Effective Board & Membership Meetings
by Diane C. Doria

Are your community association board meetings productive?Are you utilizing “Roberts Rules of Order” as a means to keep your meetings focused and on track?Has your board of directors agreed to conduct meetings through a specific set of rules to fit your particular association?And, have you communicated these rules of conduct to the membership of your association?These are questions that should be addressed at your first organizational meeting following your annual meeting and election of officers.Even if the make-up of the board of directors remains the same, address these questions again, you may want to make a few changes.And remember this, most members of the board have a “real life”!So, why would volunteers want to sit through a non-productive two-hour or longer meeting that started at 7:00 p.m.?And with that final question, I offer the following for your consideration:

BOARD MEMBERS’ RULES OF CONDUCT FOR ALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

(The following has been agreed to by a vote of the Board of Directors as ofdate and is to be used in conjunction with Roberts Rules of order).

Prior to the Meeting, we agree to:

_ Read all written material/agenda (all items requiring board action shall be so marked.)Board material shall be delivered to each member of the board within three days of the planned meeting.

_ Obtain Clarification of written material as needed (contact the manager, treasurer or appropriate person in advance so that the necessary research can be done and ready for the board meeting.)

_ Highlight areas of concern that are related to action items to help you remain focused during the board meeting, or make notes in the margins of your agenda to remind you to speak-up about your concern.

During the Meeting, we agree to:

_ The chair can appoint a person to keep time or use an egg timer.

_ Speakers from the membership will be allowed 3 minutes per household during the “open homeowners forum.” Upon completion of the homeowner’s open forum, discussion from the floor will cease once the board meeting has begun. (This rule shall be announced by the chair or secretary at the beginning of every meeting as well as noted on the agendas of all meetings.)

_ All speakers and members of the board shall direct all conversation through the Chair. The chair and members of the board shall refrain from back and forth conversation with speakers from the membership.

_ The chair will thank the speaker, and the board will either take the matter under advisement for the next meeting agenda or send the member a written response within 5 working days of the meeting.

_ Items not on the agenda or fully read by the members of the board will be deferred to the next meeting unless the matter is an emergency issue involving a safety or health hazard.

_ No discussion of an action item without a motion and a second.Members of the board will keep their comment to 3 minutes per discussion item unless otherwise agreed to by a vote of the board.

_ We will conduct a professional meeting by respecting each other’s viewpoints while doing what’s best for the community as a whole.

_ We will start our meetings on time with a goal of completing all business within a two-hour period.It is expected that board members will contact the chair or manager at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting if unable to attend the meeting.

_ Executive Closed Session Meeting Content shall remain private to the members of the board. Remember, closed session agenda items must be kept to the discussion and voting of third party contracts, personnel issues, member discipline if requested by the member and legal matters. We must report to the members that a closed session will be held and for what purpose.

_ All first time members of the board will enroll in Community Associations Institute’s ABC Course within ninety days of gaining a seat on the board.The association shall pay the cost of this course.

These Rules of Conduct maybe amended upon a majority vote of the newly appointed board members after the Annual Meeting.

Diane is Vice President of First Bank & Trust Association Services

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