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Accent on management
by Ken Emerso n Executive Director, National Club Association
W h e n a member is elected to his room is perfectly all right for a man and are requested to select
club board or accepts a committee meeting. Such items as acoustics, your committee members, your
assignment he becomes a represen- seating, ventilation, lighting, tele- club manager can help you tre-
tative of the entire membership. His phones and accessibility usually mendously with this task by point-
responsibilities are both legal and occur to them after a meeting has ing out individuals who will fit into
personal, and, while he can delegate been a complete flop due to inat- your particular committee and have
many of them, he cannot avoid his tention to these details. some knowledge of the subject you
ultimate responsibility of steward- Here are a few simple rules to are to consider.
ship to his fellow members. follow in selecting your meeting Put people on your committee
Whether he realizes it or not, room. Follow them and you'll find who have sufficient experience and
when he accepts his appointment a good part of your job completed a working knowledge of the sub-
he also assumes a considerable with a strong possibility of having ject and of the club. Should you
workload. He must attend meetings a successful session. fail to do so, the entire burden of
regularly, be present at the social 1. Select a room easily reached directing and leading your group
and athletic functions of the c l u b - by those attending. Be sure the will fall on you—an unnecessary
especially those with which he is time is convenient. load.
directly involved—and spend a great 2. Avoid distractions. Interrupt
deal of his personal time consider- your meeting with distracting SPECIAL MEETINGS
ing matters of policy and informing street noises or a clear view In planning your meeting, develop
himself of club activities. out of the window into inter- an agenda and ask your club man-
Most members begin their club esting scenes, and you'll have ager to issue it to the committee
service careers at the committee all the competition you can members well in advance of the
level. As a committeeman, he has handle in trying to keep the meeting. Be sure your agenda plain-
his first real contact with the nitty- group's thinking on the beam. ly states the time and place of the
gritty of club operations. Though 3. And please remember ventila- meeting. Follow this with a care-
his efforts may go unheralded and tion. A hot, smoke-filled room fully drawn list of subjects to be
unrecognized, his decision may well doesn't improve attention or discussed and the goals you must
affect the future of his club for tempers. reach.
years to come. 4. See that the place is well- The importance of having an
Equally important, how he's al- lighted and that the lights are agenda can't be overstressed. At-
owed to conduct his club duties— on before the meeting. tempting to hold a meeting with-
and the guidance he receives while 5. The ideal room is slightly longer out an agenda is like trying to find
conducting them—will influence his than wide, should not be cut your way in a strange city without
opinion of clubdom for an even up with columns and other a map. To call a meeting with an
longer period. The following is of- obstructions. Its size should be attitude of, " W e l l , boys, here we
fered to prepare you, the new ap- sufficient to comfortably ac- are; what are we going to talk
pointee, for these duties. commodate the group, but not a b o u t ? " will buy you a meeting
so large as to swallow them that will accomplish nothing.
PLANNING THE MEETING in a vast space. B e sure to have someone present
Whether you are a member of a 6. If you are meeting around a at the meeting who is familiar with
special or a standing committee, table, see that the table is there t h e various s u b j e c t s to be dis-
the problem of planning a meeting beforehand and a sufficient cussed. Better yet, get an expert.
will always confront the chairman. n u m b e r of c h a i r s to meet Notify these people well in ad-
Here are a few things to consider requirements. vance of the role they are to play
if you want a successful meeting. at the meeting and make certain
SPECIAL COMMITTEES that each comes prepared to dis-
THE R O O M You can't have a successful meet- cuss his particular subject.
Too many committee chairmen ing without proper individuals on After the presentations, when
seem to think that any kind of a your committee. If you are chair- your group is somewhat familiar
Continued on page 80
HERE ARE YOUR
Emerson Continued from page 26 meeting unless you have an agenda BUCKNER PROFESSIONALS
or outline. Issue this to the members
ALABAMA MISSOURI
with various phases o f the subjects, before the meeting so they will be McGowin-Lyons Hardware Bechmann Distributing
open it up for discussion among familar with the subjects that are & Supply Company Company
M o b i l e ( 2 0 5 ) HE 2 - 8 7 2 1 St. Louis (314) WY 3-4490
the entire committee. to be discussed and can offer sug- A. E. Robison, Inc.
Kansas City
T o call a meeting without an gestions regarding others that ARIZONA (816) BA 1-3990
Keenan Pipe and Supply
agenda and to open the subject to should be considered. Co. NEBRASKA
Tucson (606) 792-3000
discussion among people complete- Turf Irrigation & Water
Big Bear Equipment, Inc.
Omaha (402) 393-2220
ly unfamiliar with it, is a total waste COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Works Supply
Phoenix (602) 276-2451
o f time and you may well end up During your term as chairman of NEVADA
with no solution at all. a committee, your most constant ARKANSAS
Arlington Nursery
Reno (702) FA 3-4463
help will c o m e from your club Capital Equipment Co.
Little Rock (501) FR 2-7115
Las Vegas Fertilizer Co.,
Inc.
STANDING COMMITTEES manager and from your club office. North Las Vegas
(702) 649-1551
This isn't quite so involved a Many of your plans can and should CALIFORNIA
American Sprinkler &
process as planning the special be built in conjunction with him. Supply
N E W JERSEY
Los Angeles (213) 223-2424 Lewis W. Barton Company
committee meeting. Even here Your manager and his staff are Controlled Irrigation Haddonfield
(609) HA 9-6500
though, you are usually consider- thoroughly familiar with your club Fresno (209) 222-4843
Emerald Irrigation Supply Halco Chemical Company
ing routine subjects, so prepared- and its problems, and have the abil- Co. Kenilworth (201) BR 6-3298
Salinas (408) 422-9026
ness will pay off. ity to lighten the load you will be Ewing Turf Products NEW MEXICO
San Leandro (415) 357-9530 Albuquerque Chemical
K n o w in advance precisely what carrying. Ewing Turf Products Company
Sacramento (916) 922-5618 Albuquerque
you want your meeting to cover In working with the manager, it Irrigation & Plumbing (505) 247-2321
and do sufficient research to enable is a good idea to handle all action Supply
Santa Maria (805) N E W YORK
you to predict the probable answer. through his office. B y keeping him WA 2-3512
Kern Turf Supply, Inc.
Grassland Equipment &
You should plan to solve a prob- informed and familiar with your Bakersfield (805) FA 7-4048 Irrigation
Latham (518) ST 5-5841
lem—not merely hold a meeting. activities and committee progress Halco Chemical Company
COLORADO Glen Head, L. I.
Treat your members as resources he will be able to give advice on Colorado Western (516) OR 6-2727
that will help you reach the solution all types of procedures based on Distributing Co.
Grand Junction NORTH CAROLINA
and the meeting as the bridge that his broad experience. The club of- (303) 242-0556 E. J. Smith & Sons, Co.
The Warner Company, Inc. Charlotte (702) 333-4141
gets you there. fice has mailing lists and informa- Denver (303) FL 5-7371
Don't attempt to call a committee tion that will save you and your OHIO
CONNECTICUT Sprinkler Irrigation Supply
committee, and your personal busi- Hartford Equipment Covington (513) 473-7567
MODEL 100 ness staff, many hours of unneces- Company
Hartford (203) JA 7-1142 OKLAHOMA
Front End sary labor. Southwest Irrigation
Company
Thatcher FLORIDA
Tulsa (918) NA 7-7272
Russell Daniel Irrigation
COMMITTEE MEMBERS Co.
Hialeah (305) 888-6901 OREGON
Your committee chairman isn't Hector Turf & Garden United Pipe & Supply Co.
faced with an easy j o b of presiding Supply
Miami (305) OX 1-8800
Eugene (503) 688-6511
United Pipe & Supply Co.
at your meetings and guiding them Peninsular Supply Portland (503) 281-0058
Company
to a successful conclusion where Fort Lauderdale TENNESSEE
(305) 524-3611
a definite decision is reached, or Southern Mill Creek
Ernest Hardison Seed Co.
Nashville (615) AL 6-2659
Now! RAKE positive action taken that is benefi-
cial to your organization. You can
Products
Tampa (813) 626-2111 Uticon Co., Inc.
Memphis (901) 391-9093
MODEL 40 help him considerably, and at the GEORGIA TEXAS
Russell Daniel Irrigation Goldthwaite's of Texas,
Vacuum same time save yourself the agony Co. Inc.
Dallas, Fort Worth,
Sweeper of attending a pointless and chaotic Athens (404) LI 6-0168 Houston, San Antonio
meeting, by observing the following Momsen, Dunnegan, Ryan
El Paso (915) 533-1621
suggestions: ILLINOIS
Sprinkler (312) 469-8730
Glen Ellyn Irrigation Supply
UTAH
1. If an agenda is issued prior to INDIANA
Conely Company
Sprinkler Irrigation Supply
the meeting, study it carefully. Glen Ellyn, III. Salt Lake City
(801) HU 4-5208
If there is any item on it you (312) 469-8730
don't completely understand, KENTUCKY
VIRGINIA
R. P. Johnson Sons, Inc.
contact the club manager and
MOW- ^ X ask him to familiarize you
Irrigation Supply Company
Louisville (502) 585-4840
Wytheville (703) 228-2136
WASHINGTON
with the s u b j e c t .
VACUUM 2. Learn the e x a c t purpose of
MARYLAND
Lewis W. Barton Company
Simpsonville 531-5051
Poison Company
Seattle (206) MA 2-2891
Poison Company
In One Operation! the meeting and determine in
advance what you are going MASSACHUSETTS
Spokane (509) FA 7-9571
WEST V I R G I N I A
OR The Clapper Company
S E E Y O U R TRACTOR DEALER
WRITE:
to do about it. West Newton
Young Feed and Seed Co.
Charleston (304) DI 2-2104
fíA/f£\nc
(617) Bl 4-7900
3. During the meeting stick to
WISCONSIN
the agenda. Offering subjects MICHIGAN
Sprinkler Irrigation Supply
P. O. BOX 295 for discussion not contained Sprinkler Irrigation Supply Glen Ellyn, III.
Royal Oak (313) LI 8-7272 (312) 469-8730
LEBANON, INDIANA 46052 in it impedes the meeting.
For more information circle number 238 on card Continued on page 82 MINNESOTA CANADA
Milsco Engineering Inc. Pacific Irrigation Ltd.
Minneapolis (612) 724-3655 Vancouver (604) 682-6132
Emerson Continued from page 80 Somebody may have forgot- summarize their convictions
ten your objective before you in a direct conclusion. This
Wait until the chairman asks have finished. permits a more thorough ex-
for discussion on subjects not 10. Aimless discussion may arise amination of the idea that
appearing on the agenda. on subjects requiring further could be highly constructive
4. Keep your responses short information. Stop them with a when completely understood.
and to the point—you're not motion—a group be appointed 15. Hurriedly passed motions (to
there to deliver an oration. to study the subject. This is get the thing over with) usu-
5. When you speak, do it clearly v one of the best methods of ally don't receive the consid-
in a voice everyone can hear. cutting a meeting short and eration they deserve. Better
Make certain everyone is lis- adjourning on time. leave them until the next
tening—you c a n ' t offer your 11. Don't hesitate to comment, meeting than to pass amotion
remarks against a half-dozen criticize constructively or dis- you will regret later.
side conversations. agree. K n o w your subject and 16. After the meeting ask yourself
6. Side conversations are poor ask for support from members if you made a genuine contri-
taste and slow the meeting. who believe as you do. bution to the advancement of
You are there to speak be- 12. If you disagree with the speak- your club. If you're in doubt,
fore the group. This doesn't er, ask questions. Make him ask the club manager. He can
require hoarse whispers to c o m p l e t e l y c l a r i f y his r e - give you an accurate opinion.
the person sitting next to you. marks—pinpoint them on a H e ' s lived through many
7. When speaking, talk to the direct resume everyone can meetings and consulted with
group. Remarks addressed to understand. many committee members.
your friend across the table 13. If you have a comment, ask Adherence to these rules will not
exclude the rest. for the floor. Don't enter into lessen your responsibilities, but it
8. If you think some of your re- a general hubbub. What you will enable you to discharge them
marks escaped the others, re- have to say is a genuine con- more efficiently—and enjoy it. Al-
peat them. tribution—don't lose it in con- though being on a committee may
9. If your remarks are lengthy fused conversation. not be a surefire beginning to club
or involved, sum them up at 14. There may be dissenters on leadership, it is a pretty fair step-
the end of your discussion. some subjects. Ask them to ping stone. Take it with care. •
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