Friday, April 18, 2008

Board of Directors

Many civic groups and membership corporations have a system of leadership in which a Board of Directors is choosen from the ranks of the members. An executive committee or officers are then selected from those that serve as directors. This is probably the model with which most folks in our community are familiar.

At the time the Bath High School Preservation was chartered, it had no members. One objective of setting up the corporation and quickly obtaining non-profit status was to ensure that any donations were tax deductable to the donor. Credibility with agencies offering grants and issuing permits was another consideration. It was also important to remain nimble and flexible in reacting to the then overshadowing issue of demolition. With all things considered, the attorney and founders chose a system of leadership that borrowed from the business corporate model rather than the civic group model.

There would be a group of officers that lived and worked in the community or nearby. They would take care of the day to day business of the corporation. These officers would be selected by a board of directors and would carry out the general directions of the board. Directors would not necessarily be people that had the time or inclination to be involved with the details of permits, checks and postage. They would be selected based on their experience and influence. They would be knowledgable and capable of advising the officers and assistants on strategies and actions to take to advance the cause of preserving the building. They would also have contacts and influence with elected officials, granting agencies, and other community groups. Because they would not necessarily be involved in day to day operations, they could also be people that lived outside the community or sought to enjoy retirement.

In essence the Board of Directors was to be a group that could relax and focus on the big picture rather than squint at the details and demands of particular tasks.


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