I get to lead our next meeting.. How Do I Handle This?

Started by FrancescaM • 4 replies • 1375 views

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FrancescaM (Washington)
Posts: 264

Posted:

I was notified that our Prez is out of town this next HOA meeting. Our VIce Prez has a 25% attendance record so the Prez has asked me to just "take over and run the thing since Joe Blow VP can't make most of the time. " I agreed.

My concern? Not much, our agenda will be short, I will stick to it only. We have a long time board member who loves to rehash the past 20+ years of this place, but we will not do this under my watch. I am concerned as there is a board member who has been very passionate about a few things that he did not agree with. He was not the majority on a few decisions. He claims he will bring the up during open forum. He can, but we can't comment on them per our rules as it will NOT be and agenda item. He has a tendency to be very hot under the collar and has verbally attacked the prez in past sessions both exec and open forum.

Can I adjorn a meeting at any time if this man does this? It is a very real threat....

SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202

Posted:

Francesca - you had this issue on this board a little while ago.

The absent president can NOT just tell or assign someone to lead the meeting. It goes, by default, to the VP. If the VP is not there, there should be an election for who should be the presiding officer for the meeting. It MAY be you, but don't count on it.

I was under that impression that you are already Secretary. If so, who will take the mimutes of the meeting? You can't do BOTH.

Whoever is the presiding officer should keep the meeting going. Simply ask the long-winded ones if they have a wrap-up point or a motion to make.

Adjourning the meeting cannot be done without a vote of the entire body. It is a gesture that should be done at a last resort. The president cannot adjourn the meeting by him/herself.

FrancescaM (Washington)
Posts: 264

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By SusanW1 on 10/12/2008 5:07 PM
Francesca - you had this issue on this board a little while ago.

The absent president can NOT just tell or assign someone to lead the meeting. It goes, by default, to the VP. If the VP is not there, there should be an election for who should be the presiding officer for the meeting. It MAY be you, but don't count on it.

I was under that impression that you are already Secretary. If so, who will take the mimutes of the meeting? You can't do BOTH.

Whoever is the presiding officer should keep the meeting going. Simply ask the long-winded ones if they have a wrap-up point or a motion to make.

Adjourning the meeting cannot be done without a vote of the entire body. It is a gesture that should be done at a last resort. The president cannot adjourn the meeting by him/herself.

I am the proceeding officer. I do not take minutes. Our management rep does that for us. So, the Prez is not too far off by asking me to prep to be running the next meeting. I wanted to know if need be if we could adjourn if the issues at hand get out of control.....

BryanG1 (Florida)
Posts: 43

Posted:

Best thing to do is come up with an agenda for the meeting, and only talk about the items that are on the agenda. In the event that a board member wants to add this, that and the other thing during the meeting, kindly tell them that it will be noted and discussed at the next meeting. As interim President, you control the meeting.

This is one main reason that we have adopted the Roberts Rules of Order, so meetings don't get out of hand with stuff that may not be important to the community.

As far as the VP that shows up only 25% of the time, I'd say it's time to vote him (or her) off the board and appoint a new VP. If they can't take the responsibility to show up once a month for a few hours (if that), then it doesn't seem like they need (or want, for that matter) to be there at all.

SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202

Posted:

If you are not elected BY THE BOARD to be the presiding officer at this meeting, the meeting's proceedings can be declaredd null and void - if someone complains.

Be sure your documents provide that this president can someone other than the VP to "fill in" his/her presiding duties.

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