I want to be on a board, I need to be on a board...

So it is official now. I will be a member of the reelout Board of Directors. With my safety net Dan and Meghan along for the ride as well. Oh there is still the formality of having to be officially voted in at the Annual General Meeting but given the small current membership and the general excitement of said membership that we are interested (along with two others) I think we have it in the bag. Of the other two, one seems like they will be up for it and one seems to need to review the organization before deciding. Mark, the one who does seem likely to go for it, will help even out the gender division which currently skews female. There are still more women involved but we do have Meghan who is as much a gay boy as a lesbian could be and more of a gay boy than some gay boys.

The introductory meeting was a cramped little affair in the reelout office seated around a Rubbermaid bin set with tablecloth, crackers, carrot sticks and hummis. An actually quite cute effort. The meeting was fairly general, more an introduction than anything else. It most definitely increased my interest in the project. I definitely see oppertunity for me to help manage an event that, frankly, is pretty important to me.

The next step will be a "Vision Retreat" to bounce ideas off each other and to help get things going for the next Reelout.

I think my main reason for wanting to do this is not because "I want to be on a board" but because I do love the festival and I do think I have something to offer the organization. Though contrary to my own personal observations reelout is apparently doing quite well despite empty seats at the screenings and the November departure of the Director it seems to be in no danger of folding. That perceived danger was my first reason for wanting to get involved as it is something I did not want to see lost. Impending doom or not I'm still in. I think it has potential to be a rewarding experience and it won't look bad on the resume either.

So look for more updates in the future and get ready for reelout 2010