ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Shintaido of America has a Board of Directors consisting of two permanent voting members, three to five voting members selected by the membership for terms of two years, and non-voting honorary members who serve at the pleasure of the Board. The two permanent members are H.F. Ito and Michael Thompson, who together established the Shintaido movement in the United States.
The Board makes decisions on broad SoA policy, appoints SoA officers, and articulates vision and direction for SoA.
Membership in the National Technical Council is extended to all SoA members who have reached the level of Senior Instructor, Karate San Dan or Bojutsu San Dan or above. The role of the Council is to oversee the quality of Shintaido instruction in the United States. Specifically, they are charged with resolving technical questions, acting as a resource for local instructors, keeping track of the status of instructors on sabbatical, conducting exit interviews with instructors who leave the organization, and disseminating information about SoA policy on maintaining instructional credentials. The Council is coordinated by a Chairperson who is selected by the SoA Board for a two-year term.
Shintaido Group Leaders are an informal and self-organized group of people who teach Shintaido are at the point of beginning to teach locally in the United States. The Group Leaders meet periodically, usually at gasshukus, to do keiko together and share ideas, questions and concerns. Group Leaders must be SoA members in order to attend these events. SoA supports the work of the group leaders by recommending that time be provided at gasshukus for meetings and practice, and by providing occasional stipends for expenses. The Group Leaders are responsible for setting their own objectives and goals.
The SoA President is selected by the Board of Directors for a two-year term. The president:
- coordinates Shintaido of America policy.
- facilitate communication among the membership and among the regional Shintaido organizations.
- ensures an annual membership letter is distributed to membership.
The SoA Membership Secretary is appointed by the Board of Directors for a two-year term. The secretary:
- Maintains membership rolls.
- Provides contact people with up-to-date membership lists.
- Coordinates mailings for SoA.
- Updates examination results and rankings.
The SoA Project Manager acts as a liaison between SoA Board and members who are working on SoA projects. The project manager:
- Suggests and initiates new projects.
- Facilitates on-going projects:
- web updates
- production of the Body Dialogue newsletter
- membership drive activities
- Sets schedules for projects.
- Provides project management, facilitation, liaison, tracking, follow-up, and communication among members working on projects.
- Reports to the Board on the progress of projects.
- Serves as the liaison between the SoA President and members engaged in SoA work.
The SoA Treasurer is appointed by the Board of Directors. The treasurer:
- Keeps track of SoA finances and reports them whenever requested to the President and the Board and once yearly to the membership at the annual SoA meeting.
- Handles all deposits and bank records.
- Provides reports to the Financial Officer for tax purposes.
- Reimburse expenses
- Monitor bookstore activity
- Post entries and reconcile accounts
OTHER OPERATIONS WITHIN SOA
- Publications
- The Publications Department produces and sells printed materials and videotapes about Shintaido. It is financially self-suppporting, and also helps to pay for the production of Body Dialogue.
- Body Dialogue
- This is the official publication of SoA. It carries articles on the practice of Shintaido and on national and regional activities.
- Website
- www.shintaido.org is the official website of SoA.
