Running Your Theater: boards and membership

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boards and membership

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=5202
Printed Date: 5/01/24 at 2:44am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: boards and membership

Posted By: jayzehr
Subject: boards and membership
Date Posted: 11/08/11 at 11:48am

For many years our board of directors has been electing our own board members and officers. We do not have any "membership." We're revising our bylaws and there is discussion about developing a membership and having the them elect board members and officers. Is this the way most of you are doing it? Are we obligated to do it this way as a 501(c)3?

Replies:

Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 11/08/11 at 6:21pm

No lawyer here...

The boards I have served on all elect their own officers. The membership has not so voted.

Posted By: Thudster
Date Posted: 11/08/11 at 7:43pm

Same here. The board votes at the annual meeting.

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"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"

Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 11/09/11 at 9:59am

Our membership elect the board. The new board then elects the officers. This is the way our constitution was established. There has been talk of changing the rule to allow the membership to not only elect the board but have a greater say in the top positions, but this would require a constitutional chaange for us.

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Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 11/10/11 at 11:23pm

Membership elects the board, then the board elects the officers. I don't think 501(c)3 requires any particular procedure - simply there be an official procedure in place: bylaws, policies and procedures, etc. Anyway, we are 501(c)3 and we do the member>board>officer meme.

Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 11/18/11 at 3:36pm

Thanks for all the feedback!

Posted By: Oberon
Date Posted: 11/29/11 at 12:13pm

Our community theatre has a Nominating Committee who canvasses for the officers and board-members-at-large. A paper ballot election is held each January. From that democratic vote the positions are filled. So a committee has the rsponsiblity of finding candidates for the positions.