[jja-announce] two things, one awfully long

[Jazzmandel at aol.com]

Hi JJA members -- 

if you're in the NYC vicinity, the Jazz Matters panel previously scheduled 
for Nov. 16 will be rescheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 21 -- the topic is "Artists 
in the Schools" with reps of programs that introduce pro musicians, writers 
and why not photographers or broadcasters? into public schools and similar 
venues.

#2 -- the JJA's interim board of directors has formally passed new bylaws for 
the JJA (which will be posted for JJA members' password-protected viewing at 
Jazzhouse.org, soon). The bylaws require the JJA to elect a new board of seven 
directors for 1 and 2 year terms, for installation at the JJA's annual 
meeting, currently scheduled for Saturday afternoon of IAJE conference in NYC in 
Jan. 2006. The JJA will hold an election of directors via Jazzhouse.org in 
December.

We need right now nominations from members for directors of the JJA -- 
positions which should be considered not to be honors, but rather responsibilities. 

JJA board members will elect officers of the JJA, set policy, and enact or 
direct the enactment of JJA programs and events. They will be expected to attend 
quarterly conference call meetings, and occasional special meetings. Five of 
the seven directors must be professional jazz journalists, two may not be. 
There is no financial expectation or obligation of JJA directors, although 
fundraising and JJA budgets are frequent topics of JJA board meetings. 

The   currently standing interim board of directors plans to endorse a full 
slate of seven directors for consideration by the membership. Four current 
directors -- Yvonne Ervin, Willard Jenkins, R. Andrew Lepley and Steve Schwartz -- 
are standing down after a year of significant service and subsequent JJA 
advances. The JJA is not losing these directors as active members, and they'll be 
considered part of a loose advisory council. 

Three current directors will stand for re-election: James Hale, Fred Jung and 
me. The board has considered many candidates for nomination for the other 
four seats -- and among its nominees, Susan Fox, a Chicago-based photographer, 
member of the JJA's bylaws committee and (day job) exec. director of the 
American Association of Law Libraries, and Reuben Jackson, the JJA's poet laureate, 
Duke Ellington Scholar at the Smithsonian Institution, freelance writer, 
sometimes broadcaster, regular with the nascent DC chapter, have agreed to accept 
nominations. 

The interim board has discussed many other potential nominees, but believes 
all members should also   be asked for nominations. You may nominate yourself, 
a fellow JJA member, a colleague or a civilian. Please send nominees to JJA 
elections commissioner Ken Dryden, via   e-mail to: jjaboardnominees at yahoo.com. 

In my opinion, JJA directors should have a strong knowledge and some personal 
participation with the JJA; should have time and energy to devote to active 
attendance and promotion of JJA events; should have perspective and vision for 
how the JJA can grow as a not-for--profit professional service organization, 
along with but independent of other organizations; have contacts with other 
activists and other dimensions of cultural and arts-related institutions, be they 
journalistic, educational, academic, commercial, performance-oriented, 
philanthropic, etc. 
It's a job the current directors have taken seriously, and we ask you to, 
too, so please think carefully about who you want to see lead the organization 
forward. 

Any questions, get back to me. To make nominations, send them to 
jjaboardnominees at yahoo.com.

best, 

Pres Howard

www.HowardMandel.com
151 1st Ave.
NY NY 10003
phone 212 533 9495
cell 212 533 4952

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