By Lyndia Heward
For the Salisbury Post

SALISBURY — Friends of the Salisbury Symphony recently saluted the orchestra’s 50th anniversary by hosting the Southeastern Orchestra Volunteer Association’s annual Roundtable meeting.

Even through Hurricane Matthew had devastated areas in which many of the members live, almost 50 people were welcomed including the most men ever to attend a SOVA meeting.

The conference’s “All Aboard” theme was inspired, in part, by Salisbury’s historic train station located in the heart of the city. Held in one of the local churches, the conference focused on recruiting and managing volunteer boards, members, developing social media skills and successful fund-raising activities.

The event tried to tap into as much of Salisbury’s history and culture as it could.

Brien Lewis, president of Catawba College, spoke on “Maximizing Board Effectiveness — Without Burning Out Your Board.” His advice included tips on how to recruit board members, how to manage them and how to know when it is time to replace someone who has become unproductive or toxic.

Darlene Ball, chairman of Catawba’s Board of Trustees, joined Lewis to provide the volunteers’ perspective.

Margie Bell of Charlotte spoke on “Managing Your Volunteers, With Consistency, Not Chaos.” She emphasized the importance of identifying the right people with the right skills for the position. The importance of having a business plan and how to create one also were emphasized.

Social media was a hot topic at the SOVA Roundtable. Melissa Woolf, chairperson of Strategic Planning, SOVA Board of Directors, walked participants through setting up an Instagram account. Knowing how to use this popular social media platform helps in attracting different demographics for concerts and other events.

Each of the symphonies represented shared what their local fundraisers are and how they were organized and implemented.

The Roundtable opened with dinner at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Mike Mills and ended with the guests being chauffeured on a trolley for a tour of downtown Salisbury’s historical sites.

The tour ended at the Cloninger House on the Catawba College campus, where a buffet dinner was served.

Gifts bags were given to each of the participants containing local products such as Cheerwine, N.C. spring water and the latest issue of Salisbury the Magazine.

Next year the SOVA Roundtable will be held in Charleston, S.C.

Special thanks were given to Ann Meredith and Cathy Dunn, co-chairs of the event and their local committee consisting of Wendy Wilson, Linda Jones, Dotty Clement, Lyndia Heward, Angie Smith, Betty Carli, Ann Davis, Lynne Mills, Barbara Teichroew, Nancy Stanton and Kim Meredith.