Some of our KMMC members
have asked about how we operate; how decisions are made about the music
we sing, the venues where we sing, and even how selections are made for
membership on the Steering Committee. I'll try to shed a bit of
light on those questions.
The Steering Committee is the governing board of our Kansas
Mennonite Men's Chorus. It is composed of members of The Chorus who
each have an area of emphasis ranging from "Member at Large," to
"President" and "Past President."
All Steering Committee members are elected by the sitting members of
The Committee, and serve at the will of the rest of the panel. Terms
are typically 3 year terms. Our bylaws indicate a guideline of a two
term limit -- or "at the will of the Committee." Often, we aren't able
to obtain the interested parties for a position, and the "incumbent"
serves on. For example, the Membership Chairman and the Treasurer
especially find themselves serving well beyond six years. A recent
Membership Chair served for over 9 years. A Treasurer might well serve
on and on until a qualified and willing person is found to replace him.
Generally, Steering Committee members need to have sung with us for at
least one year before election into the governance of The Chorus.
Specific areas of Steering Committee responsibility are listed below:
President -- serving
one two-year term:
The President moves into the office after serving
in the position of President Elect. This officer should have sung
with the chorus for no less than one year and served on the Steering Committee for at least one year.
President Elect --
Elected by the Steering Committee Membership, with any available input
from members of KMMC, and
serving up to two years before entering the office of President:
For
various reasons, a two year
preference often doesn't work out. We try to select Committee members
who have the skill to move into the Presidency so that when a new
President Elect is needed, we can promote them from within.
Occasionally, we have such a good candidate who sings in KMMC and who
has such leadership skills that we elect him directly from KMMC member
into President Elect.
Past President -- serving
one year past his presidency: It was a wise decision by the founders of
KMMC to include the Past President on the Steering Committee. This
helps provide continuity and clarity to the ongoing governance of the
Chorus.
