Fort Erie Museum Board - 2004

Bill Kieffer, Chair

Gary Haines, Treasurer

Laura Fair-Schulz, Secretary

Axel Fair-Schulz

Tim Haggerty

Tom Haines

Dennis Wedon

Councillor Paul Fell

Fort Erie Museum Board¹s Role, Responsibilities and Functions

Role:
The role of the Board of Directors is accountability for and authority over the management of Fort Erie¹s Museums.

Responsibilities:
1. Establishing and implementing the museums¹ purpose or mission.
2. Setting the rate of progress which the museums will undertake in achieving its purpose.
3. Providing continuity for the management and administration of the museums¹ affairs.
4. Confirming the museums¹ identity within the community.

Functions
The Board will carry out its responsibilities through the following functions:
1. Its purpose through policy governance.
2. Progress through program governance.
3. Continuity through financial and personnel management.
4. Identity through advocacy management.

Policy Governance Function
€ Establishes framework policies defining what the museum is, why it exists, its values and
its vision of a desired future. This would include belief and mission statements.
€ Establishes governance policies which describe how the Board will govern and organize
its work. These governance policies would clearly indicate the assigned roles,
responsibilities and functions of the Board. The organizational structure and reporting
relationships and the Board¹s process for policy-making would be clarified through these
governance policies.
€ Establishes operational policies in each of the other four key functions: financial,
personnel, program and advocacy.
€ Establishes policies on how the Board will resolve issues which are not covered by
any of the above policies.
€ Prepares and updates the Board policy manual.

Program Governance Function
€ Establishes and implements a program planning cycle.
€ Prepares short-and long-term program planning statements.
€ Establishes the percentage of the museums¹ resources that will be utilized for programs
and services.
€ Monitors and evaluates programs and services.

Financial Management Function
€ Establishes the budget and financial reporting system.
€ Monitors the revenues and expenditures of the organization.
€ Oversees and participates in fundraising activities.
€ Manages the assets of the organization.

Personnel Management Function
€ Defines the role, responsibilities and functions of the Board members, Administrator, and
program volunteers.
€ Oversees the orientation, training, and evaluation of Board members.
€ Oversees the recruitment, selection, orientation, training, evaluation and, if necessary, the
firing of the Administrator.

Advocacy Management Function
€ Develops community awareness of the unique mission of the museums.
€ Represents the organization to the community, governments, foundations, corporations
and other funding agencies.
€ Monitors government legislation and advises government officials on the impact of
current and proposed policies.
€ Participates in issues clarification and resolution.

Appointment of Fort Erie Museum Board Members

The mission statement of the Town of Fort Erie is "to create and maintain an environment which encourages public participation in community life, provides opportunities for planned growth and development, and delivers desired services in a fair, efficient and effective fashion."

The Fort Erie Historical Museum, Ridgeway Battlefield Museum and Fort Erie Railroad Museum have been in operation since 1972.

By-Law No. 291-88 passed by the Municipal Corporation of the Town of Fort Erie on December 12, 1988 established the Fort Erie Museum Board to oversee the operations of these three municipal museums.

Board members are appointed by Town Council for a three-year term following a public recruitment process overseen by the Clerk¹s Department. Members can be appointed by Council for an infinite numbers of terms. A matrix, showing skills and attributes needed for an effective Museum Board guides this selection process.

The administration of the museums¹ operations has evolved over the past 31 years‹
-from a co-operative in 1972 (the services were delivered by the volunteers on the board);
-to a traditional working board (as summer staff were hired);
-to a policy board in 1987 (complete with standing committees).

Since 1987 the Board has dropped the use of committees, as inefficient, and has continuously devoted more of its energy to visionary thinking and long-range planning.
This evolution has resulted in a policy governance board operation.

Qualifications of Fort Erie Museum Board Members

1) Commitment to the museums¹ mission
As representative of the museums, individuals must show a commitment to be stewards of that trust. In other words, board members must show the ability to put the interest of the whole before their own or that of a single constituency.

2) Tendency to think in terms of systems and context
Board members need to be aware of and drawn naturally to the whole of the organization. If a board member has a special expertise, it is to be used to inform the board¹s wisdom, but never to substitute for it. Individuals must show a tendency to see how specific parts of the organization fit into the whole rather than focus on the part itself for inspection, discussion and decision.

3) Ability to deal with values, vision and the long term
Board members who will make the best contribution are those who have the ability to look to the long term. Individuals who look beyond a series of single events to see the values on which decisions are based and the long-term impact of those decisions are central to strong leadership. Board members need to tolerate issues that cannot be quickly settled but not be afraid to take action.

4) Ability to participate assertively in deliberation
Productive board members must participate responsibly by communicating their opinions clearly and assertively. They must participate in making decisions, doing the necessary homework, agree and disagree as their values dictate and be able to accept the groups decision as legitimate, even if divergent to their own.