[TheForge] Questions regarding group leadership

[Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer]

Classy arrangement...i like it Bruce!
Pete f

Bruce Freeman wrote:
> I would like to put a bug in peoples ear that
> sometimes the best way to lead is not to.
> 
> Altogether too many people in positions of leadership
> get the impression that everyone is waiting for them
> to take the lead.  My impression is that mostly
> they're wanting you to get out of their way so that
> they can do what they want.
> 
> A typical organization has a president, one or more
> vice presidents, maybe a past president and an
> incoming president, treasurer, chairman of membership,
> ways and means, programs, etc., etc., ad naseum.  Each
> one has his little fiefdom which he either runs or
> doesn't.  If he doesn't, he blocks progress.  But if
> he runs it, he probably runs it to his pleasure and no
> one else's.  (Part of the problem, of course, is that
> these chairmen  amount to committees of one in most
> organizations, i.e., officers.)
> 
> When I wrote the NJBA bylaws, I took those ideas into
> account.  We have no officers, just directors.  That
> way no one can get in the way of progress.  No
> "program chairman" can stop us from having good
> programs.  No "president" can strut his stuff and get
> in the way of the organization working to the benefit
> of its members.
> 
> Once a year we have an elections meeting.  Typically,
> we just reelect the current slate of directors, but
> any member can move that the elections be run
> separately for each director.  Anyone can
> self-nominate.  There's no limit to the number on the
> board, so no one is ever defeated in an election
> (though separate elections for each director would
> permit that if necessary).
> 
> Between elections meetings, the board can elect new
> directors for terms ending at the next elections
> meeting.  Hence, the minute we spot an active member,
> we draft him onto the board (so to speak) and involve
> him.  As a result we have a board of about 15
> directors, of whom we almost always get a quorum of
> 1/3 at board meetings.  We have one director who
> considered resigning a few years back when he got on
> the board of Peters Valley - because he didn't think
> he'd have time for both.  I told him not to be silly -
> being on the board of PV WAS an NJBA activity as far
> as I was concerned!
> 
> What happens in an organization like ours is that you
> get essentially two levels of membership, not based on
> privilege, but on interest.  Most of our members hang
> back, read the newsletter, attend meetings either
> frequently or occassionally, but show little or no
> interest to do more.  Then there are those of us who
> are more active, arranging programs or putting on
> workshops for our monthly membership meetings, running
> or assisting at our weekly open forge meetings, etc. 
> (Kind of a club within a club, but NOT an exclusive
> one.) Yet with fifteen directors, this proves not to
> be very much work for any of us.
> 
> In short, by letting interested people contribute in
> ways they're interested in, we have a very dynamic
> group and seem to well please the membership.
> 
> Bruce
> NJ
> 
> 
> --- David Childress <trollkeep at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> I realize that I am a little slow on this Thread,
>> but I am also
>> running for the Board of our Statewide
>> Association.(Indiana)  I know
>> what the Members that I regualerly see would like to
>> see change and I
>> have a vision of a goal, that everyone at least will
>> someday know
>> someone who practices our craft.  This will require
>> many new
>> blacksmiths and many more visiable blacksmiths.  I
>> would like to be
>> able to go to Menards and buy a pair of tongs
>> because there is enough
>> demand to make it worth their while to carry tongs. 
>> How to do this I
>> only begin to know but I am willing to try.  Any
>> suggestion How?
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
> http://mail.yahoo.com 
> _______________________________________________
> Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> theforge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> password:  anvil
> ___________
> 
> 
>