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RE: Bands and politics

David Lancaster wrote:

> 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.

Its good to split up the secretary role, in my experience the higher up the
sections the band is the more work for the secretary.  In my first bands
years ago it was usually one person doing everything, but in my last few the
role has been split, and is more manageable.

At B&R we are very well organised and have well-defined roles for a number
of people involved in the running of the band (who are generally on the
committee), which has to be the case as the band is run in a similar way to
a small business:

- general secretary - deals with promoters for concert bookings, CD
recordings, in contact with professional conductor, etc. and is extremely
busy.

- contest secretary - looks after registrations and fills in contest sheets.

- concert secretary - looks after the concerts we promote ourselves.

- patrons secretary - looks after our 'fan' club, such as subscriptions,
newsletters, concert tickets.

- treasurer - self explanatory.

- PR man - self explanatory.

- band chairman - gets stuck in as well, such as sorting out hotels,
flights, organising a variety of things.

- transport manager - to book coaches and take list of who gets on where.

- deps - one person to book them, another to pay them.

- uniforms - self explanatory.

- librarian - self explanatory.

- band sergeant - sorts us all out, makes sure stage is set up right on
concerts (like being in middle of stage, all stands at same height), and
sorting out the order that we go out onto the stage.

- ladies committee - for fund raising, sorting hotels out for contests (for
players & supporters), etc.

Then there are the 2 conductors (resident & professional) who have an input
into what goes on, and then the players themselves.

Only the PR man/patrons secretary roles, and the band sergeant/dep bookings
roles are doubled up by the same person, all the others are done by someone
different.

Lots of roles done by lots of different people, but it works very well.

Martin.


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