ConcernedMembersofOCAF,
ThefollowingisanupdateontheconcernsdiscussedduringourmeetingatTheSanctuaryonAugust15.
Thenotesfromthemeetingwerecompiled,theletter(below)draftedandedited,thenreviewedbyformer OCAFBoardMemberEadaoinWaller,anon-profitlawyer.Appointmentsweresettohanddelivertheletter toeachBoardmember,believinganin-persondeliverywouldbemoreappropriatethananemailoutofthe blue.AlloftheBoardmembers,exceptGaryAdcox,havereceivedtheletter.
Lastweekweattemptedtosetanin-personmeetingwithCyndeeMoore(Chair)tohandhertheletter,and hadonesetforSept.2,howevershecancelledviatextthenightbeforethemeeting.(Weintendedtorequest thatshesharetheletterwithGary.)SheaskedforRaytocontactherafterLaborDay,whichhedid,however shedidnotreturnhisvoicemailsortextsohesenthertheletterinanemaillastweek. Itwasn’tuntiltoday thatCyndeerespondedsayingsheisavailabletomeetonSept.15,butnomentionofthelargerfullBoard meetingwhichwe’verequested.
It’sourunderstandingthataZOOMmeetingoftheExecutiveBoard,andpossiblyfull-Board,hastaken place.
TodayOCAF’sdirectorWendyCooperwasfired,we’retoldforinsubordination,byBrockToole(Vice Chair)andnewBoardmemberJustinCofer.SherryspokehermindtoBrockandJustin,andthereisnow concernaboutthesecurityofherjob.
ThenextmeetingoftheConcernedMembersofOCAFgroupwillbeheldinthesamelocationaslasttime, 7:00PMatTheSanctuary.
August28,2023
OconeeCulturalArtsFoundation OfficersandBoardofDirectors
34SchoolStreet
Watkinsville,Georgia30677
DearBoardofDirectors:
Weunderstandandappreciatethededication,time,energy,andeffortyouexpendintheinterestofOCAF,as wellasthecontributionsthatyoumaketothecommunity.However,weareconcernedaboutseveralaspects ofOCAFgovernanceandaperceiveddistancebetweenthemembersoftheBoardandthealmost700 membersthatcompriseOCAF.
Tobegin,wewouldliketointroduceourselves.We areallmembersofOCAF;ourgroupincludesartists,art lovers,artcollectors,foundingmembers,membersofthe1902Society,majordonors,andlongtime
volunteers.ManyofushaveservedasOCAFBoardmembers,officers,BoardChair,andExecutiveDirector. Wehaveinvestedourtime,ourtalent,andourresourcesinthisorganization.Wehaveseenmanysuccesses overtheyears,seensomemistakes,too,andevenmadeafewofourown.We havealsoseenmanychanges ofleadershipovertheyears,sowehaveaclearunderstandingofOCAF’smission,programming,anddayto-dayoperations.
Thefounderswereadedicatedgroupofartistswhoenvisionedanorganizationthatwouldprovideanoutlet forartiststoexhibitandselltheirwork.Theyalsoimaginedanorganizationthatwouldenrich,educate,build relationshipsamongartists,provideanimportantoutreachtothecommunity,encouragevolunteerism,and nurturefutureinvolvementinOCAF.Itwasanticipatedthattheartists,OCAFmembers,andleadership wouldbeacohesivegroupwithsharedgoalsandideas,withafreeflowofinformationthroughoutthegroup. OCAFhassucceededinthoseaspirations,forthemostpart,overtime,whichresultedinWatkinsville’s hostingthelargestpotteryshowintheSoutheastandhavingmoreartistspercapitathananyothercityin Georgia.Asaresult,Watkinsvilleenjoyedthetitle“TheArtlandofGeorgia.”
Perhapsduetoalackofcommunication,itappearsthatmembershipinvolvementinandaccesstothe decision-makingprocesshasdiminished.Itseemsthatmajordecisionsarebeingmadewithoutmemberinput andwithoutexplanation.WehaveattemptedtoclarifyhowtheBoardisfunctioning,butweretoldthat obtainingcopiesoftheminutesofBoardmeetingsisnotallowed.Whenoneofourgroupaskedabout attendingaBoardmeeting(ZOOMorinperson),hewastoldthatwasnotallowedeither.So,fromafar,we haveidentifiedseveralareasofconcern:
COMMUNICATIONANDTRANSPARENCY
We feelthat,inordertofacilitatecommunicationandenhancememberinvolvement,thenamesandcontact informationfortheBoardmembers,officers,andstaffshouldbeplacedontheOCAFwebsite.Fifty(or more)copiesofaone-pageflyerwiththisinformationshouldbeattheentranceoronthecheck-intableat eachOCAFevent.The~700membersofOCAFcannotprovideinputoraskquestionsiftheydonotknow whotheleadershipisorhowtocontactthem.
BoardmeetingsshouldbeopentoallOCAFmembers,andthemembershipshouldbegiven10-14days advancenoticeofthetimeandplaceofmeetings.(Anexecutivesessioncanbedeclaredforappropriate topics,personnelmatters,propertyacquisition,etc.)Minutesshouldbepostedonthewebsiteoratleastbe madeavailableuponrequest.Thesemeetingsaretoconductthemembers’business.Thefactthatamember isinterestedenoughtowanttoattend,ortoseetheminutes,shouldbeacauseforcelebration.
Collectively,membersofourgrouphavebeenpartofmanynon-profitorganizationsandmostofushave servedasofficersordirectors.ItisanallbutuniversalpracticeforBoardmeetingstobeopentoallmembers oftheorganizationandfortheminutestobeaccessibletoallmembers.Iftheminutescannotbepostedon thewebsite,copiesshouldbeplacedina“minutesbox”onatableinthehalloutsidetheOffice Administrator’sofficeorinasimilarlyconspicuouslocation.
ZOOM(orotheronline)meetingsshouldbediscontinued.Thechitchatbefore,during,andaftermeetingsis essentialtoestablishingarapportwithfellowboardmembers,especiallythose whodonothavecontactwith
eachotheroutsideOCAF.AswelearnedduringtheCovidpandemic,thereisnosubstitutefortheface-tofaceexchangeofideasanddiscussionthatcomesfromsittingaroundatableduringameeting.
ANNUALMEETINGANDELECTION
In2023,theAnnualMeetingwasheldvirtually,whicheliminatedanymemberinteraction,opportunityfor opendialog,andmemberinput,butthesearetheprimarypurposesofanannualmeeting.Itisoneofthefew timesthemembersgettoseetheentireBoardatonetime.
Theby-lawsprovidethatanymembercanmakenominationstobeconsideredfortheNominating Committee’sslate.In2023,severalmembersfollowedtheproceduresrequiredtomakenominations,but theseadditionswerenotaddedtotheslate;whichwaspresentedasavote-for-allorvote-for-nonechoice.All nomineesshouldhavebeenlistedontheballotwiththeoptiontopickandchoosewhotovotefor.
Further,theby-lawscallfor“tellers”tocountthevote.Werequestthenamesandcontactinformationofthe tellerswhocountedthe2023vote.Wealsorequestacopyoftheminutesofthe2023AnnualMeeting.
FACILITIES
SubstantialsumsofmoneywereraisedtorepairRocketHall’sfloor,andtheserepairswerecompletedayear ago,yetnoeventshavebeenhostedinthefacility.WehaveheardthatRocketHallisnotbeingusedbecause 1)thereisaconcernthatthefloorwillbescuffedbyfoottraffic.Thatpuzzlesus:Isn’tthatthenatureofa floorinamulti-purpose,utilitarianbuilding? Also,2)thattheentryneedstobemadepresentable.However, thatentryhasnotchangedinmanyyearsandwasserviceableformanyevents.Althoughtheentryrequires somerepairs,thesecouldbeaccomplishedwithalacrityandease.And3)thatusingRocketHallwill overburdenthestaff.ButRocketHallisaprimaryassetofourcampus.Itmustnotbeallowedtositidle.
RocketHallisauniquevenuewithalotofhistory.ItcouldhaveaccommodatedtheChamberofCommerce annualmeeting,whichwouldhavegeneratedimmeasurablegoodwillinthecommunity,andperhapsthere areotherrevenue-generatingeventsthatcouldhavebeenheldthere,too.Itisespeciallysuitedforhosting Perspectives,ThriftSale,andotherOCAFevents.
OCAFshouldscheduleadonorappreciationeventattheearliestopportunitytothankthedonorswhomade thenewfloorarealityandtoannouncetothecommunitythatitisopenforbusiness.Weshouldalsoinvite otherorganizationstoutilizeRocketHall.Everypersonwhogoesinsidegeneratesgoodwillandisa potentialdonor/potentialmember.Thereshouldalsobe-aspromisedduringtheCapitalCampaignpermanentsignagerecognizingmajordonorsanddedicationofspacesnamedforthem.
SchoolStreetStudiosseemstohaveseveralunusedrooms.Classescouldbeusingtheserooms,whichwould generateincomeandfulfillOCAF’smissionofenrichingthecommunitythroughart,promotingart education,andprovidingasourceofincomeforartistswhoserveasteachers.Whataretheplansforthese spaces?
FINANCIALCONCERNS
AmajorconcernisthatThriftSaleandothercustomaryrevenue-generatingeventshavebeencancelled. HolidayMarketandPerspectiveshavebeencrammedintoinadequatespace,whichreducesthenumberof boothsandvendors,constrainingbothpotentialincomeandambiance.Theduesstructure,donorbase,and sporadicgrantsreceivedarenotsufficienttofundOCAF’sbudget.
Therehavebeenvariousfigurescirculatingregardingthecostandcost-overrunsoftheMarableGarden,as wellasothermajorexpenditures.Thecostandbiddingprocessfortheseprojectsshouldbetransparent, includingarecordofthecompetingbids.
Itiscustomaryinmanyorganizationstohaveanindependentexitauditcompletedwhenleadershipchanges, inordertoprotectthesucceedingofficers,directors,andemployeesfromthemistakes,non-feasance,or malfeasanceoftheirpredecessors.Substantialsumsofmoneyhavebeenraisedandexpendedsincethe CapitalCampaignbegan.WebelieveitwouldbeinOCAF’sbestintereststohaveanauditperformed.Going forward,webelieveitmightbeprudenttoconductanannualaudit.
INCONCLUSION
Toaddresstheseconcerns,werequestanopenmeetingwiththeOCAFBoardofDirectorswithinthirtydays ofthereceiptofthisletter;inotherwords,duringthefirstweekofOctober.AccordingtoOCAF’sby-laws, any6membersoftheBoardofDirectorscansubmitawrittenrequestcallingforaspecialmeetingofthe Board.
Sinceweanticipateagreatdealofmember-interestinthismeeting,wesuggestthatittakeplaceinRocket Hall,alarge,convenient,andbelovedfacilityonourcampus. Pleaserespondtothisletterpromptlybysupplyingthedate/timeofthisopenmeeting.Youarewelcometo respondbyemailorphonetoRayWatsonatgrwat@icloud.com706.338.8920.
Sincerely,
ConcernedMembersofOCAF