I have to disagree with some of this.   If you have any kind of a staff, be it paid unprofessional, professional (museum
trained), volunteer, etc., the Boards job is to set policy, not run the day-to-day operation of the museum.  If it is a small
museum, then board members can volunteer, but they should not have a say in the day-to-day operation of the
museum.   And of course my feelings, but I disagree that there "is of course no reason why some of the Board members
should not be museum professionals themselves."  Yes, they can be museum professionals..but should not be setting
policy and working a day to day position.   They could control the museum.  There would be conflict of interest. etc.
I'm sure that any community will have enough volunteers where board members don't have to come in and do the work after 
they set the policy.  I've seen to much control by board members doing that...and to me it is a total ethical issue..and should not be allowed.

And, no...the Board is not "responsible for everything that happens in the museum.."   Volunteers doing the job have
responsibilities, paid staff has responsibilities....members have some responsibility.  It is the boards job to govern..
again not do the day-to-day work.  

Staff and volunteers carry out the function of the museum, according to the mission and policy established.   

Yes, we're happy to have board members work in the garden....serve on committees (but most often it is trying to
get Board members to do their jobs as board members!!!! Even getting them to work on a committee is another story!!!) 
But most often staff wants board members out of their hair...and let us who are paid or volunteer do our jobs.
John Martinson

-----Original Message-----
From:   Trevor Reynolds [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Friday, April 09, 1999 4:02 AM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        The role of the Board (was: Exhibits Committee)

I am somewhat concerned about some of the views about Boards which have been expressed recently. 

Surely the Board (either Board of Directors or Board of Trustees) is by definition responsible for everything that happens in the museum.  In larger museums they will hire staff to provide professional input and advice and carry out functions on their behalf.  In small and medium sized museums they may not employ professional staff but instead get advice from various professional advisors as and when necessary.  

In a small community museum the Board may be entirely made up from amongst the volunteers who run the museum. There is of course no reason why some of the Board members should not be museum professionals themselves.

In a small museum the Board may take all the day to day decisions.  In a very large museum they may have delegated all of these to paid staff and may concern themselves solely with the strategic view.  But if something goes wrong (the accountant runs off with the money or the curator sells the exhibits) the Board is still ultimately responsible.

Staff (and indeed volunteers) with professional qualifications and/or experience should carry out any delegated functions in accordance  with the appropriate professional code of ethics.  Staff should also give the Board unbiased advice on issues where the Board has not delegated its authority.  

So give the Board your best advice, including the likely consequences of not following it.  If they ignore it then (depending on the issue) you may need to make a report to an appropriate regulatory body.

The detail of how it works will of course depend to a large extent on the size of museum and its legal status (museums which are part of a larger corporate entity often don't have a Board of their own).

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The views expressed are not necessarily those of English Heritage

Trevor Reynolds
Registrar, English Heritage
Address: 4 CS, 23 Savile Row, London, W1X 1AB, UK
Telephone:  +44 (0)171 973 3482  [GTN 3503 3482]
Email: [log in to unmask]