Page 25 - Bandmasters Review - 2017 June

Booster Clubs in an Accelerated Age

implementation of all public relations, marketing, the use of co-officers allows the fulfillment of the role
branding, and communications) with greater success and less stress on each volunteer.
• Co-Director/Revenue (Receives and disburses all monies Human nature creates a more willing response to take
indicated in the budget) on additional responsibility if they know they have
• Coordinators: (replaces Members at Large to represent someone to help them! It is significantly easier to enlist
each major division of the program and special expertise) volunteer help under this structure compared to that of
• Guard Coordinator (Guides and coordinates the the more traditional committee structure. The size of the
color guard area) organization should be the catalyst for how many “pieces of
• Percussion Coordinator (Guides and coordinates the puzzle” or different roles in the organizational chart are
the percussion area) necessary. Customizable digital resources are available in
• Volunteer Coordinator (Collects and Manages all Strategic Plans for a Successful Booster Club (Vandewalker,
data regarding Volunteer service) 2016b) providing clearly delineated role descriptions for
• Communications Coordinator (Website/E-mail/ how a growing, developing, or maximized program might
News/Social Media) facilitate an accelerated organizational chart.
• Chaperone Coordinator (Football games, This business-based booster structure takes pressure off
rehearsals, mini-camps, contest, festivals, and directors to do what they do best —teach students how to
other events requiring supervision, etc.) make music and cast a vision for the program. Additionally,
• Travel Coordinator (Local, Regional, National it allows volunteers to specifically know their roles and
travel to competitions and performances, spring empowers them to take control of their area of expertise
trips, etc.) generating a positive, healthy and productive environment
• Project Team Leaders (Lead organizer and manager for for the music program. In today’s accelerated world, there
each event, project or fund raiser) is no need for decorative booster organizations. The need is
for smart and effective volunteer organizations functioning
It is recommended that all positions be limited to as small businesses. The model described will serve you
one-year terms, with the ability to serve two consecutive well in today’s accelerated market place.
terms. If the need arises for a person to serve a third term,
the board of directors can vote to suspend the bylaws to Tell your band boosters about
accommodate the need (see Roberts Rules of Order). Note, Dr. David W. Vandewalker’s presentation:
with the co-director system indicated above, volunteers “Strategic Plans for a Successful Booster Club ”
teaming or pairing roles for two consecutive terms allows Friday, July 21, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
$ 100 per school / no limit to number of attendees
for staging the years of service so that one of the co-officers Sponsored by Conn-Selmer, Inc.
has served in each capacity for one year while electing a Download the booster registration form from the
new person to the other slot of the co-officer role. This TBA website and mail it in with payment. Boosters may
rotation allows one volunteer to train and aid a new person also register at the Convention/Clinic this summer.
for a year before they serve their second term. Additionally,
References:
Friedman, T.L. (2016). Thank you for being late. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Rivers, F. (2016) Earth psalms. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
Robert, H. M., Robert, S. C., & Honemann, D. H. (2011). Robert’s rules of order newly revised. Da Capo Press.
Vandewalker, D.W. (2016). Boosters to the Rescue. Chicago: GIA Publications.
Vandewalker, D.W. (2016). Strategic plans for a successful booster club. Chicago: GIA Publications.

Bandmasters Review • June 2017 23 Texas Bandmasters Association