The author describes his initial introduction to school board service. The historical context in which the author became a school board member is described as a means of highlighting the challenges that he faced as a new board member as well as the challenges that public education faced in the early and mid 1980s in a southern state. Stories and anecdotes are presented that illustrate the importance of an excellent board-superintendent relationship. The duties and responsibilities of a school board are discussed with an emphasis on the line of demarcation between the duties of a board and those of a superintendent. Suggestions are also offered regarding strategies for eectively presiding at a board meeting, including handling executive sessions. Board member ethics are also discussed with examples.