The community choir that I direct has a board meeting on a different night from the choir rehearsal - once per month.  The meetings usually last about 90 minutes.  There is also a fundraising committee that meets once per month on a different night from the board.  The schedule it typically - Rehearsals every Monday, 7:30  - 9:30 PM; Board meeting on the First Tuesday 7:30 -  9:00 PM, Fundraising on the Third Tuesday from 7:30 - 8:30 PM.  We also have a board retreat usually on a Saturday or Sunday in July when the board gets together for a morning and afternoon meeting with a luncheon in between.  The purpose of this retreat is planning the overall year, and long-term planning.

 

SJS

Voices in Harmony

I sing with The St. Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra of New York City (www.stceciliachorus.org)a large amateur chorus and, despite it's name, an entirely secular one.  I am also a member of the Board of Directors.  We meet one evening a month from 7:30 to 10 pm. In addition, we have a full day offsite meeting every fall to review progress on our long-range strategic plans and to discuss various aspects of the coming year.

We meet once a month, 7:30-10pm (or as long as necessary) not on a rehearsal night.  We  also hold "emergency meetings" during rehearsal break, when needed for a specific issue.

I'm with Tom on the incredible importance of managing community choirs well - one of my other "hats" is with the BC Choral Federation, and our regular management workshops stress the importance of a properly constituted Board, and due diligence in meetings, for everyone's protection.

 

My own choir meets once a month for a minimum 2-hour meeting; the Exec meets in between, as needed, as do the sub-committees.

 

I think the problem we all have to deal with is that people feel they've signed up to come and sing music on Tuesday night (or whenever) - that this is their release from business, and they don't want to have to work on anything except the music. Being really clear about terms of office is one of the best ways to bring folks on Board. I always suggest at workshops that it's made clear that you're not expecting people to sign on for life. A two year term is reasonable - people are less reluctant to take on Board responsibility if they know it's for a defined period. Best of all is a period to learn, a period to do, and a period to train your successor - whether that's a year or two years at a time.

 

Brigid Coult

Richmond Chorus

BC Choral Federation

Dear Ms. Neumann:

 

The previous respondents have given you excellent examples of the

type of time commitment a board must make to ensure artistic and

organizational success--once a month for at least two hours on a

non-rehearsal night would be the minimum necessary.

 

It occurred to me that instituting a large-scale project might be the

way to get them to rethink their approach to board meetings--for

example: do you have a strategic plan?--or if you have one, is it time

to revise or expand it?--were you to get them to begin such a plan,

or revise an existing plan, it would require more meeting time--which

after several months of doing so would then become the norm into

the future.

 

Best wishes for your work with both the board and chorus.

 

 

Cordially,

 

Thomas Sheets, D.M.A.

Mary, I was a nonprofit management and liability consultant for several years, and I can tell you firsthand that one of the greatest risks to an organization is the laid back attitude their boards tend to have regarding their management responsibilities.  501(c)(3) organizations are ACTUAL corporations, and the boards of directors are ACTUALLY responsible for the management of those organizations.

 

Should one of the organization's constituents decide that the board has failed in its duty of management, it's much more difficult for a lawsuit to pierce the corporate shield in a nonprofit, but NOT impossible.  Your board of directors is responsible for the management of the corporation, and "We never got to discussing that in our board meeting" is not a defense.

 

Sorry to rant, but I've seen organizations (as well as directors as individuals) find themselves in a world of hurt when they have taken their management responsibilities too lightly.

 

Tom