Sxoerpts taken from :fIC- ep your Co-op Run- j
nine S'oothly’’ written by Sum Steward, II;in ■
ager of the Clarion (Iowa) Farmers Eleva- j
tor Cooperative.
Tuo need is urgent for a good board of dir
ectors, and we as managers are probably
responsible for some of their shortcomings,
Take the case of a tynical director, a far
mer rho has lived in the sane trade terri
tory for several years.-Ho was elected tc
the board not because of any effort on-his
part but because he is well lilcod by his
neighbors,’ and because they think he trill
be a good representative of his area. He
attends board meetings regularly, listens
to the reports of the manager, and takes
•cart in discussion of the’ co-op's problems,
He discovers the answers to many questions
that occurred to him as a member-owner and
patron. Gradually he develops a sense of
responsibility for the organization’s wel
fare .
"resently another member confronts this
director with a story of mistreatment at |
the hands of the manager or other employee]
The transaction, as described, seems very j
unfair. The new director goes to the ir.cjn-1
ager, gets the manager's side-of the story.
Tot being a seasoned director, he says to
the manager (’’After hearing both sides of
this argument I believe you are right, but
couldn't you have given this nan's grain
a smaller discount, or given him a lower
price, on his purchase, or extended him nor*
credit? Tkis cooperative is owned by the
farmers of this community. They are en
titled to some breaks, and I don't believe
in such rlaid trade practices, "c can't
afford to offend our members. Can't you
make an exception in this case? • He is a
large- operator and carries a lot of‘influ.i
encei:!
,
The se are • very “normal remarks for a new
director. He himseif is a patron. He is j
not yet an experienced director. -This
might even hap er. after the director ha3
served a year. Now at this ^oint, many
cooperators will say to this director."You
have done a good job, but we' are Massing
this directorship around.-:' The board
of directors isvnot something to-be jUgv"
gled around just to keep everyone hap^y.
Let's not throw out good men just because
they have served long enough to ask the
i—
manager pertinent questions and to give in
telligent ansv:ers. Good directors are the
very foundation of a strong cooperative. The
solution is to encourage patron's to vote for
directors strictly on the basis of their
ability to render real service, to the coop
erative.
Ono of the characteristics that are vital in
a good manager is illustrated in the manager
that was approached by a director to give
special favor to a•stockholder. Whether this
manager is young or old, vhether he is new
in his present job, his answer must be the
sane. There can be no special favor.b to any
natron (or patrons) in a Cooperative that is
to be truly stuong. Special favors have
weakened—and probably destroyed—as many
cooperatives as has outright dishonesty on
the part of the management.
■'on much infomation shotild a manager issue
regularly to his board of directors0 More
and more facts; this is the only ray that
a director can be exnected to see the eo-on’t
rroblens as the manager does, He forget thai
directors rere natrons before they rere boarc
members and that they are still natrons.
"e have to let them see hor the cooperative
operates if re hone to get real cooneration
from them.-If a director is not nrovided
with the proper information.concerning the
co-on’s business, he cannot do a pood job
of defending either the manager or the co-op.
According to rerd received by John DeVries,
vre learned that-' the Henning Bensons have .
started bach on their trek to Alaska on
April 17. If everything goes roll they
hope to bo back by the first of Hay.
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