Board Orientation Book 2020 Final Revised GOOD

NEW DIRECTORS’
HANDBOOK

2020–2021

The Cincinnati Woman’s Club

Connecting Women in Community

The Cincinnati Woman’s Club

Orientation for Executive Directors-Elect

New Directors’ Handbook

Organizational Chart.................................................................................................... 1

Relationship with Our Club Members....................................................................... 2
Confidentiality and Accessibility  2
Outline of Duties  2

Relationship with Our Club Staff............................................................................... 2

Board Member Responsibilities.................................................................................. 3

Nametags  3 Chairing Committees  4

Attendance  3 Greets  4

Time Away  4 Keeping in Touch  4

Expectations of CWC Freshman Board Members.................................................... 5
General  5
Registration Table  5
Tea Room  6

Board Meetings.............................................................................................................. 7

Board Traditions............................................................................................................ 8
Board Christmas Party  8
Senior Send-Off  8
Staff Appreciation Luncheon  8
Inauguration Day  8

A Final Note................................................................................................................... 9
Appendix...................................................................................................................... 10

Example from Annual Calendar with Number of Board Members Required to
Attend Each Event  10

Quick Reference: Phone Numbers and Email Addresses  11

1

Relationship with Our Club Members

Confidentiality and Accessibility

• Be open to the needs, interests, and suggestions of the membership. Bring
Members’ suggestions to the Board.

• Know your facts before speaking.
• Always try to present a united front before the membership.
• Do not express criticism of the Club or any staff member in public.
• Confidentiality is crucial—keep Club matters within the Board.

Outline of Duties

• Primarily you have a fiduciary responsibility to the Club: You are a trusted
member of the Board and will act solely for the best interest of the Club in all
matters related to finance and procedures.

• You have a Duty of Care—to take reasonable care in decision making.
• You have a Duty to Loyalty—to give undivided allegiance when affecting

decisions of the Club. There can be no personal financial gain.
• You have a Duty of Obedience—to be aware of the mission of the Club and to

be faithful to the mission. Be familiar with the Constitution and the P&P.

Relationship with Our Staff

• The General Manager is the CWC Chief Operating Officer, accountable for all
aspects of the Club’s business and operations.

• The GM is responsible to all CWC members, reports to the Executive Board,
and is directly supervised by the President.

• The GM attends all Executive Board meetings as an invited guest.
• The GM supervises all employees.
• Keep all lines of communication open.
• Follow chain of command when seeking assistance from our staff.

2

Board Member Responsibilities

Nametags

Each Board member is requested to wear her nametag and Board pin whenever at the
Club; however, wearing the nametag and pin on formal attire is optional.

Attendance

Specific attendance requirements will be discussed at the June Organizational Meeting
of the Board. A general overview of required attendance appears below:

• Monthly Board Meeting & Luncheon (third Monday, except in January and
February, when federal holidays move the meeting to Tuesday, and in August,
when there is no Board meeting)

• Monthly General Meeting & Luncheon (first Monday, October through June)
• Philanthropy programs and meal (Gift Research, Scholarship Event, Memorial

Service, and one Can Do event of choice each year)
• Candidate Greets plus associated program and meal, when representing one of

the three members of your class
• Homecoming
• Inauguration
• President’s Project (in alternate years)
• Lecture & Enrichment
• Educational Programming:

• Most Programs at CWC and Players annual performances require
2 Board members per class to attend

• Lunch-n-Learn and Photography require 1 Board member per class
to attend

Attendance is encouraged, but not required at:
• Hospitality events, other than Homecoming and Inauguration
• OEF Jazz Evening event
• Summer programs, other than Candidate Greets

Attendance is not required for:
• AWAY events
• Film and the weekly and monthly classes not identified above

3

Time Away

• Notify the President about any time you need to be away or need to miss a
required event. It is important to speak with her personally and also to mark
this time on the small calendar on the Demilune cabinet in the President’s
office.

• It is understood that occasionally you will have to miss an event, but you
should make every effort not to miss a Board meeting.

Chairing Committees

• Our Board is a working board and you will be asked to serve in a leadership
role on one or more committees. Doing so is critical for the Club to operate
and will enable you to gain an understanding of the many aspects of the Club.

Greets

• Greets are the opportunity to meet new member candidates and are often
their first visit to the Club.

• Greets are comprised of 30 minutes social time, the program, and lunch seated
with the candidates at specified tables.

• Be a gracious hostess and circulate so that you talk with all candidates.
• Be a role model in your attire.

Keeping in Touch

• Check your email twice a day and respond promptly.
• Check your mail folder in the General Manager’s office.
• Check mail slot for your committees outside the Receptionist’s office.
• Review new candidate applications posted on the Club website.

4

Expectations of Freshman Board Members

General

• CWC Yearbook—Bring a copy to all committee meetings and Board meetings.

• Policies and Procedures Manual (P&P)—Bring to all Board meetings.

• Elect a class secretary to coordinate the monthly schedule for your class.

• Board members will receive an Annual Calendar from Education Coordination
during the summer, showing specifically which events require how many Board
members to attend (see an example of a monthly calendar showing highlighted
events with Board attendance requirements and on page 10 of the Appendix).

• Make your monthly reservations online for all programs and events you will
attend and including the General Meeting and Executive Board Meeting,
including menu selection.

• Sit in front rows for programs in Auditorium and Lecture Room. Please have
your spouses/guests sit with you.

Registration Table

• Arrive 45 minutes before the program.

• Place “Reserved for Board” signs on the front three rows of seats for programs.
For smaller programs, reserve two rows. For evening programs, extra seats may
be needed for spouses and guests. Signs are kept on top of the file cabinet in the
General Manager’s office. Check with the L&E Chair to see if there are specific
seating reservations required for the particular event.

• Obtain the event sheet, the seating chart, the master list (guests in alphabetical
order), and the table list (guests listed by table) from the Receptionist.

• Note on the master list where there are open place settings. These can be used as
needed for additional guests.

• Make sure every Member signs the event sheet for their reservation. If the
Member has guests, verify the number and make ditto marks or arrows. (These
procedures may be changed if electronic signup is implemented to prevent
the spread of the virus.) An electronic device may be used for you to register
Member and guest(s) and to note the assigned table in the Tea Room.

• If a Member arrives and does not have a reservation, add their name to the list,
have them sign the list, and then locate an open seat. See Scott as needed.

• Open tables (formerly Dutch Treat) should have blank place cards and pens in a
holder on the table. Additional cards and pens are stored in the supply closet in
the foyer of the General Manager’s office.

• On General Meeting days, two current Board Members from the other two
classes should remain at the Registration table from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. to
sign in Members not attending the program preceding the meeting.

• For programs and events preceded by a GREET, at least 2 prior Board members
work the Registration table and 3 current Board members attend the GREET.

5

Tea Room

• Prepare to pass rolls for most daytime programs except General Meeting.*
• Recruit Junior and Senior board members when you need more roll passers.
• When you enter the kitchen, wash your hands and put on plastic gloves. Trays

of rolls are covered with aluminum foil in the racks.
• When passing rolls, serve from the left of each person, moving clockwise

around the table. You serve rolls one time.
• Two roll passers start by offering the tray to the President at the Speaker’s

Table. After the President is served, one roll passer continues to her right while
the second roll passer moves to the left.
• If you tray is getting low, return to the kitchen to refill.
• When you have finished passing rolls, put the trays on the warmer. Tell the
wait staff they can serve you lunch and return to the Tea Room.
• You will have opportunities to sit at the Speaker’s Table in your Junior and
Senior year.
Training for Registration table and Tea Room duties will be conducted by the
First Vice-President and the Tea Room Chair in September.
*Please Note: All of these rules are subject to change, and it may be that no one
will be passing rolls this year.

6

Board Meetings

• Board meetings are the business meeting of the Board.
• The President will email a request for announcements, reports, and motions a

week before the meeting date.
• Board members email their reports to everyone by the Friday before the

meeting.
o Written reports include committee activity, recaps of events held,

issues for discussion.
• Items or issues that require discussion and all motions will be put on the

agenda by the President.
• The President will email the agenda on the Saturday before the meeting.
• Be prepared by reading all of the distributed information. Make copies or bring

your laptop to the meeting.
• Check your mailbox for reports from the Comptroller and any other intra-Club

communications. Your mailbox is located in the top drawer of the file cabinet in
the General Manager’s office.

7

Board Traditions

Board Holiday Party

• The Senior Class arranges the party on or off campus; the Freshman Class
provides light-hearted entertainment.

• Board members pay for their own lunches. Each class provides a small favor for
their fellow Board members.

• The 1st Vice-President arranges for the President’s gift, asking all Board
members for a small contribution to cover the cost.

• It has been the custom for the incoming Board Class to provide entertainment
for the Christmas Party, and the type of entertainment has run the gamut from
songs to skits; this has been a great source of merriment. This is always a much-
anticipated event, so get creative and have fun.

Senior Send-Off

• In May the Junior Class arranges for a party for the Board to honor the
outgoing Senior Class, called the Senior Send-Off, usually held off campus.

• Juniors provide the entertainment for the Senior Send-Off. This usually done in
a fun way to honor the retiring Board members. Junior Class also presents the
Senior Class and the President (if retiring) with a small gift.

• Freshmen and Juniors pay for their own lunch and split the cost of the Seniors’
lunches.

Staff Appreciation Luncheon

• The Board provides an annual Appreciation Luncheon in January for the CWC
staff, which is coordinated by the Tea Room Chair. This is generally a potluck
with Board members supplying the meal.

Inauguration Day

• On Inauguration Day in June, the Junior Class provides champagne (see Scott
or Bryan to order the champagne) and snacks for graduating Seniors and the
President in the President’s office.

8

A Final Note

You are embarking on a three-year journey of discovery on the Executive Board of
The Cincinnati Woman’s Club. You will learn much more than you ever thought you
would about the Club, its traditions and accomplishments, how everything is kept
running smoothly, how many intriguing activities are offered, and how many amazing
women are Members of the Club. You’ll explore more of the stately clubhouse, meet
and work with the staff, and learn how to best accomplish your responsibilities. In fact,
you may discover as much about yourself and your abilities as you do about the Club.
This is your Club, and you have made the commitment to help see it through the next
few years. Welcome! It’s going to be a great journey.

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9

Appendix

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Highlighted Board Attendance Requirements
As a CWC Board member, you will receive a special highlighted copy of the Annual
Calendar from the Education Coordination Committee during the summer that shows
which events require how many Board Members to attend. The General Manager will
attach a menu for the upcoming month to his monthly Board report.

Example of Highlighted Annual Calendar Page with
Number of Board Members Required to Attend Each Event

10

Quick Reference: Phone Numbers and Email Addresses

EXECUTIVE BOARD CLUB PERSONNEL

President, Janet McDaniel..................513-624-7231 General Manager
Club Office Number......................513-559-6100 Bryan P. Duquin, Sr...................... 513-559-6102
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Term of Office expires 2021: Comptroller
Rob Himmler................................. 513-559-6101
Marjorie Davies...................................513-871-1594 Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]

Mary Ivers............................................513-871-9550 Member Services
Email: [email protected] Mary Douglas................................ 513-559-6121
Email: [email protected]
Cathy McCarthy..................................513-376-9116
Email: [email protected] Executive Chef
Amy Carter..................................... 513-559-6103
Joyce Mueller.......................................513-761-3972 Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Banquet Captain
Kacey Schmitt......................................513-321-4046 Scott Lawson
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Betty Tonne..........................................513-373-1347
Email: [email protected]

Term of Office expires 2022: Communications Coordinator
Julie Hotchkiss
Susan Deye...........................................513-451-5420 Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]

Barbara Hailstones..............................513-659-5394 Receptionist
Email: [email protected] Jennifer Chaney............................. 513-961-6535
Email: [email protected]
Karen Martin........................................859-760-9325
Email: [email protected] Tea Room Reservations..................... 513-961-6535
(After 9:00 a.m., Monday through Friday)
Cathy Roberto......................................513-680-4609
Email: [email protected] Clubhouse Fax.................................... 513-559-6104

Heidi Toelke.........................................859-380-1488
Email: [email protected]

Nancy Virgulak...................................513-489-6558 wwwww
Email: [email protected]

Term of Office expires 2023:

Susie Ackermann.................................513-802-4922 The Cincinnati Woman’s Club
Email: [email protected] 330 Lafayette Avenue

Jane Bennett..........................................513-404-2097 Cincinnati, OH 45220-1123
Email: [email protected]
513-961-6535
Trish Larsen.........................................513-321-8938
Email: [email protected] wwwww

Suzann Parker Leist............................859-356-7748
Email: [email protected]

Audrey Miller......................................513-561-4835 Let us be such as help the life of the future.
Email: [email protected] —Zoroaster

Teresa Moffitt.......................................859-384-9049
Email: [email protected]

11

NOTES