13 



Board memb 



ers 



Associations reporting 



Number 





Number 



7 





2 



8 





1 



9 





1 



11 





6 



12 





2 



15 





1 



21 





2 



There were 12 boards composed of an odd number of directors and 3 of 

 an even number. The odd number composition was usually favored in 

 order that ties would not occur when policies and issues were voted 

 upon. 



The majority of directors were from 35 to 65 years of age, with the 50 

 to 65 year group comprising a substantial proportion of the makeup of 

 each association board. Directors older than 65 were more numerous 

 than those less than 35 years old. The over-65 group constituted 

 about 10 percent of all directors reporting. 



Regulation 



Provisions for normal regulation of the board of directors are contained 

 in the corporate bylaws of each association. The term of office of 

 directors, proportion of board members elected annually, and the 

 number of successive terms which can be served are set forth. 



Fourteen of the 15 cooperatives established a 3-year term of office 

 for directors. Of these seven elected one-third of their directors 

 annually, one elected 100 percent of the directors every third year, 

 and six elected a variable number of directors yearly. A variable 

 number were elected because the number of directors composing the 

 board was such that it was not equally divisible by three. The var- 

 iation allowed all members of the board to be elected within a 3-year 

 period. The remaining association elected all directors each year. 



The boards of some associations administered certain personnel pro- 

 cedures, such as approving the appointment, promotion, and compensation 

 of the manager and other key employees. The manager of every associ- 

 ation was appointed by the board of directors, and the boards of 80 

 percent of the associations also appointed key employees. Less than 

 half of the associations' boards promoted o£ set the salary paid to 

 key personnel. Key employees, as a designation, differed among associ- 

 ations but generally referred to supervisory personnel in sales, office, 

 and warehouse floor forces. 



