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Friday, December 25, 2009

Send E-mails to the Board

There is a board meeting that will be held in early January. If you cannot attend as an observer, it would be a good idea to voice your opinions to the board (and I mean each of us, not just one person) by e-mail about the following:

$30,000 allocation for 30th anniversary party

Suggestions about board vacancy - should we appoint a new member, or keep the seat vacant? If we appoint a member, should we select based on last Spring's election results?

Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction with the website

Suggestions regarding the printed Spotlight

Suggestions regarding the online Spotlight

Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction with board leadership

Electronic voting versus mail in ballots - mailed ballots to those without an e-mail address

You also can comment on this blog.

The board has a general idea about your feelings regarding the option to subscribe to the mailed Spotlight but your e-mails were not circulated to the board. So if you want us to know the specifics of what you think, please send your opinions to all of the board members.

I am committed to answering every single one of your e-mails. I care about what you think and will take your ideas into consideration.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Board Meeting - Saturday, January 9

The next scheduled Saints Board of Directors meeting will be held at the Saints Office, Room 203, at the Athenaeum, 2936 N. Southport, on Saturday, January 9 at 10 am. Members who wish to attend may contact the Board at large and make arrangements. It is recommended that you send your request to the entire board since we currently are without official leadership. In addition, our current Bylaws do not address leadership succession.

Minutes from the October and November meetings are now available online if you log onto the website and look at "Membership Documents."

Please review previous postings regarding the $30,000 that has been allocated for a Saints 30th anniversary party. There is controversy as to whether this is an appropriate use of funds for a nonprofit organization or consistent with our mission statement.

This issue will be addressed at the board meeting, as well as a report regarding the annual Saints benefit, which was held on Sunday, December 6.

It is important that all requests and concerns be addressed to the entire board of directors right now. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to send something without logging into the website. Two of us, Jim Venskus and Deborah Granite, are not included on the contact list that is available on the home page.

You may, however, log onto the website, click on "committees," select "board of directors," click on the button that says "view members" and select "Send Email to members." Your e-mail address will automatically appear, you can type in a subject in the blank subject line, and then type your text in the empty box. You even have the option to mark your e-mail "urgent".

Good luck!

We hope to hear from you.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

No Blog Posts...

Out of respect to the family of BJ Nelson, and those of us who are mourning his loss, there will be no messages on this blog until next week. For updates regarding funeral arrangements, tributes or donations in his memory, please contact The Saints at their official address or go to the website.

Thank you.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

$30,000 for a 30th Anniversary Party?

There is a line item in the budget (and in the budget summary on page 33 of the December Spotlight) that I must bring to your attention. There is an allocation of $30,000 for a 30th anniversary party. Using the figure of 2,000 members (estimated membership), that means that $15 from each member’s dues will be used for this celebration.

At our last board meeting, I made a motion that the amount allocated for the 30th anniversary party be “cost neutral.” By this, I meant that we should not allocate an amount that is greater than the revenue we expect to take in (sale of tickets). The motion was defeated with three in favor and five against my motion. Lorraine Edelstein, Jim Venskus and I voted in favor of the motion.

It is highly unusual to pass a budget that is unbalanced and shows a deficit of $25,811.49. We do have enough money in our reserves to cover the allocation but to budget this kind of money during a recession, and after the benefit committee worked so hard to supplement the $40,000 allocated to grants, seems inappropriate.

Even the highly controversial 2009 bylaws state the following as our mission: The Saints shall support performing arts organizations, primarily not-for-profit, in Chicago and nearby communities through volunteer and charitable services.

A 30th Anniversary Committee is already in place and the budget was approved during the months I was banned from the Saints.

How do you feel about this kind of expenditure or budgeting?

It is very important that you send e-mails letting the board know what you think about this before money is spent. Please note that e-mails sent to the President are not automatically shared with the entire board of directors.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Budget Summary in Spotlight - Update

At the board meeting held on Saturday, December 5, 2009, I made a motion that the unedited budget, rather than a summary, be published in the Spotlight. As I wrote on December 1 (see below), members need to see the line items to fully understand how their dues are being spent.

The motion was defeated 4-3. Two members abstained.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Quick Thoughts About Saints' Annual Party

Today, about 130 Saints gathered to socialize at Galleria Marchetti and participate in the Saints' Annual Party and Fund Raiser. The co-chairs, Bob Korabik and Laurie Nagatomo deserve credit for doing a wonderful job.

Although there probably are many different ideas about how a fundraiser like this should be run, the space was appealing, parking was abundant (and could be found for free), the entertainment was fun, and there were over 150 donations from local performing arts groups, restaurants, etc. There also was a silent auction where many of our members both provided and bid on prizes that ranged from legal services, and sailboat cruises to beautiful and interesting books.

While one can think of things that might have been different, we learn each year from our successes and failures, and it was obvious that there had been much care and thought put into today's event.

It's too soon to know how much money was raised but this year, the drawing of raffle tickets and awarding of prizes was handled much better than the past two years. We all could see the tickets being drawn, put with an envelope (it sounded like the donors' and their prizes were filed in alphabetical order), hear the name of who won, and what they won, It took awhile but it was fun to see what fellow saints had won, and hear who the generous donors were.

Imagine how much more successful we could be next year if every single Saint purchases at least one raffle ticket for $5 and finds one donor. WOW. Let's keep that in mind at our next benefit, and make a point of thanking the Benefit Committee (Barbara Burdiak, Roberta Chapman, Helen Corman, Lorraine Edelstein, Ann Gunn, Neil and Leila Handelman, Krys Lordahl, Sandra Posner, Myles Rothstein, and the Co-chairs - Bob Korabik and Laurie Nagatoma for the hours they must have spent to make this day a success.

As soon as the totals are tallied, we hope that you will post a comment stating how much money was raised today.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Budget Summary Posted in Spotlight

In the December Spotlight, you will see a budget summary on page 33. While it is a step in the right direction, it does not provide the details which are necessary to fully understand how our dues and donations are spent. From this summary, members cannot see the line items and how much is allocated for each one of them.

For example, if the line items were there, you would be able to see how much it costs to print, layout, and mail the newsletter. You would also learn that "office expenses" includes six separate line items. You would be able to see what portion of membership expenses is allocated for badges. And you would know how much we pay for rent.

The board agreed to publish the budget, and not a summary of the budget. It is a "beginning" though. Even though the information is limited, it will help you to raise the questions that need to be asked.

I strongly advise you to ask questions of the Saints board now, before additional expenses are incurred. And please, make sure that you send your questions and comments to the entire board of directors. All board members are fiduciaries, not just the Treasurer or the other officers. You have paid dues and in some cases, made donations, and the board is accountable to all of you.

The next board meeting is on Saturday, December 5, 2009. Contact the president, BJ Nelson, if you wish to attend as an observer.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Read October Minutes - Come to Party - Buy Raffle Tickets - Send E-mails to Board

If you log into the Saints' website, click on "documents" on the menu at the top and select “membership documents,” you will see a list of three items. The last item is the published minutes of the October 12, 2009 board meeting. [Right now, there is a typo that states that they are minutes from an October 9 board meeting.] The October minutes were approved at the board meeting on November 8, 2009 and posted shortly afterward. This is because of a motion that was passed at the October board meeting.

Posting of minutes will continue on a monthly basis, and I want to encourage you to read them, write e-mails to the board if you have questions, and consider attending future board meetings as an observer. You may click on the blue link to go directly to the Saints' website and check out these minutes. The best way to send e-mails to the board is to select "committees" on the menu at the top of the site, select "board of directors" and type an e-mail. Then click "send e-mail to members" and your e-mail will be sent to the entire board.

You will now be able to see how each board member voted, and in future posts, you will also see which board member made each motion. All of these things, which are generally standard, are relatively new for this board. Allowing a membership that pays dues to know what is going on with their organization has been the subject of heated debate, and even resulted in my membership being revoked.

There still is some dissatisfaction with the quality of the minutes. They currently only state motions, and how people voted, but it is a giant step forward. At least now you can ask questions and find out why people voted as they did. In addition, observers are welcome to comment on this blog and spread the word about what is happening.

At our last general membership meeting, there was a question and answer session with seven of the nine board members in attendance and available to answer the questions. Unfortunately, Linda Berg (Treasurer) and Andy Lingras (Secretary), who are the board members to whom most of the questions were directed, were not in attendance. Hopefully, they will be at future question and answer sessions.

With the posting of the minutes, you will be able to make more informed choices when voting for candidates and deciding who you want to have representing you on the board. There are members working hard on revised bylaws, and a new grant committee that is just getting started. Involvement from the membership is greater than ever, and that is another step in the right direction.

There also has been a request from the Saints president for people to express their thoughts about the printed Spotlight and whether or not it should be continued. This will be a topic at a future board meeting, so you might want to ask to observe. Space is limited but you can always offer to bring a folding chair or ask that they find a larger space. Many of you have taken the time to respond, and have raised some of the peripheral issues that affect this decision. Some of these include looking further at the website, competitive bidding, layout, and more.

There is additional good news. There will be general membership meetings in January and February. Previously, there was going to be a five month hiatus. There will be a question and answer period at these meetings, so think about what you want to know more about.

Spread the word and check this blog frequently. Leave comments. It is unfortunate that we don’t have a forum on the official Saints website where we could communicate with each other and keep it for members only. There is such an option on our current site but as of now, the board has not voted to activate it. In fact, there are many features on our current website that we have not fully utilized. Hopefully, this will also change.

Once again, I want to encourage people to buy raffle tickets and support our grants program. In addition, you can relax and have a good time on Sunday, December 6, at the annual Saints Holiday Party. The party is an opportunity to socialize with other Saints members, talk freely about theater, share your ideas, bid at the auction and hopefully win prizes. You do not have to be at the event to win raffle prizes so don’t let a conflict keep you from buying lots of raffle tickets. Close to a hundred people have already signed up for the party and it sounds like it will be a fun time.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Support the Saints Benefit

There is a lot of controversy going on within the Saints but we must not forget our commitment to serve the performing arts community. This year, performing arts organizations are finding it more challenging than ever to raise money and find grant sources. No matter where you stand in regard to recent controversies within the organization, the benefit deserves our full support.

The net revenue raised at this year's benefit will be added to the funds that have already been budgeted for grants this year. If you have another commitment and cannot attend the benefit, buy some raffle tickets, or bid on auction items. In addition, you can help by soliciting merchandise and gift certificates from local merchants and restaurants. Ask them to help you support our annual fundraising activities. If you provide additional items that can be raffled, more money will be raised, and there will be more prizes.

The Saints is about supporting the performing arts community through ushering and volunteer activities. In addition, we proudly award grants to deserving organizations. It is important that we stand together and make this the most successful benefit ever.

Don't forget how much the performing arts community has done for you, and all the great performances that you have attended over the past year. To sign up for the Saints benefit, read about last year's grants, or print out raffle tickets, go to the Saints' website by clicking on the blue link.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Reminder: Board Meeting - 11/8/09

There will be a board meeting tomorrow at the Atheneum, Saints Office, at 12:30 pm. It is requested that observers send an e-mail to the President prior to attending. There has still been no agenda distributed to the board members.

This site will continue to be available for comments from observers, board members, or members who have questions or concerns.

Recently, a motion was passed that approved minutes will be posted for member viewing on the Saints website five business days after they are approved. This means that if the minutes are approved at the meeting tomorrow, you should be able to view the minutes of the October meeting on November 13.

Preliminary review of the October minutes indicates that only motions and "decisions" made by the board are included - extensive discussions or concerns are not even referenced. You may need to continue coming to this blog or attending board meetings to know what is truly going on.

We have made progress but we have a long way to go before information is as accessible and complete as it needs to be.

It is time to start thinking about the next election and finding qualified candidates who are willing to speak up.

Stay tuned...

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

One More Step!!!

Last night’s meeting at Victory Gardens (Biograph), was a great success. Our speaker, Mike Nussbaum, answered questions and was a very engaging speaker. He spoke with us before appearing two blocks down the street at City Lit’s 30th anniversary celebration at the Greenhouse. Mr. Nussbaum was candid, and as usual, the membership asked very good questions. It was a busy night at the Biograph, with the League of Chicago Theatres holding their annual meeting upstairs, and the Saints holding a general membership meeting downstairs. For a Monday Night, theatre had a very active presence on Lincoln Avenue.

After the presentation, seven of the nine board members were called to the stage for a planned question and answer session. Two of the three officers, Linda Berg (Treasurer) and Andy Lingras (Secretary) were not present. Many of the questions were for the absent officers, however a number of questions were directed to the President, BJ Nelson. He and other board members did their best to respond, and hopefully, the unasked and unanswered questions will be answered in the Spotlight, and at future membership meetings.

The next scheduled meeting is March 22, which is five months from now. Perhaps we will have another general membership meeting before that time. Over 125 members attended the meeting, and most of the members stayed until the end of the question and answer period.

Members were encouraged to write their questions on an index card, write down who the question was for, and sign their own name. This worked pretty well, and hopefully will get smoother with practice. It was a challenge when people who hadn't written questions wanted to interject their own opinions, which were very valuable, but also used some of the limited time that had been allocated for board members to respond to questions. It also was most unfortunate that two of the officers, who many of the questions were for, did not attend the meeting.

The audience interaction was very valuable, and as a board member, it was helpful to hear the opinions of our membership. There were some excellent suggestions, and many points of view. We need to work on ways to encourage interaction between members, stay focused, and also make sure that board members get a chance to thoroughly answer questions. If this becomes a regular part of our general membership meetings, some of the questions could be sent in advance so that Board members are better prepared and able to respond. On the other hand, there is value in spontaneous discussion.

Questions that were asked included the following (these are from memory and are neither comprehensive nor the exact words of those who asked the questions):

Are dues that are paid tax deductible for the amount that exceeds operating expenses of the Saints?

Can the website be improved so that it is easier to sign up, calendars are posted, and the site is more user friendly?

Will the printed Spotlight be made available on a subscription basis next year?

Why was there a decision not to record how individual board members voted?

Is it necessary to bring a flashlight to all venues?

What is the criteria the President uses to appoint board members?

What is the rationale behind discussions about changing our 501(c)3 status or modifying the structure of the Saints?


Hopefully, the Spotlight/Saints Website will provide answers to these and other questions.

A commitment was made by the webmaster, Martin Frank, to post links on the Saints website to enable members to access sign up information on calendars that some of the coordinators maintain. Currently, six of the coordinators maintain such calendars. There was animated discussion about the printed Spotlight and the shortcomings of the current website. There is much knowledge in our organization, and we have just started to tap into all the skills that our members have.

The meeting was adjourned and people signed up for new offerings. Members were observed conversing and continuing some of the conversations that had started during the question and answer period. Others were signing up and interacting with coordinators - in some cases meeting them for the first time. It was a successful evening.

Feel free to post comments on this site, or send your opinions to the Saints Board of Directors. It is always more effective to state your name when making suggestions, asking questions, or voicing an opinion. Please keep the dialog going.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

General Membership Meeting

Come to the Saints General Membership Meeting this Monday, October 26, at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 North Lincoln Avenue, in Chicago. The guest speaker will be Mike Nussbaum.

Important information: Mr Nussbaum will begin speaking promptly at 6:30 pm and will be leaving at 7:15 for another commitment so it might be a good idea to arrive early. The Saints newsletter has a different time indicated so, please make note of this time change, and help spread the word to fellow members.

Following the presentation, there will be time for a short business meeting, which will include a question and answer session. Bring your questions with you.

After the question and answer period (approximately 8:15), the meeting will adjourn to the lobby for signups with coordinators. Remember to wear your Saints badge, and bring along your calendars to facilitate signing up.

Already, we have quite a few ushering opportunities that have not been previously made available. These opportunities will not be available to those who do not attend the meeting until November 1, when the Spotlight is posted and/or received in the mail. There will be no coordinators taking sign ups, however, until the business meeting has adjourned.

The meeting will have an announced end time and will not last more than forty-five minutes. It is your chance to ask questions of the board and learn more about the organization. Be sure to attend because this is the last scheduled general membership meeting until March 2010.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Steps Toward Transparency

There have been quite a few changes and steps taken during the past few weeks that will improve the organization. Comments/suggestions are welcome on this site. Also, remember that you can write to your Board of Directors and state your opinion, make suggestions, ask for clarification, and/or make requests for additional information. It is recommended that you include all members of the board on your correspondence/e-mails.

Some highlights of recent changes include:

Formation of a Bylaws Working Group. This group will be working independently and making recommendations for bylaw revisions and additions. There have been over 30 Saints members who have volunteered, and they had their first meeting last night, Tuesday, October 13th. Check the comments below the bylaws posting to find out what happened at the meeting, and continue to check for updates.

Questions and Answers at a General Membership Meeting. At the meeting held on September 29, about 50 members stayed and asked questions of the board. There will be a scheduled question and answer session at our next board meeting which will be held on Monday, October 26th.

The minutes will be posted on the Saints website within five days of their approval starting with the minutes that were taken at the Board Meeting held on Monday, October 13th. This means that if the minutes are approved on November 8, which is the date of the next board meeting, they will be posted on November 13. If, for some reason, they are not approved at that meeting, the posting will be five days after the minutes are approved. In addition, the minutes will show how each board member votes on each motion.

The 2009/2010 budget will be published and/or posted for viewing by members.

Observers have been present at every board meeting for the past six months - the most recent one had twelve observers.


I wish to encourage observers from the last board meeting to add comments to this posting. And any Saints member should feel free to post their questions/comments too.

The organization is gradually becoming more transparent, and there will be more information available to you than there has been in the past. There still is a lot of work to do, and we want to encourage members to become more involved in asking questions, making suggestions and volunteering to do more than ushering. Together, we can make the Saints an even better organization than it already is.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

General Membership Meeting - NSCPA

This evening, there was a general membership meeting with approximately 200 members present. I will leave comments to those of you who attended but let me comment that our speaker, Robert Falls, was excellent and answered our questions for over an hour.

Much to my surprise, there were security guards in uniform at the doors of the theater where we were meeting. They had been hired by some members of the board. As a Board member, I wish to go on record indicating that I was never asked whether I approved this expenditure nor would I have approved this expenditure. It was a waste of our money, and an additional indication of the fear of dissent and new ideas. If our meetings are not open to non-members, then it should have been announced ahead of time. We have been in the practice of posting the meeting date and time on our website's public calendar, and this meeting was announced in that fashion.

Upon entry, I was asked to sign my name and pass through a checkpoint where a sticker was placed on my Saints badge. The sticker was not handed to me but placed on my badge without explanation. It felt inappropriate and like an invasion of my personal space. I was most uncomfortable and did not understand the reason for this action.

After Mr. Falls' engaging presentation and willingness to candidly answer many of our questions, most of the members went out to do early signups. There appeared to be concern about losing out on ushering opportunities, and some of these people did return but most left the room to sign up and went home. Approximately 50 members remained inside the theater to ask the Saints President, BJ Nelson, questions. As time progressed, and it became clear that this group was not going to leave without an opportunity to ask a number of questions, two of the other officers, Linda Berg (Treasurer) and Andy Lingras (Secretary) also stood at the front of the room and started responding.

I will leave it to tonight's attendees to comment on their experience of the meeting and their interaction with the board officers. For me, tonight was a memorable evening for both positive and negative reasons.

I encourage you not to post anonymously.

Also, vote on the three survey questions to the left of this posting.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Working Group to Review Bylaws

An invitation to members was e-mailed to members via the Saints' Cyberline at least four times during the past two weeks. Members were invited to be part of a "Working Group" to review the current Bylaws. The deadline to sign up was 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, September 27, 2009. Interested applicants were advised to send their names to an anonymous e-mail address.

To the best of my knowledge, neither the board at large nor the membership has been advised of who will be part of this working group. Once an announcement has been made as to who will be part of this group, I will post it on this blog. Stay tuned...

Below is the text of the President's invitation and the guidelines for the "Working Group".

The Board is inviting Saints members to be a part of a Working Group to review the current Bylaws.

(a) There is no set limit as to how many members can join this group - any one who is interested (other than current Board Members or their relatives) may join.

(b) The first group meeting will be at the Saints Office and after that the group can decide if they wish to continue to meet at the office or wish to meet at another more convenient place. You will also determine the meeting schedule.

(c) The Group members may elect, from within themselves, a Facilitator or a Leader or a Spokesperson or may choose to work in any other manner that they agree on.

(d) The Group will be responsible for reviewing the current bylaws and providing the Board a report with the Group's suggestions for specific changes with the rationale behind the suggested change (e.g. "this statement is awful" is not acceptable, rather, "the statement (X) should be substituted with statement (Y) for reasons (P) and (Q)" is what would be expected.). Or "this statement violates the law and should be replaced" is not acceptable, rather, "Statement (L) Violates Illinois law (D) and should be replaced with statement (M)" is what would be expected.

(e) The report is due to the Board no later than November 30, 2009, and has to be signed by all the members to show their consensus of agreement.

(f) The Board is currently in the process of hiring a legal firm to review the bylaws. The above input from the Working Group will be provided to this legal firm for evaluation as well. The end result will be presented to the membership for approval.

If you are interested in being a part of this important work, please send in your names to BylawsGroup@gmail.com by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 27, 2009.

If you have any questions about the above please send your questions also to BylawsGroup@gmail.com .

Thank you,
BJ

General Membership Meeting

The first general membership meeting since June 1, 2009 is scheduled to be held tomorrow evening at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts.

The following e-mail was sent to the membership:

Join us Tuesday, September 29, 2009, at 7:00 PM, at The North Shore Center For The Performing Arts In Skokie, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, for our fall Saints Membership Meeting..

Our presenter will be Robert Falls, Artistic Director of The Goodman Theatre.

Coordinators will be present to take your signups, so remember to bring your date books, as well as your Saints Badge.

Free parking is available behind the theater. Plan on attending this exciting event. We look forward to seeing you there..

Lorraine Edelstein
Saints Board
Program Chairman

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Exercise Your Vote - Don't Become Complacent

If you check the Home page of the Saints' website, you will see that there is no telephone number or e-mail address listed for Jim Venskus or Deborah Granite, and Hugh Spencer's contact information is not there at all. At least, there is no longer an attempt to intercept my e-mail, but it is obvious that we still don't have open government. Directors are being treated differently if they are not part of the "selected board."

I am pleased to see that many of you are reading this blog and contacting me directly. Stay tuned. No one can stop you from reading what is here, even if some board members make it difficult for you to contact us or for us to contact you.

Express your opinion by voting on the survey question that is posted to the left of this posting. There are only a few more days that you can express your opinion about this question. It is my contention that there is a potential conflict of interest if one is both a coordinator and a board member.

A coordinator controls whether you can be signed up for a specific show, and can also stop you from future ushering at the venue where they schedule ushers. There currently are no guidelines as to what actions may cause a coordinator to make a member "persona non grata" (no longer able to usher) at a venue, nor is there an appeal process. As long as these guidelines don't exist, and as long as we hear of inconsistent application of this status against members, we know that a board member might abuse their power as a coordinator. Having such a strike against you can also jeopardize your "member in good standing" status and disqualify you from being a candidate for the Board.

Perception is almost as important as practice - and many of you have expressed fear about your ushering privileges being taken away or negative consequences for expressing a "dissenting" opinion. Speak up and vote on the survey. Post comments. Let the board know how you feel.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Board Reinstates Granite's Membership

This afternoon, I received official notification that my membership has been reinstated by the Saints Board of Directors. I am not sure what this means at this time, and am in the process of making some personal decisions as to how I want to proceed. I am not sure what the sudden change in the Board's position means.

Important Comment: It does not please me to report this but there has been tampering with my e-mail address on the Home page of the Saints website. On the afternoon of Thursday, September 17, someone changed my e-mail address so that e-mails that someone wanted to send to me went to the office e-mail instead (an e-mail address which I can no longer access). Mysteriously, the e-mail was changed back about eight hours later. I was alerted to the "dirty trick" by a fellow Saints member, and saw it myself. I strongly recommend that people be very cautious when using addresses that are being published right now - you might think you are communicating with a person and actually be sending your e-mails to someone else.

You also should note that there is still no contact information for board member, Jim Venskus. In addition, Hugh Spencer's name does not appear at all on the public contact list. I don't like to make people afraid but there is still strong evidence that one must be very cautious and not let their guard down. If you want everyone on the board to know about something, please send it to the entire board. Do not depend on board members to share information with each other because it might not happen.

It is most disappointing to write this but it is not time to celebrate. There is still a need to hold the leadership accountable and get answers to many questions.


A number of Saints members have asked whether the reinstatement of my membership means that I have been reinstated to the board. It is my contention that I never left the board, and the board is aware of my position. The President, BJ Nelson, received a letter with copies to the rest of the board, in July that is still unanswered. In that letter, I asked that they either immediately allow me to continue in my elected role or have their actions reviewed by an attorney. Had they answered my letter, I would not have needed to create this blog or make my concerns public.


I want to encourage people to continue coming to board meetings, requesting minutes and financial statements, and communicating with the board. It will help the organization if more of you step up your involvement. Don't allow my reinstatement to make you complacent, and remember that it was your letters and voices that have already resulted in some significant changes.

This year, only 250 people voted. I am hoping that we will see the number of members who vote increase now that people see how much their vote can matter.

Last night, there were nine observers at the Board meeting (I was not there). Perhaps some of them will post what they observed on this site, or comment on the direction that they hope the Board will take. I am hoping that people will continue being active in the organization and realize that their opinions matter.

I want to thank many of you for reaching out to me and spending time trying to understand all the issues. Some of you disagree with me, and that's fine. I learn from hearing other points of view, and hope you feel the same way about hearing mine. I am available to answer any questions that you may have and ready to listen to your feedback (positive and negative).

People have worked hard to make some changes, and some of them are already quite measureable. But there is still a great deal of work to do. People are still afraid to communicate freely. Many members know that this is about far more than revoking my membership in order to work around the Illinois Not for Profit Act and remove me from the Board - it is about members having the right to express opinions without fear of reprisal. It's about an organization that will be richer for recognizing that there are many points of view. It's about treating members fairly and with respect.

There is a general membership meeting planned for Tuesday, September 29. The speaker will be Robert Falls, the Goodman's artistic director. The meeting will be held at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts at 9501 Skokie Boulevard from 7pm to 9 pm. Please make sure you attend.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Grants Committee Chair Vacant

The Saints now have a vacancy for one of the most critical roles in the organization. If you check the contact information on the Saints website, you will see that the name of Bill Fireside, former chair of the Scholarship Committee, and last year's chair of the Grants committee is no longer listed. An e-mail from BJ Nelson has been sent seeking individuals who have "leadership abilities and would consider taking on this position."

Does anyone want to comment on what might be going on? This committee granted approximately $40,000 in grants to the performing arts community last year, and did a stellar job. Does anyone want to comment about this new and serious development?

Monday, September 7, 2009

Saints Board Member Shuts Down Facebook Page and Posts New One

Breaking news: Effective September 7, 2009, a board member has changed his Facebook page so we cannot view his list of "friends" anymore. Prior to September 4, when he shut down his site for apparent revision, he had over 75 Saints members listed as "friends." I have a print out of this list.

The list includes names of Saints members who are listed in the spotlight as well as many who are not. Some individuals have advised me that they were sent invitations and chose not to accept them. Others felt somewhat obligated or curious about their invitation. And some probably were "friends" or wanted to be "friends" with this Board member/Coordinator.

As far as I’m concerned, there is no harm asking people to join one’s Facebook page. The procedure is such that individuals may accept, ignore, or refuse a Facebook invitation. I did receive comments, however, that make this action somewhat questionable. Some members were reluctant to turn down the invitation since this board member is a Coordinator that handles sign ups for a venue that fills quickly. Some members were worried that they might experience difficulty getting those "hard to get" ushering opportunities if they turned down the request to be "friends."

My question is, "why am I being singled out for disciplinary action?" To date, no action has been taken in regard to this board member inviting members to be "friends" on his Facebook page. Prior to this board member reconstructing his Facebook page, the invitations and signing up of Saints members were brought to the attention of the board’s President, BJ Nelson. It was raised both in writing and in conversation. No action was taken.

If you read my June 2 e-mail (unedited copy appears in a separate post below), you will see that it is related to Saints’ business. In addition, I advised recipients that I would be glad to remove their name from my address book if they did not want to receive future communications. My e-mail was sent to the entire board of directors, including the President, BJ Nelson, and others who were listed in the Spotlight. Despite having the e-mail addresses of many members who ushered at Lifeline Theatre or attended orientations, I only sent the e-mail to those members whose addresses were published in the Saints' newsletter.

If the board’s action (5-4 vote) was truly not because of the content of my e-mail, and solely because I neglected to ask the President for permission before sending it, I want to know why the Saints Board has failed to take action against this other individual. I know of many members who have sent and received e-mails that were not for the express purpose of ushering. Until June 9, I assumed that this was not forbidden, nor should it be.

If allowed to participate as the Board member that I contend I still am, I would not vote to take disciplinary action against this board member, who had over 75 Saints members on his facebook. I would, however, have suggested that he discontinue the practice of asking members to join as long as he was a coordinator and/or a board member. Members, however, could have chosen to ignore or reject the Board member's request to be "friends" (some individuals did) just as people could have deleted my e-mail or asked to be taken off my mailing list. So I guess it depends on how paternalistic, or controlling, the Saints Board of Directors wants to be.

By the way, there are no Saints, and never have been any Saints, on my Facebook with the exception of my son, Zack, who was a Saint before going to college in Denver.

The first paragraph of the President’s letter, which was sent to all members of the Saints, states the following:

On June 2, 2009, Deborah Granite sent many Saints' Coordinators and Committee Chairs a copy of an email addressed to the Saints' Board. This resulted in her membership being revoked and her being banned from the Saints organization. The Board thought that it was important to inform all of you of the rationale that formed the basis of this decision. The reason for this action was that in sending that e-mail, she violated the “Privileged Information” notice explicitly stated in the Spotlight. The contents of Deborah's e-mail letter was not the issue in this case and had no influence on the Board's decision.

He concludes with the following:

We all, irrespective of whether we are Coordinators, Chairs of Committees, Board Members or Saints’ Members with no other responsibilities are expected to abide by one set of rules. There are no exceptions. No member of the organization is above its rules. Members of the Board of Directors, the Saints governing body, are fully aware of all Saints rules. When a Board member violates the rules, and violates them in a defiant manner showing no remorse, it is an even more serious issue and as a result deserves the strictest of consequences. The action the Board took was guided by the above facts and was necessary to maintain the integrity of our organization.

The President may call it defiant, however I do not feel any remorse about sending my e-mail to the board with copies to the Coordinators and Committee Chairs. Their addresses were listed in the Spotlight, and I viewed them as “middle management” of the organization. I still don’t believe that I was in violation of the Saint rules, and my e-mail was an effort to express the importance of freedom of speech, my right to express my opinions, and suggestions for more open communication. I stated that free speech was something that was even more important to me than my love for the performing arts. During the campaign, all candidates had been limited to the 150 words that appeared in the Spotlight, and all additional campaigning was forbidden.

My June 2 e-mail to the Board, Coordinators and Committee Chairs was drafted in response to a brief June 1 special board meeting held at Steppenwolf Theater while members were signing up to usher. I had requested that we hold the meeting at a different time so I could mingle with the new members and participate in the social part of the general meeting, but the majority of the board voted against my request. At that brief meeting, Jim Venskus and I, who had not signed the confidentiality agreement (printed below in one of the comments), were told that we could not hold office, could not attend executive sessions, would no longer have access to confidential information and that I could no longer serve as a usher coordinator for Lifeline Theatre. This was followed by the election of officers.

The following day an announcement was made of the election results and our names were removed from the website that night. In addition, we no longer had access to membership information, financial information or board documents which included minutes of past meetings, the bylaws and the standing rules. My June 2 e-mail was sent out of concern about the future of the organization and a futile attempt to restore the organization to a democracy.

My concerns are even greater now. The board has disenfranchised the membership. I was re-elected in May and received 13 votes less than the President. The board, however, revoked my membership and banned me from the organization. I believe that my removal from the board is illegal and am seeking legal counsel in regard to this.

The board has also hindered Jim Venskus, another board member, from fulfilling his duties by excluding him from executive sessions and information necessary to make informed decisions. It is highly unusual to ask board members of a not for profit to sign a confidentiality agreement, and the agreement is so broad as to be considered "unenforceable."

The public and members, who are unfamiliar with how to log into the "members only" part of the website, cannot e-mail Jim Venskus and Hugh Spencer because their names have been removed from the Home page. A new board member has been appointed with no announcement to the membership, and he was not one of this year's candidates. All committee members, even those on the benefit committee, are being asked to sign the revised confidentiality statement (kind of sounds like a loyalty oath, doesn't it?).

Dissenting opinions on the board are being silenced. I am very sad about making these concerns public but there is no other way to inform the membership than through the media and writing on this blog. You all were informed of my dismissal but you were not provided a copy of my e-mail or all the facts. In addition, you were given speculation as to the reasons for my e-mail which contradicts what I have written and told people.

The President's e-mail has increased fear about communicating freely. I have been the subject of personal attacks. I have not been given an opportunity by the Board of Directors to present my side of the story. The board certainly is not transparent nor have they made it easy for you, the membership, to know what is going on.

I invite people to e-mail me by clicking on this link and to post comments on this website. I also want to encourage you to attend board meetings as observers (arrangements must be made in advance with the President) and general membership meetings. The next board meeting is scheduled to be held at the Saints Office, 2936 N. Southport, on September 14 at 7:30 pm.

Friday, September 4, 2009

New Policy Regarding Minutes

To keep this blog interesting, we ask that you post your comments.

There have been some positive developments this week.

The Saints Newsletter, Spotlight, which is mailed or available online to all members of the Saints summarized the highlights of the July board meeting. In addition, it provided a little bit of financial information. It's a step in the right direction.

There was also an announcement of a new policy - we will print it below and leave it to you for comments.

Board meeting minutes and financial reports are available to members for viewing in the Saints office by appointment only.

Please send your request to the secretary at office@saintschicago.org . Highlights of board meetings are also published in the Spotlight.


There still has been no formal announcement to the membership about the new Board Member, Martin Frank, who was appointed at the August Board Meeting. Perhaps they are waiting until they approve the August minutes to make an announcement even though this individual's name appears on the public portion of the Saints' website. Two of the current board members, Hugh Spencer and Jim Venskus, no longer appear on that public page. Perhaps a board member can comment on why their names have been removed.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Unedited Letter Sent on June 2 to Board, Coordinators and Committee Chairs

To: Saints Board
CC: Coordinators and Committee Chair

I am writing to you, the Board, as a member of this wonderful organization with some recommendations that I believe will make the Saints an even better organization than it already is. Those of you that know me know that the performing arts community is very important to me. In fact, I can’t think of very much that is more important to me. I live and breathe theater all the time, and most of my friends know that I spend all of my spare time attending performing arts events, reading, writing and talking about the performing arts. I do my best to connect with others who already love the performing arts and expose others to the performing arts. There is plenty to experience and more than enough to keep so many of us busy and intellectually stimulated.

I have been a member of the Saints for almost twenty-five years and I am very grateful for the opportunities that it gives me to support the performing arts community and at the same time “feed my habit.” I love meeting others who share my passion for theater, and I also like trying to bring new people into the fold.

There are a few things that are even more important to me – and that includes the concept of free speech and having the opportunity to express my beliefs and opinions. So, I am writing to all of you as a member of the Saints, and expressing my freedom of speech by making some suggestions that I think will make the Saints an even better organization that it already is.

Some of my suggestions are the following:

· Open Board Meetings (with the exception of executive sessions that are sometimes necessary) that are in a space where there is sufficient room for members to observe our Board in action – perhaps at a theater when there is no performance

· Agendas that are posted and e-mailed to the membership so that they will know what issues will be addressed

· Timely posting of minutes on the Saints website – the minutes would include all motions that have been made and each member’s vote – this would be most helpful when people are making decisions as to whether they want to run for the Board or who to vote for.

· A 20-30 minute Q&A session at the end of each membership meeting so that members have a chance to ask the board questions and make suggestions to the board

· Encouragement of communication and participation of the membership – this can be done through establishment of committees, encouraging dialog and correspondence between membership, coordinators and board members

· Making it possible to vote by mail or electronically so that the process is easier and more inclusive

· Frequent use of surveys to poll our membership about controversial issues such as how we want our money spent, whether we want to continue the printed Spotlight subscription option, whether we want to reinstate student memberships, etc.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want me to drop your name from my e-mail list, I will be glad to do so. I obtained your e-mail address from the Spotlight and think that it is appropriate that I write to all of you since your name is published and I am a paid up member. I hope that I have set a precedent for dialog and have made a small step toward opening up the organization. It is my belief that the Saints organization belongs to all of us, and we don’t want to put too much power into the hands of a few members. Experience is valuable but so are new ideas and perspectives.

Thank you.

Deborah Granite
Saints Member

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Survey Results and New Survey Question

When this blog first appeared, we had a survey question about whether people feel there may be negative consequences when expressing their opinion to the Saints Board of Directors. The results, while informal and unscientific, are still informative.

It shows that over 40% of the respondents are fearful about expressing their point of view to the board. It is sad to see that 58 people voted "Yes" or "Maybe" to the posted question, and confirms that it is time for change.

You can see the results of this blog's survey for yourself in the left hand margin. This is not just my story; it is your story.

We have posted a new survey question and encourage you to vote. Please encourage your friends to vote too.

Remember, even if you don't want to use your name, you can still comment on this site or at the end of the Chicago Reader article which is still posted on their site - simply click on the link below "Press Coverage" to go directly to the article.

We welcome comments from all interested parties.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Confidentiality Agreement

I am glad that the board is finally going public with the events that led to my membership being revoked and being banned from the Saints. Some of you may feel that you didn't have the whole story about the confidentiality agreement. I will post a copy of it under comments on this site.

I have nothing against a proper confidentiality agreement and have signed one every year that I've been a coordinator. In fact, I offered to sign the previous year's confidentiality statement. But I had concerns, as did two other board members, about the revised one which was presented to us only a few days before the "Appreciation Luncheon."

On several occasions, I offered to sign the "old" confidentiality statement however the new one is poorly written, vague and most likely unenforceable. I am not alone in my opinion, and a written advisory letter from an attorney was provided to the board. The Board majority said that they didn't care what the letter said and they were unwilling to discuss it further. In addition, the Saints President was unwilling to accept my written offer to sign a copy of the old confidentiality agreement.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

What can we do?

Some of you have asked me what you can do right now to restore The Saints to being a vibrant, democratic organization that is responsive to its members who pay annual dues. Here are a few ideas - please feel free to add to this list and post comments.

- post comments on this blog and on the Chicago Reader Story (click on story to the left)

- Send e-mails to Deb Granite at saintswhistleblower@yahoo.com

- request minutes

- request observation privileges at future board meetings (the next one is scheduled for September 14 at 7:30 pm)

- write letters and send e-mails to the board with your questions

- attend general membership meetings and ask for a Question and Answer period at the conclusion of the meeting

- advocate for a committee to work on the bylaws

- advocate for setting up a nonpartisan election commission that develops fair election procedures before the process begins

- advocate for both electronic and mail in ballot options

- ask for financial reports and a full financial audit

There's plenty that can be done but this would be a great start.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Board Meeting Minutes

Board meeting minutes and financial reports are available to members upon written request.

Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your request to Secretary, The Saints, 2936 N. Southport, Suite 203, Chicago, IL 60657-4120.

This is the language that appears every month on page 2 of the Spotlight, the Saints newsletter for members. I know that there have been recent requests for minutes, but as of this time, we don't know of anyone who has received them. Perhaps the Board will become more responsive.

When I was on the Board, I suggested that they routinely post minutes on the website for "members only." But frankly, board members had difficulty obtaining timely copies of the minutes, and the minutes often were incomplete and inaccurate. In fact, this is the first board that I have ever been on where the minutes were not approved unanimously after a call for additions and corrections. It is common to make minor corrections, but these minutes needed substantial changes. Perhaps that is because the secretary took very limited notes, and after repeated requests, only recently started to record the meetings.


Taking minutes is not an easy job, and it might be appropriate to have an official recorder at board meetings whose sole purpose is to record the board's actions. Minutes are very important though, and should provide a record of all the decisions that your board makes, and how each board member has voted. Minutes can be useful to a new board member who wants to get caught up on past board actions, interesting and informative to members, and also serve as a helpful tool when deciding who to vote for in an election. In addition, it serves as the legal record of the board's actions.

I would like to encourage readers to comment on their thoughts about minutes. As members of other organizations, how did you find out about your Board's activities, what motions were made, and how your board members voted? What are your thoughts about minutes for this organization?

Thursday, August 13, 2009

New Board Member!!

The Saints conducted an election during April and May of 2009 for fiscal year 6/1/2009 – 5/31/2010.

After checking the website at 7:30 pm on August 13, 2009, I have noticed that my name was removed. But what happened to Directors Jim Venskus and Hugh Spencer? Their names are gone too.

And, I see a new Director's name, Martin Frank, who was not a candidate this year. This seems like big news...

Does anyone care to comment or know what's going on?

Check it out at http://www.saintschicago.org/ and click on "Contact Us" at the top of the page. They make it really easy for you to send an e-mail and find out what's happening.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Membership Revoked and Banned from Saints

Where should I begin? After not being allowed to express myself for such a long time, it is very strange starting to write and hopefully communicate with the membership of an organization that means so much to me. I am no longer a member of the organization because I wrote an e-mail and sent it to the Saints Board of Directors, the usher coordinators and committee chairs.

This e-mail contained suggestions to open up dialogue, and enable the membership to know more about their board. I arrived at a scheduled board meeting (which had not been posted on the website or announced to the membership in the Spotlight) on June 9, 2009. I hadn't received an agenda, which we often receive late, and had come straight from the airport. There were many agenda items that I had proposed, and I was looking forward to my first real meeting with the new board.

Two members had requested that they be allowed to observe the meeting but were told to arrive after the actual start time. The board meeting began with a motion to revoke my membership and ban me from the organization. The vote was split, 4-4, and our newly elected President broke the tie. I was absolutely stunned. I walked out the door and greeted the observers who had just arrived. Some people on the board were commenting on what a great job I had done with membership.

The reason that I was banned was because I had used the e-mail addresses that are published in the Spotlight to send an e-mail without first obtaining permission from the President. I truly didn't think that what I was doing was wrong. I thought that the "Privileged Information" statement on the back page of the Spotlight was to stop people from giving ushering information to non-members, or using people's addresses for sales. I never dreamed that it would be inappropriate to send an e-mail to the people who are basically running the Saints Organization.

The unedited letter, which I am posting below, should speak for itself.

To: Saints Board
CC: Coordinators and Committee Chairs

I am writing to you, the Board, as a member of this wonderful organization with some recommendations that I believe will make the Saints an even better organization than it already is. Those of you that know me know that the performing arts community is very important to me. In fact, I can’t think of very much that is more important to me. I live and breathe theater all the time, and most of my friends know that I spend all of my spare time attending performing arts events, reading, writing and talking about the performing arts. I do my best to connect with others who already love the performing arts and expose others to the performing arts. There is plenty to experience and more than enough to keep so many of us busy and intellectually stimulated.

I have been a member of the Saints for almost twenty-five years and I am very grateful for the opportunities that it gives me to support the performing arts community and at the same time “feed my habit.” I love meeting others who share my passion for theater, and I also like trying to bring new people into the fold.

There are a few things that are even more important to me – and that includes the concept of free speech and having the opportunity to express my beliefs and opinions. So, I am writing to all of you as a member of the Saints, and expressing my freedom of speech by making some suggestions that I think will make the Saints an even better organization that it already is.

Some of my suggestions are the following:

· Open Board Meetings (with the exception of executive sessions that are sometimes necessary) that are in a space where there is sufficient room for members to observe our Board in action – perhaps at a theater when there is no performance

· Agendas that are posted and e-mailed to the membership so that they will know what issues will be addressed

· Timely posting of minutes on the Saints website – the minutes would include all motions that have been made and each member’s vote – this would be most helpful when people are making decisions as to whether they want to run for the Board or who to vote for.

· A 20-30 minute Q&A session at the end of each membership meeting so that members have a chance to ask the board questions and make suggestions to the board

· Encouragement of communication and participation of the membership – this can be done through establishment of committees, encouraging dialog and correspondence between membership, coordinators and board members

· Making it possible to vote by mail or electronically so that the process is easier and more inclusive

· Frequent use of surveys to poll our membership about controversial issues such as how we want our money spent, whether we want to continue the printed Spotlight subscription option, whether we want to reinstate student memberships, etc.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want me to drop your name from my e-mail list, I will be glad to do so. I obtained your e-mail address from the Spotlight and think that it is appropriate that I write to all of you since your name is published and I am a paid up member. I hope that I have set a precedent for dialog and have made a small step toward opening up the organization. It is my belief that the Saints organization belongs to all of us, and we don’t want to put too much power into the hands of a few members. Experience is valuable but so are new ideas and perspectives.

Thank you.

Deborah Granite
Saints Member

I will write more soon but want all of you to see the document that resulted in my being banned from the organization. In addition, I want to encourage all of you to hold the Saints Board accountable to the membership. And right now, especially with the new Bylaws (which some of us believe were not legally passed), the Board has all the power.

The minutes are not posted or easily obtained (in addition, they are incomplete and often inaccurate). You currently have no way of finding out what motions have passed and how each board member voted. The old Bylaws are no longer on the website. You have not received a financial statement for two years. You must ask permission to observe a board meeting, and the Saints Board can call an executive session and meet in secrecy whenever they choose. In addition, there are no written guidelines as to when a Saints member can have their membership revoked or be banned, nor is there any way to appeal whatever consequences are imposed by the Board.

This is very serious and it is your responsibility to ask questions and get answers.