At 12:09 AM 3/21/97 GMT, you wrote:
>Our museum has a BOD elected by the BOD.  Cantidates are suggested by
>the general membership.   I see this as an attempt by the Director to
>excercize totalitarian control.  I have never encountered this before,
>all groups I have worked with before have a BOD elected by the general
>membership.
>Is this ethical?


Most boards have a Nominating Committee who interviews candidates suggested
by the Board, Executive Director, or itself.  Candidates are then generally
voted in by the entire board based on these interviews and/or
recommendations and possibly later confirmed by the general membership.  I
don't see it as totalitarian control, because one would assume that the
board will do what is best for the institution as a whole rather than
according to self-interest.   I don't see how a membership of, say, 3000
could possibly agree on *the* best candidates for the board otherwise.

Julia Moore
Indianapolis Art Center