Dear AMSOV Members,

The AMSOV Board of Directors met in Montreal, Canada, in September. This was the third, face-to-face meeting for the current biennium of the four required by our by-laws. Our final meeting will be in Los Angeles. During these face-to-face meetings, board members review finances, work on plans for the biennial conferences, and collaborate on ways to keep our organization strong and relevant.  

Our first two board of directors' meetings were in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Fort Worth, Texas. All of the face-to-face meetings were expertly hosted by the AMSOV board member residing in each city with the support of the local volunteers and symphony. Each city offers its unique experiences, assistance from enthusiastic volunteers, and a chance to hear that city's orchestra.  At this last meeting in Montreal our main focus was reviewing the preparations for the next Biennial Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 5 through 8, 2015.

I am grateful to all of the board members in our 76-year history who have donated their time, treasure, and talents to keep our organization, run solely by volunteers, healthy and relevant to our volunteer organization members.

Just as service on AMSOV's board provides an opportunity for unique, one-of-a-kind experiences in different cities for board members, the same is true of AMSOV Biennial Conferences. The next Biennial Conference will be no exception. Among the many items included in your Conference registration fee is a performance by the legendary Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, a visit to the Curtis Institute, as well as dinners in historic venues. These venues include one that dates back to the Civil War, another that is the oldest supper club in Philadelphia, and a third, the Ardrossan Estate, that is the home of Hope Montgomery Scott, the inspiration for the Katherine Hepburn character in the motion picture Philadelphia Story. But, most importantly, in these venues we hear informative speakers and have time to share best practices and lessons learned with your peers, the individuals who are stewarding volunteer organizations supporting symphony orchestras in North America.  We are very excited about the revamped Getting to Know You session. If this is not enough, arrive early to visit the Barnes Foundation and/or the Philadelphia Flower Show, experiences alone that would make your trip to Philadelphia worthwhile. Last year, the board of directors visited the Barnes Foundation. I know of no other place where you can visit such a significant and large collection of impressionist art, displayed in a truly unique manner that not only enhances the appreciation of the art displayed, but makes one aware of the connections in the world of fine arts and everyday life.

The main emphasis and primary purpose of AMSOV Biennial Conferences is leadership training and for the leaders of our volunteer organizations to share best practices with each other. This is why we stress the importance for attendance of presidents and president-elects of each member organization.  Also consider attending if you are contemplating a leadership role in your organization and want to talk to other volunteer organization leaders. If you are a previous leader, this will be your opportunity to "give back" what you have learned from your leadership experience at an international level. Also, if you are a previous leader in your organization and would consider extending your leadership role or have an interest in the future of AMSOV, be sure to attend the meeting at the conference for prospective AMSOV Board of Director Members and the future of our organization. Board service is very rewarding, and it definitely gives an opportunity to expand your horizons to the international level.

Thank you for all that you do and accomplish, especially those things that no one ever knows about, which benefit your organization and community.  Hope to see you in Philadelphia in March 2015.

Mike

Participate in a conversation at this AMSOV Conference. The Getting to Know You session, offered at every AMSOV Conference, is transitioning from a formal three-minute talk by each orchestra's delegate to a roundtable discussion wih a facilitator. This new format is a response to Conference attendees' wishes, explains Vice President and Conference Chair Sally Bullard. As a starter, each orchestra's delegate, or president, will write a short summary of its volunteer organization and its achievements. The Philadelphia Orchestra volunteers will copy this written text prior to the Conference and insert a copy into every attendee's welcome packet. "You will have an opportunity to find out what is happening with each organization at the very beginning of the Conference," says Bullard.

At the Conference, the Getting to Know You session will be structured as roundtable discussions. Each attendee can choose from topics about fundraising, education and music, or membership development. On the Conference registration form, an attendee can indicate two preferences for topics. Multiple sessions of Getting to Know You will allow attendees to be involved in more than one topic. "Our hope is that this format will allow for a good dialogue between Conference attendees, which is after all, one of the main goals of the Conference," says Bullard. Each roundtable group will involve 7 or 8 people in a 45-minute discussion with a moderator and secretary, followed by a 15-minute report to the entire audience. Bullard says, "We come to network and learn from each other, and Getting to Know You offers us the opportunity."