Hi PFS Members,
We invite you - yes, you! - to be a candidate for the Portland FolkMusic Society Board of Directors.
The PFS Board is responsible for overseeing all PFS activities. It meets monthly, mostly on line with one or two in-person meetings a year, and even then the board offers the Zoom option.
Board members serve staggered two-year terms, with about half the board seats opening every year. There are five seats to be filled this year; and three of the incumbents are running for re-election.
Any PFS Member in good standing can run for one of these seats for the two-year term that runs from January 2026 to December 2028.
The Board Members are women and men, young and old, with diverse skills. They have one thing in common: they want to contribute their time and skills to supporting the mission of PFS, to "preserve, present and promote folk music and arts within the greater Portland area".
It's an exciting time to be on the PFS Board:
• PFS keeps expanding its offerings, and now offers two concert series (Eastside and Westside), plus a youth concert series; three monthly in-person song circles; the weekly Virtual Song Circle. In addition there are annual events (the annual Singtime in-person retreat in the Columbia Gorge; the on-line FallSong Festival; and the Strawberry Social in the peak of strawberry season); occasional special events like the Global Folksong Workshop. PFS also plays a big role in sharing knowledge, with our online calendar of local events; the website you are visiting now; and the bimonthly Local Lore, a newsletter that has become more than a newsletter, with strong themed issues which members love.
PFS is strong and working well, but we still have challenges that you might work on as a board member (and no one would expect you to do ALL of these!)
• Attract and retain younger members
• Help PFS become more racially and culturally diverse
• Continue to strengthen our social media presence
• Help us attract more funding for more activities
• Develop new activities with more outreach to the community
• Find more opportunities for our members to make music and enjoy music
We need the best hearts and brains in the organization to help make all this happen.
Next steps
• If you would like to nominate yourself, write to us no later than December 15.
• If you think someone else would be a great board member, tell them you think so, and if they are interested, have them write to us by December 15.
• If you are considering running for the Board but you have questions, then just write as soon as possible and we will find a time to chat.
All candidates should prepare a personal statement of fifty to 100 words, and optionally include a photograph; these will be posted on the website and sent along with the ballots to all members in good standing. After the slate is complete, we will hold a confidential on-line election, with polls open from December 21 to midnight, December 31, 2021. (The software we use does not allow us or anyone to see who voted how, so it really is confidential).
Please send all nominations, statements, photos, questions and comments to president@portlandfolkmusic.org