Club Board Member's Guide

According to John Carroll, “You cease to be a club member when you sign onto the board. You become a kind of guardian, sharing responsibility for the club’s success and for its future.” Although written with the private club in mind, the common sense solutions Carroll offers to those responsible for overseeing the running of an organization apply to a much broader audience. Carroll has distilled the complexities of leadership and governance into practical action. With thirty-five years of experience with boards of all types, including eighteen years of service on club boards (usually as president), he shows how a fine-tuned sense of “people skills,” coupled with an understanding of how the club functions, creates an atmosphere where decisions can be made for the benefit of the club and all its members. He emphasizes that board members become guardians of their club’s tradition and history while ensuring that the organization moves forward as times change. The author guides you through the complex operations of a private club, all the while explaining how to deal gently with the complex human dynamics that make club board membership both invigorating and challenging. Along the way you are treated to an overview of the history of private clubs, first in Europe and then in America, including the development of golf and the changing face of modern-day clubs.