre or Board will follow our model of course.

Steven Koehler
Managing Director
Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette
www.lafayettecivic.org

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JoeMc
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Joined: 3/13/06
Location: Australia
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Posted: 10/31/08 at 9:58pm

We are like most theatre groups here, which has nowt t'dee or any help with your question.

We have just a Committee of 5 & not more than 9, this presume constitutes a Bard, in your money.

For the daily running primarily the committee Executive, are responsible to the General membership.

Since I have grasped the nettle & become the President, I have introduced that at committee meetings, the chairman is elected from the floor of the meeting assembled. Which has worked well thus far & proved to be a worth wile venture.

To that end because we are going thru the transition of being homeless, to one of having a roof over our head.

I believe there is a need to formulate an infra structure, in line with our Constitution, to perpetuate the groups aims & objects.

EXECUTIVE

President

Secretary

Treasurer

PRODUCTION

Artistic

Stage

Technical

RESOURCES

Finances

Members

Promotion

President Chairs Executive

Secretary chairs Production

Treasurer chairs Resources

The Executive are elected by the membership, in turn each Chairs a sub committee, of appointed members , which can be Committee members [elected] or others wishing to volunteer & input to a sub committee of interest.

Each subcommittees is responsible for one of the three aspects of theatre productions.

So which ever director has a conduit direct to the subcommittee of concern & can appoint a production team member, as an Ex-officio for the duration of the production &/or longer.

In the past we have had a brain drain & I'm hoping to put a valve in place, to better manage this reusable resource in future.

In the past for what ever reason, they spit the dummy, because of something that has happened during a production & feel their ego's won't allow them to return. So hopefully this will revert back to the group being the most important & the individual can still input, even when not connected to a production. Which in the past only those in the show, would front up each time a show was on, So they would have to start from scratch, building a production team.

Where by with subcommittee in place, each director has aback up to call upon, for that aspect of the show.

This might be like whistling into the wind or even whistling up a storm, now & then. But if we keep it close hauled to windward, it should be plane sailing from now on.

While we hold a General meeting normally, once a month, this is open to all to attend.

The sub committees can meet as when they need to any time.

The chair of each of these committees report to the general membership, each month &/or make appropriate suggestion &/or motions, to the General Committee meeting as assembled.

This way we can get around being bogged down on issues & off the wall rubbish. This can all be handled during the less formal subcommittees - hopefully?

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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Running Your Theater
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Theater Administration :Running Your Theater

Topic: What do you talk about at your board meetings?( Topic Closed)

Author	Message
imamember Celebrity Joined: 8/18/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 121	Topic: What do you talk about at your board meetings? Posted: 10/26/08 at 4:29pm
	I'm a brand new board member as of September and it seems like we talk about policy ethics and stuff that really doesn't matter. Okay, maybe it matters but there's virtually no discussion of what shows would be interesting, what shows are safe or risky, how to make theatre in our town better and so on. We seemed to table a lot of the items on our October agenda til December or November and i guess this happens a lot. No follow through and a lot of tabling of issues and it doesn't seem like committee meetings happen often if at all. So what are your board meetings like? How far ahead to you have your seasons planned?

	IP Logged

chelserin Lead Joined: 3/02/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Posted: 10/26/08 at 8:06pm
	I'm also a new board member, as of June. So far most of the meetings have been about the upcoming season, and what needs to be done for the current production/ aka trouble shooting. When I came on several people were leaving who had been there for years and did EVERYTHING. So it's also been a lot of "so and so used to do this, and now we need to learn how to do it" But most of our meetings are about the theatre, the shows and how to make them better.
	IP Logged

skoehler Lead Joined: 5/19/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 37	Posted: 10/27/08 at 9:10am
	It really depends on your theatre's structure and what type of Board you are on. My Board of directors approves the season, but there is little to no discussion on the show selection, or reasoning at the Board level. Our Board though is more of a Governance Board at this time. Technically all Boards are in charge of Governance, watching the money, and assuring good stewardship of gifts, and yes ethics. If your theatre is on the smaller side and without a staff then I would expect more discussion on the day to day operations, and the "art" of the theatre. Either way, give it time, Board service is a crucial role to play in the non-profit world, and your volunteering to serve in this way is critical to the success of the company, so congratulations. Times that I have served in the past I usually don't really feel like I can contribute much in the first year, my Board members seem to have the same feeling. Like I said, give it some time.
	Steven Koehler Managing Director Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette www.lafayettecivic.org
	IP Logged

imamember Celebrity Joined: 8/18/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 121	Posted: 10/27/08 at 8:49pm
	Our group has a problem with a board member always handling one or two things, then resigns or isn't re-elected and then doesn't pass any information along to the group. I'm starting at ground zero with a printer and a t-shirt screen printer and building those relationships and then i'll have all that information on a protected section of the new website I just built so future people can get at it. Also thinking of making orientation power point presentations and uploading those too, so new people can figure stuff out if they get stuck. I guess since i'm new I'm th best person to iron this stuff out as I learn it.
	IP Logged

Stageref Player Joined: 7/30/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 13	Posted: 10/31/08 at 5:20pm
	Interesting distinction Mr. Koehler. In your setup who does handle the "art" aspects?
	Stageref.com The new, free, on-line social experience of community theater productions and people
	IP Logged

skoehler Lead Joined: 5/19/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 37	Posted: 10/31/08 at 5:35pm
	Our volunteers. We have more than 500 in or database, I would say about 100 every season are used. Some of the Board Members are the more artistic types, and we have the Season Selection committee that picks every season. However Board Meetings pretty much stick with the legal Board obligations, which involve governance, etc. We are though a 77 year old organization with a budget of about $350 K, not every theatre or Board will follow our model of course.
	Steven Koehler Managing Director Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette www.lafayettecivic.org
	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 10/31/08 at 9:58pm
	We are like most theatre groups here, which has nowt t'dee or any help with your question. We have just a Committee of 5 & not more than 9, this presume constitutes a Bard, in your money. For the daily running primarily the committee Executive, are responsible to the General membership. Since I have grasped the nettle & become the President, I have introduced that at committee meetings, the chairman is elected from the floor of the meeting assembled. Which has worked well thus far & proved to be a worth wile venture. To that end because we are going thru the transition of being homeless, to one of having a roof over our head. I believe there is a need to formulate an infra structure, in line with our Constitution, to perpetuate the groups aims & objects. *EXECUTIVE* President Secretary Treasurer *PRODUCTION* Artistic Stage Technical *RESOURCES* Finances Members Promotion President Chairs Executive Secretary chairs Production Treasurer chairs Resources The Executive are elected by the membership, in turn each Chairs a sub committee, of appointed members , which can be Committee members [elected] or others wishing to volunteer & input to a sub committee of interest. Each subcommittees is responsible for one of the three aspects of theatre productions. So which ever director has a conduit direct to the subcommittee of concern & can appoint a production team member, as an Ex-officio for the duration of the production &/or longer. In the past we have had a brain drain & I'm hoping to put a valve in place, to better manage this reusable resource in future. In the past for what ever reason, they spit the dummy, because of something that has happened during a production & feel their ego's won't allow them to return. So hopefully this will revert back to the group being the most important & the individual can still input, even when not connected to a production. Which in the past only those in the show, would front up each time a show was on, So they would have to start from scratch, building a production team. Where by with subcommittee in place, each director has aback up to call upon, for that aspect of the show. This might be like whistling into the wind or even whistling up a storm, now & then. But if we keep it close hauled to windward, it should be plane sailing from now on. While we hold a General meeting normally, once a month, this is open to all to attend. The sub committees can meet as when they need to any time. The chair of each of these committees report to the general membership, each month &/or make appropriate suggestion &/or motions, to the General Committee meeting as assembled. This way we can get around being bogged down on issues & off the wall rubbish. This can all be handled during the less formal subcommittees - hopefully?
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged