annual membership meetings....

My opinion...annual membership meetings are antiquated. Once we started collecting absentee ballots, our meeting attendance declined from ~35 to about 10, which is one in 50 of all adults in our community. Posting the topics on social media would get far greater distribution, unfortunately, comes with a cost of dealing with tons of comments.

I'm not really sure. We're having a tricky election, and I'm tired. I am thinking that we will make ours brief and to the point this year, just enough to get the required elements in so we can check the "complete" box. Nothing fancy for us this time around.

Jim

The Bylaws of the associations in Texas I have seen list the agenda items for the Annual Meeting; if your Bylaws contain the agenda, that is your guide.

There is no reason, under New Business for example, you cannot list reports of committees, reports of the property manager, and similar presentations. Of course, if there is old business, address it.

I suggest you present only that information which would be of interest to the owners in attendance and not a detailed review of what has taken place in the last year. Perhaps a few words about the new board, plans for 2023, a brief review of 2022 activities and financials, and perhaps not much more.

You should also plan for an Owner's Forum during which owners may make comments and raise issues and concerns.

You must ensure no one attempts to make a motion which is not on the published agenda, other than a motion to adjourn or recess. The published agenda must include any subjects which may come before those in attendance in person or by proxy for a vote, otherwise the absentee owners are disenfranchised. If they know a subject is on the agenda and choose not to attend, complete a proxy, or an absentee ballot, then that is their choice.

I would add what was accomplished in 2022 and what are the goals for 2023.

Our Annual Meeting and election is just that. There is a posted agenda. If a board member is retiring a (very) few words are said about the person. We have regular monthly open board meetings and the budget and committee reports all occur at them. There are two open forums at each.

The annual meeting agenda simply is call to order, approve minutes of previous members meeting, close balloting & instruct the inspectors of election to tabulate the ballots, many of which are absentee. We no longer accept nominations from the floor which hadn't occurred in many years at any rate. During the tabulation process, there is an open forum, but usually owners don't say much. I have seen on this forum that members meetings often are gripe session, but I do not understand why. There's plenty of opportunity every month at our open board meetings for gripes.

In fact, I wonder who annual meetings of the members turn into grip sessions is because board meetings are closed to owners? Or Board meetings are infrequent?

Sometimes the president gives a very brief list of achievements of the year. Our boards have mainly kept the annual meeting primarily about the election.

Immediately following the members meeting, the Board adjourns and the convenes an open board meeting of the new board to select officers, set a schedule for th monthly open meetings, and often to accept committee members for the year.

Oh, I understand now why so much CAN occur during an annul meeting. In some states owners can make motions during the annual meeting. So....in these states, I guess NC is one of them there is no state requirement that an agenda be posted well before the annual meeting with "New Business" items on it?

State law supersedes Robert's Rules.

IF owners can make motions at the annual meeting with or without the item being on the agenda, why did you husband need to inform the Board before the meeting what his motion would be? And how could the Board vote to defeat his motion before he even made it?

And when owners do make a motion that is seconded and owners who are present vote to approve it, then what happens?? Does it then need board approval? What if only 5% of owners attend the annual members meeting, would a majority of them --- alone-- be able to make or change policy? I'm truly truly trying to understand how this works.

CA requires at least a review, if not an audit, every year (I think). Doesn't NC have such a requirement?

motion to eat pizza.
motion to drink soda.
motion to get chips.

If the owners want the annual review or audit, while the board does not, the only way to achieve this is by amending. If the board wants the annual review or audit, I agree this is probably within the board's powers and no amendment is needed.