While working up some feedback on a draft Society policy document, I noticed a reference to the SCA’s “Corporate Officers” and was reminded of the fact that I didn’t have a clear understanding of the distinction between Corporate Officers, Society Officers, and other members of the organization’s central leadership team — categories that I would like to be able to explain to folks here in my local branch.
I posted in the SCA’s “unofficial” Facebook group and soon had useful pointers from Cormac Mór and John the Bearkiller.
As I should have guessed, the answers can be found in a careful reading of the Society’s Governing Documents. The SCA, Inc corporate officers are listed in the Corporate Bylaws paragraph VII.A.1, while the Society officers are listed in Corpora section VI.
To make it easier to see where these positions fit in the organization’s hierarchy, I whipped up a quick org chart, drawing inspiration from the 2019 chart posted on the SCA’s website, and the chart included in the 2022 year-end report.
There were a couple of surprises along the way; for example Bearkiller reports that two of the Corporate Officers are held by the same person, with the VP of Corporate Operations also simultaneously serving as the Corporate Secretary.
My draft org chart is attached below, with corporate officers highlighted by blue dots and society officers with gold dots. As should be obvious by now, this is just my personal understanding, and very well might contain some errors — corrections would be welcome!
[Update, Dec 3:] I received a very helpful email from the Society President today that provided a bunch of additional information. I’ve updated the chart below to mark the three additional positions that he described as corporate officers, and have attached our correspondence for the curious.
From: Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin
To: Society President
Cc: Society Executive Assistant
Date: December 1, 2023
Hello, and greetings from the East!
I am working on some notes to help folks in my local branch understand how the Society’s leadership functions, and ran into two small questions that I am hoping you (or someone else there) can answer.
In the Governing Documents, under Bylaws VII.A.1, it says “The officers of the corporation shall consist of a President, a Vice President for Operations, a Vice President for Corporate Operations, a Treasurer, a Secretary, and such others as the Board may from time to time designate.”
However, I can’t find a listing for the corporate Secretary on the SCA’s website and the position is not shown in recent org charts. Is this office still in use, and if so, by whom is it held?
And are there any other corporate officers besides those listed in the bylaws?
Thank you so much for any help you can provide with these questions, and for your years of service to the Society.
— Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin
From: Society President
To: Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin
Cc: Society Executive Assistant
Date: December 3, 2023
Hello Mathghamhain,
I have been at an event and just got home.
Louise Du Cray, the VP of Corporations Operations, is the Secretary of SCA, inc.
Prior to Louise, that position was held by Renee Signoratti who was then also VP of Corporate Operations.
When the Board approved the 2019 Org chart is does indeed look like the Secretary was left off as an oversight.
That will be corrected as soon as possible. Thank you.
The org chart is in the middle of being redone. Much needed. It has been very busy the last couple of years. Corporate offices like the media liaison and staffing specialist are not filled at the moment and may have had their duties moved to another office.
Currently Communications, Social Media, and the DEIB offices are Corporate officers, and they are listed on the org chart but not individually in the By Laws.
Marketing (a new Corporate position in use) will be added to the upcoming chart.
The Society Chatelaine is being moved out from the Society Seneschal’s office and will be an independent Society office.
One of the move obvious changes needed to the upcoming new org chart, besides updating, is a clear labeling of what is a Corporate officer and what is a Society officer.
There are also, within the next few months, other changes being made to some offices on the chart. Announcements should be forthcoming soon about those changes.
Thanks much again.
John
From: Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin
To: Society President
Cc: Society Executive Assistant
Date: December 3, 2023
Dear John,
Thanks so much for your detailed response — this is all super interesting information, and I look forward to seeing the new org chart when it becomes available!
I whipped up a quick sketch the other day based on the charts published in 2019 and 2022 and used it to flag the corporate and society officers as noted in the bylaws and corpora — I’ll update that with the additional corporate officers you mentioned.
I wonder if the next round of updates will include having the IT Manager report to the President rather than back-channeling directly to the Board; this always struck me as a peculiar artifact of Rusty’s influence at the time it was set up more than a decade ago, and I couldn’t figure out why it was preserved following his departure.
Anyway, thanks again for the extensive reply; I really appreciate the transparency!
— Mathghamhain
From: Society President
To: Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin
Cc: Society Executive Assistant
Date: December 3, 2023
No problem.
I will look into the IT Manager situation.
Thanks,
John
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