In this letter to members published in its October newsletter, Farmington Country Club explains the importance of committee service as well as the function and role of club committees.
Committee service is an excellent opportunity to gain governance experience and develop qualifications as a candidate for board service. Committees have direct input into the development of plans, priorities and strategies for our wide variety of facilities and member services for all constituencies at the club. In October of each year, Farmington begins accepting candidate nominations for both Advisory and Standing Committees.
Resident members and their spouses interested in serving the club are encouraged to volunteer for the committee of their interest. In recent years, the club has been fortunate to see a spike in interest to serve. Interested members are encouraged to resubmit an offer to serve each year should they not be selected for one of the open committee positions. The club relies heavily on the work of committees to achieve its goals, and while the club may be unable to accommodate every person who applies, the Nominating Committee and the Board do their best to develop diverse, balanced committees such that all constituencies of the club are fairly represented.
Committees are involved in the programming for member events and socials that pertain to the committee’s area of focus; committee members are highly encouraged to partake in these club events. All committee recommendations and advice to the board are reviewed with the 3R’s (Recruitment, Relevance, Retention) in mind. It is important to note that committees are advisory in nature, and are encouraged to make recommendations that support the goals of the Board and the mission of the club. Additionally, committees provide a vital communication link between the membership at large and the board.
It is through committee service that the club is able to identify future leaders of the club. Best practices in club governance recommends that service at the committee level be a prerequisite to being nominated for board service. Understanding how the club operates and having experience at the committee level benefits newly elected board directors. Farmington’s goal is to strongly encourage committee service as a prerequisite for board service. Committee service provides the cornerstone in the development of successful future directors for our club. Even if you do not have a desire to serve at the board level, committee members embody the desire to serve in a capacity that benefits the club as a whole.
The Committee Service Offer form is available for download from the club’s website farmingtoncc.com. The deadline to submit your Service Offer for the 2018 committee service year is January 2, 2018. Please watch your e-mail for an E-Bulletin from the club this month pertaining to board service and the upcoming Open Nomination Period (October 15 – 30) for potential board candidates.
Reprinted with permission from The Club Circle, Farmington Country Club, Charlottesville, Va., October 2017. Watch for the fall 2017 issue of Club Trends, which will focus on trends in club governance and leadership.