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RE: Bands and politics

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Bands and politics
From: "David Lancaster" <d.lancaster@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 12:12:04 GMT
In-reply-to: <AF1FBFA40D1BD1118B3900805F852EBC24BDD3@UHURA>
Organization: UCRYSJ
Priority: normal
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Claire wrote:

> Band Politics !
> 
> well yeah I just recently joined our band committee and have put alot of
> work into fundraising ideas, its not until you get to committee you
> realise that so much bitching and  goes on !!!
> 
> My advice - Stay well away unless you like arguing ! !
> 
I don't think it has to be like that.   In my experience part of the 
problem is that one person takes on/is given so much responsibility 
(usually as Secretary) that they either end up feeling that they own 
the band or that they are indispensible - sometimes they are - 
but either way they can leave themselves open to considerable flak 
attacks.  This also probably results in secretary 'burn out' - they 
do the job for one year and then hand it on to someone else at the 
AGM, resulting in a lack of continuity.   

We've divided the role into three: general secretary (who accepts 
engagements and deals with general correspondence), assistant 
secretary (who deals with membership and contest issues) and 
bandmaster who takes care of transport arrangements - getting gear 
and bodies, including any dep. players, to the gigs on time.  It 
seems to work and all three have been in post for five years or more 
- spreading the workload gets more people involved.

The committee's relationship with the conductor is also a crucial 
one.  If you are happy with your conductor and want to keep him/her, 
surely the committee should see it as part of their role to support 
him and the musical decisions that he makes as part of a two-way 
process of discussion.   I've been involved in bands in the past 
where the conductor was excluded from the decision-making process and 
only informed of the committee's decisions after the event.  
Nightmare!

David

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References:
- RE: Many thanks and politics
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