Committee chairs are some of the most influential leaders in a booster club. They are literally on the front lines, interfacing with parents and students. In many ways, your booster club’s success relies on your committee chairs. Once you select the right people for these roles, empower them to serve and give them your full support.

When I became the Blackman Band Boosters’ president, I was immediately faced with a predicament that led to one of the greatest success stories during my tenure. Over the prior couple of years, our Truck & Equipment Committee had dwindled to only two adult volunteers – parents of graduating seniors – and a hand full of students. The adult volunteers pulled our two equipment trailers to football games and events.

At the end of each school year, the band performs at the graduation ceremony, which is held at our local university across town. Graduation is a transition point for the band, and since both volunteers had graduating seniors, no one was left to move our equipment. After several phone calls and some creative alternate planning, I was able to arrange transportation of our equipment to the graduation ceremony (seemingly without a day to spare).

The urgency of this predicament really drove home the importance of succession planning within the organization. While the two prior volunteers met the need for transportation at the moment, they didn’t welcome new volunteers into the crew and failed to sustain the committee’s activities into the future. They also put the band at risk. If either of them had an illness, mechanical trouble, or even a scheduling conflict, there would not have been an alternate driver to take his place. While some committees’ tasks are flexible and easily altered, the band simply does not travel without a fully functioning truck & equipment committee.

Using the best practices of recruiting, I set out to find a Truck & Equipment Committee chair for the upcoming school year. I spoke to a lot of people, but didn’t use the hard sell. The role was just too important to put in the wrong person’s hands. The time I invested in the recruiting process paid huge dividends when Steve agreed to fill the role.

Steve was a great leader and created a culture of acceptance. Under his leadership, the committee grew to more than twenty adult volunteers. Steve was so good at planning and delegating that he rarely lifted a piece of equipment himself. He was also humble enough that it bothered him not to jump in and help. However, he didn’t want to deny any of his volunteers the opportunity to serve.

Steve’s crew nicknamed him their “fearless leader” and together they accomplished many things. Here are just a few:

• Organized tailgating meals before each football game
• Established their own Facebook page
• Purchased polo shirts for the crew
• Coordinated with school administrators to have a new gate installed for access into the football stadium
• Designed and installed graphics on the band’s equipment trailer
• Initiated and sponsored the purchase of an innovative new electric all terrain vehicle (ATV)

As we have seen through this example, a committee’s success will rise and fall with the competency and dedication of its leader. It is critical to fill each role with the right leader. In my book, The Booster Leader: 35 Leadership Essentials for a Thriving Booster Organization, I will show you the secrets to recruiting influential leaders. You’ll also learn the attributes of a successful committee chair. The Booster Leader is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.

Question: What outstanding accomplishments have your committee chairs achieved? You can leave a comment by clicking here.