April 17, 2015

Finest Hour 121, Winter 2003-04

Page 05


Caping yawns greet most efforts to write about changes in an organization’s formal structure. Yet that structure, usually set out in a “constitution” or by-laws, has a direct and decisive impact on an organization’s governance, which, in turn, contributes much to the perceptions of its stature and effectiveness held by members and non-members alike.

It is for this reason that I run the risk of glazed eyes and chasing you on to the next page by discussing in this space several significant by-law changes recently adopted by our Board of Governors.

The Board in September created positions for two new Governors beginning January 1st, 2004. These new Governors are, to be appointed by the President for one-year terms. Appointed Governors are not eligible for reappointment until three years have elapsed after the conclusion of their appointed terms. They would, of course, be eligible at any time for election to the standard three-year term. (Each year, two Governors are elected for three-year terms.)

This appointment approach makes it possible to expand the demographic (and geographic) makeup of The Churchill Centre’s Board while creating an ever-widening pool of new leadership from which future elected Governors and officers can be drawn.

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Prior to the September amendments, the President of the Churchill Society of Canada and the Chairman of the Churchill Society of the United Kingdom were ex-officio on The Churchill Centre Board as voting Governors without any election by the Board, without any term limits and with little or no accountability. All other Governors were (and remain) elected for specific terms with the resultant accountability. Most fortunately, the Canadian President and UK Chairman currently on the Board are valuable contributors to the Centre and the Board, which would be much poorer without them. But it cannot be assumed that this will always be the case. Thus the by-laws were amended, requiring that at all times there be on the Board at least one Governor nominated by the Churchill Society of Canada and one by the Churchill Society of the UK, and electing such nominees annually for one-year terms.

These amendments accomplish three things. First, they ensure at least one Board seat each for the Canadian and United Kingdom organizations. Second, they inject a degree of accountability into the selection process. Third, they give each organization maximum flexibility over whom each nominates for the Board; e.g., their nominees no longer have to be their President or Chairman, and they can change annually.

One other significant by-law amendment was the creation of a College of Fellows. This is an addition to our Board of Academic Advisers. The College of Fellows will consist of up to twenty-four persons who have made important contributions to the understanding of Winston Churchill and his times. The College was created primarily to recognize the work and importance of scholars, but also others, who, because of other professional responsibilities, would not be in a position to accept appointment to the Board of Academic Advisers. The college will greatly enhance our academic stature.

At the very last minute before the Bermuda conference in November, the Board adopted a recommendation by our editor for a Finest Hour Journal Award, to recognize the outstanding contribution to our print publications in the past year. The 2003 FH Award was presented at Bermuda to Professor Paul Alkon, for his brilliant contribution to our educational mission through his T. E. Lawrence features in Finest Hour #119 (Summer 2003). This award was most richly deserved and we are honored by Professor Alkon’s contributions.

A tribute, join us

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