Washington State Federation of Music Clubs State President Job Description 2015 Written by Sally L. Palmer, WSFMC President 2013-2015 The NFMC publishes a document titled State President s Handbook and it is a free publication. This handbook will give you ideas from the National perspective. The job description I am providing is my perspective of the job after having served as State President. Meetings to attend: WSFMC General State Meetings: Two per year, September and April. These meetings are currently set up to take place on the last Saturday of September and the last Saturday of April. If the same format is kept, the meetings take approximately 1.5 hours to complete. Executive Committee Meetings as needed. One of the Executive Committee Meetings should be held in August to help prepare the budget for the upcoming year. Other meetings may be held for the purpose of planning and decision making. Other than the budget meeting, the current Executive Committee found it amenable to have meetings via emails and phone calls. NFMC Convention / Conference: each year the NFMC holds either a convention or a conference. Each State President is expected to attend this annual meeting. At the convention, the State Presidents are honored. If a President cannot make the convention/conference, a suitable substitute should be sent in her place, such as a vice-president or past president. Optional meetings / events to attend: If possible, it is nice to attend some of the Senior Club meetings. It gives you the opportunity to get to know the membership and leaders and possible chairman candidates. Preparation for meetings: General State Meetings: The State President takes the lead on preparing for these meetings. The President decides what she/he would like to have on the agenda. An example agenda is attached to this job description. This is the agenda I designed as President. It worked for us in keeping our General State meetings organized, efficient, and not lengthy. This is not a format that has to be followed. Executive Committee Meetings: A State President s responsibility for these meetings is usually the initiation of the meeting for a specific purpose. If the meeting is to be about the budget, then the Treasurer is enlisted to run the meeting. The State President would be a facilitator in this example. If the meeting is focused on finding new State Chairmen or planning a function, the President leads the meeting. NFMC Convention / Conference: A State President s responsibility when it comes to this convention is to show up and learn what he/she can, that will help strengthen, motivate, and inspire the state membership. At the NFMC Convention a State Summary of events and highlights is asked to be presented orally as well as in written form. For the Conference, it is only asked for in written form. Personal note: There is a lot of networking with fellow state and national leaders at convention / conference that is invaluable. And it is extremely helpful, as a new president, to attend a conference or convention and ask as many questions as possible. And there is a lot of opportunity for fun in the down time! The most important thing to remember about your attendance at Convention is that this is a NATIONAL organization, and geographically things are done differently. We don t always do things the way they are done in the South; nor does the Midwest always do things the way we do them. Sometimes National lumps us all into one in how things are done and that isn t always the case. It s important to remember that at convention.
Additional Responsibilities: Maintain a well-run Executive Committee Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, State Rep to the National Board. During my term, we opted for two vice-presidents, one to be over all Festival related issues, basically serving as the State Festival Chair, and one to be over all things related to Helen Crowe Snelling Competitions and Awards, which is specific to Washington State. Attached to this job description is how our Executive Committee is currently set up. Maintain and keep staffed a well-run Board of State Chairmen. There are nine divisions of the NFMC, and ultimately, it is nice to have a State Chairman over each of those nine divisions. That way the NFMC has a contact person in each state and the President does not have to receive all of the correspondence coming from National. Each one of these nine division chairman have the options of having a committee also. No job has to be done alone. Attached to this job description is how our board is currently set up. Promote membership, events, meeting attendance, and support and assist the Executive Committee, State Chairmen and Club Presidents. This requires checking in with members occasionally, teaching and encouraging, and being available when you can. Many things can be delegated if you have a well-run team of leaders and members who have been taught and trained and supported. NFMC is a resource you can use to help you do this job. Remember though, the people at the National Level are also folks just like you and I, and are volunteers, and also rely on training. It works best if we all help each other. Personal note: I have a tendency to over-do when I am in charge, and that is not necessary. I like all the personal touches and extra effort, but those things are not necessary to lead and run an organization. For instance, you do not have to have a luncheon and/or presentation at the conclusion of the General State Meetings. That was something I wanted to do to provide a time for teachers to share and be educated. Most importantly is to surround yourself with good people who catch your vision and are willing to work to help it become a reality. I will say it again, no job has to be done alone.
Washington State Federation of Music Clubs September State Meeting September 27, 2014 Newport Covenant Church AGENDA Call to Order Pledge of Allegiance Federation Collect Musical Presentation National Anthem Akemi Takahashi Akemi is a member of the Eastside Vocal Federated Music Club and a student of Nancy Bos. She is an 8 th grader attending Tillicum Middle School. Welcome Administrative Division President s Report Sally Palmer Secretary Report Sharon Millar Parliamentarian Carol Hibbard Finance Division Treasurer s Report Scott Reed Budget Approval State Roster Liability Insurance Executive Committee Reports: News from National Introduction New Club Presidents Judy Huehn Overlake Federated Music Club (NEW CLUB) Ellen Leapaldt Sally Palmer Committee Reports (If a committee report contains recommendations, these should be at the end of the report, and the reporting member should move that the recommendation(s) be adopted after discussion. No second is required for a recommendation from committee.) American Music Division Carol Champney Arts Division National Music Week Hallee Viniotis NMW Essay Contest Hallee Viniotis Music in Poetry Jeanne Ellis Competitions & Awards Division Helen Crowe Snelling Junior Composers Membership & Education Division Kerry Itami Sondra Hopper Sharon van Valin Sally Palmer Public Relations Division WSFMC Website Patty Pacelli Melody Lines Sharon Millar Student / Collegiate Division Ellen Leapaldt
Junior Division Festivals Patty Pacelli Gold Cups Sheri Skidmore Business Questions and comments pertaining to any of the given reports. Next State General Meeting: Saturday April 25, 2015 Newport Covenant Church LUNCH PRESENTATION The Federation Collect We praise and thank Thee, Father, for the gift of music. Through us, as channels of Thy grace, may this blessed legacy be shared with all mankind. Grant that we may exemplify in our own lives the harmony of Thy great purpose for us. Give us magnitude of soul, and such understanding hearts that we who make music may be as players upon rightly tuned instruments responding to Thy leading. Let us with renewed consecration dedicate ourselves to the purpose of our Federation, to bring the spiritualizing force of music to the inner life of our nation. Open our minds that divine knowledge and wisdom may teach us how best to execute our pledge. Mrs. Thomas J. Cole Excerpts from A Musical Ritual, Mrs. Frank A. Seiberling
2014 2015 Washington State Federation of Music Clubs Board WSFMC Executive Committee: Sally Palmer President Patty Pacelli Vice-President - Festival Sondra Hopper Vice-President HCS Competitions & Awards Sharon Millar Secretary Scott Reed Treasurer Ellen Leapaldt State Rep to National Board WSFMC Board of Directors: All members of the WSFMC Executive Committee Sally Palmer Membership & Education / Public Relations Patty Pacelli PR / Marketing assistant / Webmaster Patty Pacelli Junior Festival Chair Sheri Skidmore Festival Gold Cup Chair Sondra Hopper Helen Crowe Snelling Competitions / Scholarships Sharon Millar Communications / Melody Lines E-Newsletter Sharon van Valin Junior Composers Chair Jeanne Ellis National Poetry Contest Chair Hallee Viniotis National Music Week Chair (Essay Contest included) Ellen Leapaldt Student / Collegiate Division Carol Champney American Music Division Chair Kerry Itami Competitions & Awards Division Chair Nancy Bos State Historian Elizabeth Yusim Bellevue Federated Music Club President Megan Chenovick Eastside Vocal Federated Music Club President Amy Wolf Gourmet Music and Culture Club President Hallee Viniotis Greater Newcastle Music Club President Hingdi Brown Greater Seattle Music Club President Lynn Kohn Issaquah Music Club President Elizabeth Ackerman Mozart Federated Music Club President (Vancouver) Judy Huehn Overlake Federated Music Club President Tia Monsen Puyallup Music Club President Marilyn Jewell Sammamish Music Club Co-President Juli Johnson Sammamish Music Club Co-President Dan Schmitt Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra Junior Assoc. Club President Lianne Koko Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestras Junior Assoc. Club President Loma Cobbs Tacoma Youth Symphony Association Junior Assoc. Club President Trudi Jackson Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra Junior Assoc. Club President Krina Allison Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia Junior Assoc. Club President Committee Members: Hingdi Brown HCS Committee Youth symphonies, camps WSFMC Members holding National positions: Ellen Leapaldt Western Region Vice-President Hingdi Brown Marrowstone Summer Camp Representative