Dear PCS Family,
It has been brought to the attention to the PCS Board of Directors that there has been a breakdown in the flow of communication and information from the PCS Board to the PCS Membership in relation to COVID-19 pandemic safety protocols at performances, specifically audience proof of vaccination upon entry.
As we continue to navigate the evolution of COVID-19 and monitor multiple data points for each subsequent variant of the virus, the Board evaluates and re-evaluates policies and protocols for rehearsals and performances. Placing the health and safety of the Membership is first and foremost while also balancing the requirements in place at the different venues in which PCS performs.
The PCS Board convened its first meeting of the 2021-22 season on September 22, 2021, during which it unanimously voted to require masks and proof of vaccination for the duration of the season. Furthermore, the Board agreed to have volunteers physically verify vaccination status of audience members upon entry at performances for the season. This action indeed took place at the November 14th concert at St. Boniface. However, shortly following that performance, PCS leadership was contacted and advised by Father Paul Heric that “From here on out NO one is to be turned away from St. Boniface…”.
This placed a limitation on our ability to verify vaccination status of audience members and became a condition of PCS’s use of this specific venue. As well, during the November-December time frame, we found ourselves at a point in the COVID-19 pandemic where multiple vaccines were proving highly effective against the variants in circulation at that time, and case counts across the region were consistently trending downward. In addition, the recommendation from Arts Washington was that vaccine passports were not necessary for audiences less than 1000.
Considering all of these factors, the PCS Board met again on November 17, 2021 and voted to keep the mask and vaccination requirement in place but agreed that it would no longer solicit volunteers to physically verify proof of vaccination. In essence, the policy was still in place, but not enforced for the performances at St. Boniface for the December 11 & 12 concerts. The decision was not clearly communicated to the membership in advance of the December concerts; an issue which was raised specifically during the January 22 Board Meeting. The Board of Directors wishes to extend its sincere apology to the PCS Membership for this breakdown in communication. Regardless of the rationale behind the decision, it is apparent that steps must be taken to improve transparency and communication of PCS Board decisions to PCS Membership. Below this note, you will see links for information that is posted to the website for members. One of those links takes members directly to the Minutes of the Membership, Board, and Executive Committee meetings.
Going forward, Executive committee members and Chorale member representatives will ensure that any decisions impacting the health and safety of the PCS Membership are verbally communicated at the earliest possible time. As well, the Board has secured a non-profit license for Slack and has begun to demo this platform and learn its many features as a means of moving conversations out of siloed email threads and into a more transparent space. Slack is proving to be very effective in facilitating collaboration and communication amongst the board, and preparations are being made to officially roll out Slack to the entire PCS membership for the 2022-23 season. Self-guided tutorials and/or hands on training will be made available for anyone who is not familiar with Slack.
The PCS Board remains committed to a vibrant and healthy 2021-22 season and in partnering with our new Artistic & Music Director, Matt Myers and PCS Membership to continue to ensure the organizations safety, growth, and positive impact on the cultural enrichment of the Palouse.
Thank you,
Susan, on behalf of your board of directors
sbeamer100@yahoo.com