How to Address Board Member Invitations
Participating in an organization with a board of directors, whether it is your condominium or a business, can lead to profitable connections and social advancement. Whether you invite board members to a private event, such as a party to celebrate an achievement or to an affair associated with your organization, such as a board meeting, you should take care to address invitations to board members in a particular way, following standard etiquette rules.
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Instructions
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Decide to whom you are sending the invitation. Before you send the invitation, decide who you are inviting. An invitation for a board meeting would most likely include just the board member himself, while an invitation to a private party might include his wife and/or children as well. If you choose to invite your board member and his spouse, the correct wording is Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. However, if you include his children as well, you should take their ages into consideration. Children younger than 13 should be addressed by their first names:
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
Sally and Bobby
However, if the children are older than 13 address them with titles as well:
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
Miss Sally Smith
Mr. Bobby Smith
Finally, if the children are older than 18, they should receive their own invitations.
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Consider your board member's title. If your board member is an unmarried or divorced woman, Ms. Julia Smith is the correct form for the invitation. However, if she is married and you are inviting her alone, write Mrs. John Smith to follow the correct etiquette. Board members with advanced degrees, including doctorates or medical degrees, should be referred to as Dr. John Smith or Dr. Julia Smith; if two doctors are married and you wish to invite them both, you can address them either as The Drs. Smith or Drs. Julia and John Smith.
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Consider the formality of the event. If you are inviting your board members to a formal meeting, black-tie dinner, or wedding, proper etiquette dictates that you address them as listed above. However, if the event is more casual, such as a barbeque or an informal lunch, addressing the invitation to "Julia Smith" is appropriate. Any event for which you could appropriately send an invitation by email does not require formal wording of the address.
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References
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