Open Forum

 View Only

  • 1.  Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

    Posted 04-18-2022 09:39

    I tried to find an answer by search but couldn't come up with what I'm looking for.  

    I, along with I'm sure many of you, have had a rough past year with students performing their expected duties.  But board members, and regular participants in shows.  

    We are coming up on "nominations of officers" in May.  Is there anything in the ITS rules regarding the structure of a student board?  And how they are elected/appointed?  Most of the students running are current officers who did not perform as needed and as many people have stated, it's a popularity contest.  

    I'm just looking to see what HAS to be done based on being a thespian troupe and what rules must be followed.  

    To be honest, I'd love to just eliminate the entire election process this year and have everyone apply for an appointed position.  But I can't find what's allowed.  

    Thanks in advance for your replies.  



    ------------------------------
    Chuck Yarmey
    Advisor/Technical Director
    Wyoming Area Drama Club
    Thespian Troupe 4795
    Exeter PA
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

    Posted 04-20-2022 07:58
    Our officer elections had also become a popularity contest, leaving me with an often overly-busy and non-committed group of "leaders".  For last spring's election, we converted to a Thespian Leadership Council (TLC) of seven people.  Interested students wrote a statement on why they wanted to be on the TLC. These statements were posted (without names) on a Google Form ballot and members of the troupe voted. This worked well for us, as students were voting for a message/plan and not a name or face.  I ended up with five seniors and two juniors on TLC.  It has been very effective and no one feels their voice is greater or lesser because of an office title.  Email me if you would like more details.  Hope all goes well for you!

    ------------------------------
    Makala Witten
    Director, Troupe 3070
    Christiansburg High School
    Christiansburg, VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

    Posted 04-20-2022 09:15
    I'm pretty certain you're allowed to structure your leadership however you want. You can even make the choice yourself and appoint students instead of having elections if you think that is what is best.

    ------------------------------
    Ken Buswell
    Drama Teacher
    Peachtree City, GA
    http://mcintoshtheater.org/

    Theater kills ignorance
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

    Posted 04-20-2022 09:32
    Charles,

    Thank you for your question about Troupe Officers. I would direct you to theTroupe Officers section of the Troupe Handbook for our official guidance. What you're going to find is that we really leave it up to you to structure in the way that works best for your program. My hope and expectation is that your peers will provide you with the best support and guidance through this thread.

    If there's anything else we can support you with, please let us know by emailing MEMBERS@schooltheatre.org.

    Thank you for shaping lives through theatre education!

    ------------------------------
    Hans Weichhart
    Chief Membership Officer
    Educational Theatre Association
    OH
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

    Posted 04-20-2022 15:56
    Thank you all for the guidance.  It gives me many options and a lot to consider.

    ------------------------------
    Chuck Yarmey
    Advisor/Technical Director
    Wyoming Area Drama Club
    Thespian Troupe 4795
    Exeter PA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

    Posted 04-21-2022 06:00

    I do officer positions by thespian points: hardest-working students earn leadership positions.  Then, everyone knows it's based off their consistent  effort, not popularity.  Works well for us and gets me lots of help without begging; you ought to see the response I get when I post a work-day or tech position.  
    Makes them a little point-grubby, but they know from freshman year, that you can hustle and earn a leadership role. 



    ------------------------------
    Jessica Fox
    Troupe Director
    Gulliver Preparatory School
    FL
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

    Posted 04-21-2022 07:50
    Here's what I do:

    I have students fill out a lengthy application, and then I hold interviews for the applicants with my graduating officers. I listen to & consider the feedback from those graduating officers, and then I choose my board of officers from there. All students know that it is ultimately my decision. I have found the lengthy application weeds out some of those who aren't seriously interested, and I also get some good info from the candidates for the interviews. I share these applications with my graduating officers, and I'm the only one who knows the new board until I announce it at our May Induction Ceremony. All of this has been amended in our bylaws.

    ------------------------------
    Susan Nieten
    Theatre Teacher, Spring Play Director,
    & Thespian Troupe Director
    at Noblesville High School (Noblesville, IN)

    Twitter: @mrsnieten
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

    Posted 04-21-2022 09:28
    I tinkered with my officer structure over the years and ended up adding a couple of positions that worked well in our school's system. Ours was a straight election with nominations from the floor and then a balloting process. We too ended up with the popularity contest giving us a poor slate of officers one year. The year after that, we amended the Thespian Constitution to allow for the recall of officers and laying out the criteria and processes for that. I'm happy to say we never had that problem again.

    Our officers were.

    President
    Vice-President
    Secretary
    Treasurer
    Historian
    Booster Liaison
    and State Thespian Liaison

    ------------------------------
    Robert Smith
    VA Co-Chapter Director
    Virginia Thespians
    Centreville VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

    Posted 04-22-2022 10:16
    One of the best changes I made was to elect in the fall, instead of the spring.  I found seniors in particular change their attitude too much over the summer.  I meet with the students for the next year in May to discuss requirements and give them the summer to think or campaign or whatever they want to do.  In the fall, we start with a presentation on the expectations for each positions and my personal requirements, and then do a traditional secret ballot vote.  We still have the occasional popularity contest - like this year - but I've had much higher engagement. I also make it clear that leaders are the ones who take action, and not just elected positions, and that I will work with the people who want to work, and reward them regardless of their title.

    I also require that officers are in a theater class, in good standing with myself and the school, and we wrote a clause that officers who are not attending meetings or their duties can be replaced.  I've only ever had to do it once, but I make sure to structure the roles as work positions for the year, so they know it's a serious obligation.

    ------------------------------
    Richard Fairchild
    Arcadia High School
    AZ
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


Related Content