help in soliciting new Board Members

Our Membership elected only four BOD Members at our last Annual Meeting instead of the five allowed due to no one wanting to go on the ballot. Four names offered, four names elected.

Now, one BOD has hastily resigned, and we are down to three BOD Members, the minimum required. At our next BOD Mtg tomorrow, we will try to appoint one BOD Member to fill the vacant position for the remainder of the term. All terms are for one year and all seats are elected at the same time.

We are only 27 homes and there is apathy amongst the Members for participation.

Here is the question.
How do you elicit people to offer their names to serve on the BOD? We have a website and can send out Announcements asking for people to nominate someone, or themselves, anyone...

Our Docs say that election to the BOD shall be made by a nominating committee (which we have never had) or from the floor at the Annual Meeting (which is how it has always been done). We barely make quorum at our Annual Meeting, and if it wasn't for the Proxy's, we wouldn't make quorum. No one ever attends the BOD Meetings.

If I sound desperate, I guess I am. I am about beaten down. I am weary after many years of serving and really want to get some others to step up.

Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Gloria

Donna,

Thanks for the response. Although I was hoping that someone could come up with some pixie dust potion that I could sprinkle on homes and volunteers would magically appear. That won't happen.

Your national average numbers seem dead-on accurate. We are left with three people who must light a fire under some other Members to step up. I think we will contact anyone who even vaguely expressed an interest in helping in any way and try to corral them to at least step into the BOD position for the remainder of its term.

And, yes, it is tireing. I think I am about done...

Gloria

Add to Donna's 'personal begging' - eyeball-to-eyeball.

When face to face with a potential volunteer, fewer people will say no than if you call on the phone.

Sometimes you can even embarrass people into serving. Remind them that they live there too.

Gloria,

Sometimes people won't step up to the plate if there is really no need. The following may be helpful:

1. Show a need - Start by advertising (via a newsletter) that after x years of service, so and so has decided not to run for a seat on the board next year.

2, Explain the job - Use your newsletter to show that it only takes x hours a month to perform the following duties.

3. Guilt Trip (it works sometimes) - Scan your records and then acknowledge past performance in a newsletter where you ask for volunteers. Something like, As election time draws near and members are considering volunteering to help run the Association, we would like to take the time to thank those who have served in the past and perhaps will again: Name - dates of service

4. Pocketbook - Explain the savings you receive by volunteers and how much it would cost if these services were done by a management company.

As a side note, in the process of ringing doorbells in my community (on a completely different matter) I was surprised to learn how many have actually volunteered and refuse to again based solely on the way the membership treated them (i.e. the enemy). This makes it very difficult to get some to serve again. The only way I can think of to minimize this type of issue is to publish accomplishments to the members so when an issue arises that places the Board in a bad light the membership sees the issue vs. the enemy.

Hope this helps,

Tim

This is an important topic and one that is, all too frequently, a problem in many HOAs. Each of the responses to the original question have been well thought out and helpful - often adaptable to a given situation.

I was our HOA's first President for 2 years after declarant turn-over, and then decided to step aside - partly for selfish reasons, but just as important for what I believed to be the health of the HOA - getting more people involved is, I think, fundamentally good for a community.

When we were having a lack of candidates, I posted the following article to our website, and I subsequently emailed the same verbiage to all the owners as well. Believe it or not, it actually helped and we had (with a little additonal cajoling) 3 new candidates come forward. FYI, here's what I said:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOA Transitions - A Message from the President

It has been my privilege over the past 2 years to serve on our community's Board of Directors, both of them as President.

Over that period, with the exception of one Board member's resignation and subsequent replacement, the Board has been composed of the same 5 members for the entire period. Last year, when two Board positions came up for election, only the incumbents declared their candidacy and were elected unopposed. Given the early stage of self-government and the not insignificant issues confronting our new community, this consistency of Board personnel was probably a good thing.

This year, however, 3 positions are up for election, and to date there have been no self-nominations received by our election committee.

Perhaps our owners have assumed that the 3 incumbents will, once again, declare their candidacy and be elected?

Perhaps our owners have become "comfortable" with the composition of our current Board?

Well, the real purpose of this communication is to let everyone know that:

- the assumption of continued Board service by the incumbents simply isn't true.
- even if it were true, you really don't want that anyway, because having the same people serve on the Board of

Directors over a long period of time just isn't healthy for our community.
As for the first point, let me assure you that I, for one, will not be running for re-election. And while I can't personally speak for the other two incumbents (Name Omitted & Name Omitted), both have publicly stated that they will not run again either.

Now it's not that we are withdrawing from contributing to the community .. .. it's not that we don't want to help a new Board .. .. I simply think it's much, much better for our owners to be represented by a variety of Board members over time. We've taken our turn, and now it's time for others to step forward and contribute their time, talents and energy as we have done.

Our current election committee has been doing a terrific job of actively seeking candidates to run. Informal communications with them reveals that when owners are approached about running for the Board, the reasons cited for not running have been:

"It's just too much work"
"It takes too much time - time that I don't have"
"I'm too shy" or "I don't have any experience"
In an unabashed effort to get you - yes, you reading this - to run for the Board, I'd like to address each of those issues in turn.

"It's just too much work". Let's be honest here - the first two years of work confronting the Board has been significant. But I can tell you that we're "over the hump" on most of the issues. Resolution of these significant issues is in sight. And, the outgoing Board members have pledged to fully train and transition the new members over the first few months of a new Board. In effect, we'll act as "consultants" to the new Board for as long as necessary.

"It takes too much time - time that I don't have". When this community had it's first opportunity to elect a Board of Dirctors comprised of community owners in January 2007, that Board found it necessary to meet every 2 weeks for a number of months. There was just that much work to do. After a few months, the Board decided it could reduce the frequency of meetings to once a month. Moving forward, as the workload continues to decrease, the next Board may well find it possible to meet every other month .. .. perhaps even quarterly. With the signficant amount of work and decisions that can be made via e-mail, that's certainly possible. As for people who say they "don't have the time", I'm always puzzled by that statement. As though some people actually are allotted more or less time in a day than others? The truth is that we all have exactly the same amount of time (24 hours in a day), so what you're really saying is that there are some things you consider more important than others - therefore "don't have the time" really means "it's not important enough for me to spend time on". And if that's the case, OK, let's just be frank about what you're saying - you have the time, you just choose to spend it doing something else. For the two years I've served as President, I've worked full-time at a director level career, most often encompassing 50+ hours per week at my "real job". Yet I've managed "to have the time" to contribute to this community. I suspect you do too.

"I'm too shy - I don't have any experience". Look folks, this isn't a popularity contest .. .. and it's not rocket science either! You have common sense. You run a household; pay your bills; make many decisions each month for your own benefit. Well, that's exactly what you'll do on the Board of Directors. Yes, the scope is a little bigger, and the number of people affected is greater, but the fundamentals are the same. . And like we said before,the outgoing Board members are here to consult with; to help you. You can do this
If you're like most of the residents in this community, you moved here from a home of greater size and greater responsibility. Your decision was framed with the promise of "kicking back" and letting an HOA "take care of things".

"They" would handle the lawn mowing. "They" would handle the major home maintenance. "They" would take care of things, so you could be free to enjoy life.

Turns out, of course, that "they" is a Board of Directors comprised of owners just like you.

"They" is you.

"You" need to step up and contribute.

So let's end this full circle from where I started:

- I've been privileged to serve our community.
- While I won't be running for the Board this year, I'm certainly willing to help the HOA transition to new leadership and will continue to contribute to the well being of our neighborhood.
- We need an influx of new leadership to continue the efforts of the existing Board of Directors.

Please click HERE to download a copy of the Self-Nomination Form for this year's election.

Thank You!

Would this be an inappropriate time to reference wine at board meetings again?

Yes?

Okay, I'll try to think of another suggestion. . . .

Oh Michelle----you're always SO funny!!!

Gloria it seems you're taking the "apathetic" route like so many others fall into. You don't HAVE to give up....but it IS so tempting. I can feel the "exhaustion" in your posts.

I would LOVE to resign from my position....but if I (we) do, then what happens??? A group of "not interested" people WILL suddenly take an interest and their motives will be totally self-centered---and as a result your association will go to hell. Trust me---I KNOW!

Take it for what it is. Do YOUR job...keep caring...and when people complain tell them that THEY are the problem when they could have been park of the SOLUTION.

Gloria,

The only thing I could add is to remember something that you already know:

The decision to volunteer is based on what is happening within your personal and professional life. Some are currently volunteering but can't volunteer in the future. Some can volunteer later but not now. Some have volunteered in the past but can't volunteer now - perhaps will again later.

Bottom line, you don't want to discourage volunteering now or in the future by giving a perception of frowning upon those who are not stepping forward, because they might in the future.

Tim

I still think being more specific is the key.

Ask "We need a person to head up the social committee and plan 2 events each year. You will get your own committee of four people and have your own budget. Is that something you can do?"

That would appeal to me better than, "Will you volunteer"

Absolutely a 3-Member Board can handle our small HOA especially this BOD who have been serving multiple years and have become knowledgeable about the legalities of what we can and cannot do. However, my selfish thought is to bring someone into the fold now so they can wet their feet, become learned, and be on the ballot for our next Annual Meeting...then after four+ years of service, I can step down myself. Our President who has served for 6 years would also like a break.

Also, I truly believe that others in the Community may have new ideas, new direction and goals for our HOA. We are only 7 years old. The past few Boards have established a good solid base. We have initiated a reserve fund; put in new stone columns; a new "no solicting" sign; water spigot; landscaping; lights; battled some major CCR issues; collected all delinquent dues AND have done all of this with no special assessments. I am proud of our accomplishments, but still feel others need to have a chance at the helm.

So the reason to fill the vacant position, and perhaps go back to a 5-Member BOD, is I am looking to the future, and hoping others can learn what is actually in their governing Documents.

Gloria

Gloria,

Can't three do the job since you have so few homeowners? That would be better than four board members where the possibility of a split vote could occur.

Gloria,

Have you let all owners know how much the past boards have done to keep your community up..I hope so. It is time to let them know your community can only keep up the good work with some new volunteers. Let them know how many years you all have served and are asking for new blood and ideas so your community can be a place to be proud of and their property values kept up.

Gloria,

As you ". . .spend the coming months diligently announcing the positions, begging for volunteers, highlighting the accomplishments of the past BOD and preserving our property values" you may want to emphatically state that you will NOT be running for re-election. Your friend who's been serving for the past 6 yrs may want to also do the same. No one is indispensable! If no one comes forward then there will be a board of 2 and they can try to make appointments. It's amazing that someone will take an appointment but won't put their name on the slate. I've seen this happen many times.

Brought up trying to foster more participation at the BOD meeting...was not received as well as I had hoped...I am attributing the pessimism to past experience with getting volunteers...but I was not deterred entirely.

We did appoint the vacated BOD position from the HO who I had asked to attend.

In our doc's, we can appoint a vacated position but we cannot appoint a position to which the Membership had not created at the Annual Meeting. If at the Annual Meeting, at least three names are not balloted, we will not meet what our doc's require, and the less than three BOD's cannot appoint a Member to a position which the Membership has not created. (I hope that makes sense.)

Again, being the perpetual optimist, I do not believe we will get to that point.

Gloria

I hope I can clear this up.
Our By-Laws state as far as number of Directors:"...shall be managed by a Board of not less than three nor more than five directors, the exact number to be as from time to time designated by the members..."

Previous years, we had enough names on the ballot to fill five seats. This year, we had four names balloted, and four were elected by the Membership, thereby creating four seats, not five.

One of the four BOD Members resigned.

Next point is filling vacancies: "In the event of death, resignation, or removal of a director, his successor shall be selected by the remaining members of the Board and shall serve for the unexpired term of his predecessor..."

IMHO, that means the BOD can only fill a seat which was created by the Membership and is now vacant. So we can fill that fourth seat but not the fifth since it was never elected by the Membership.

Does that seem to make sense? At least, that is the determination by our BOD.

Gloria

I guess we disagree.

At the Annual Meeting, the Members elected four seats, not five.

Therefore, the BOD is appointing a Member to fill the vacated fourth seat.

There is no fifth seat this year. No fifth seat has been vacated since it wasn't filled this year. It was not voted upon by the entire Membership and doesn't exist.

That points out an interesting technicality. Our Bylaws (and probably many or most) provide for the Board to select a replacement "in the event of death, resignation or removal . . . ." They provide for the Nominating Committee to offer a ballot with enough nominees to fill any vacancies at the election. But there is really no provision for failure to fill vacancies at election.

I suppose this means technically there is no authority to fill such a vacancy. As a practical matter, a Board can simply accept a volunteer who steps up at a later date, as was suggested.

Gloria,

Are you saying the 5th position has never been filled? If so, AND if your BOD's interpretation is correct (reinforced by Michael!), they are using this (what I would call) weak excuse to limit the number of board members to 4. Why? Afterall, the bylaws allow for a 5-member board. But, more importantly, why don't they want a 5th board member? With an even number of board members you run the risk of tie votes.

If I understood the situation, the question is whether the Board can select a Member to fill a seat that is vacant, because there were insufficient nominees at the election.

According to Gloria, this HOA's Bylaws allow a variable number of Director seats from 3 to 5, rather than specifying a fixed number of seats.

(My HOA's Bylaws specify a fixed number of seats (7); but still do not specifically provide for filling a seat left vacant because of insufficient nominations. In this forum many (perhaps most) mentions of Board size specify a fixed number of seats, but there are also many posters who mention variable Board size, so it looks like both forms are common.)

As a practical matter, I think Boards with either form could presume to select someone to fill a vacant seat (or possible seat), if someone volunteered between elections. Or they could presume not.

Just for clarification, we have only 28 lots, with 25 homes built, so the pool of Membership is small.

Gloria