Board of Trustees:

Work of the Board

Trustees give a great gift of time to the School. The Friends School Board is described as “a working Board,” and the expectations for trustees are many.

Board Meetings

September through June the Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month in the James L. Zamoiski '68 Alumni Center (ZAC). The Chair of the Board prepares an agenda, distributed in advance, that typically includes the approval of minutes; regular reports or requests for approval or decision from Board Committees, individual trustees, or school administrators; a monthly report from the Head of School; and thoughtful, thorough discussion of current key issues. Trustee attendance is exemplary. The meetings begin and end with a period of silence, and discussion and decision-making are conducted in the manner of Friends.

Committee Work

Each trustee is assigned by the Committee on Trustees to two or more committees, which meet quarterly, monthly, or even, if necessary, weekly.

Involvement in School Life

Trustees visit the School regularly and attend school functions—sporting events, musicals and plays, concerts, art exhibits, meeting for worship, the orientation events to welcome new faculty in the fall, holiday celebrations, Quaker Day, graduation. (Look for their red name tags!) On Trustee Visitation Day, board members visit classes in all three divisions. On occasion, members of the Board speak at Collection. All board members participate in fundraising events and phonathons.

Employee Recognition Day

Each spring, the Board hosts a party to recognize employees with gifts and gratitude for their years of service to Friends School, beginning with the tenth year of employment and at every fifth year following. In 2003, the School was pleased to honor Upper School English teacher Gerritt Blauvelt for his 40 years at Friends.

Board Retreat

Throughout the year, the Committee on Trustees plans programs for the ongoing education of Trustees. Often there is a speaker or facilitator. In addition there is an annual retreat is to discuss issues related to the Board's mission and to plan the Board's future work. This year's retreat is scheduled for September 11 and 12, 2009.

Mastering, Mentoring, and Measuring Trustee and Board Performance

New trustees participate in the orientation of new faculty offered by Stony Run Friends Meeting in late August. New trustees also meet with the Committee on Trustees for an overview of their responsibilities, an introduction to Quaker process, and a review of the Board’s Policy Manual. Each new trustee is assigned a mentor. And in the spring of the year, all trustees fill out an evaluation form that reflects on their individual performance and on the performance of the entire Board.