Board Meetings

[Guest Laura]

Our Club has a standing Open Board Meeting on the first Thursday of each month. Any non Board Member has always been invited and welcome to our Board Meetings.

Now the President has called a "Closed Board Meeting...Board Members Only" for this month's Board Meeting. She intends to disuade anyone of the general membership from attending this meeting. She intends to keep the entire agenda closed to the public membership. It is my understanding that she may close part of the board meeting for an "exec. session" to address what ever matter that she deems necessary to keep priviate but that she cannot close the entire meeting. She has not informed the Board Members of the Agenda item she wishes to bring forth in this meeting. She could also call a "Closed session" prior to the regular board meeting or after the regular board meeting. Is she following Robert's Rules by making this change four days prior to the established open Board Meeting?

[hmtcastle]

It is my understanding that she may close part of the board meeting for an "exec. session" to address what ever matter that she deems necessary to keep priviate but that she cannot close the entire meeting.

The board (but not any one board member, not even the president) is free to admit or exclude non-members (of the board) as it wishes and it needn't meet in executive session in order to do this (though that's a common tactic).

The fact that past board meetings have been open to non-members (of the board) does not bind the board to that custom unless, of course, there's a written rule to that effect.

[Guest Laura]

The board (but not any one board member, not even the president) is free to admit or exclude non-members (of the board) as it wishes and it needn't meet in executive session in order to do this (though that's a common tactic).

The fact that past board meetings have been open to non-members (of the board) does not bind the board to that custom unless, of course, there's a written rule to that effect.

If I read what you are saying correctly, the Board must collectively vote to approve that the regular, upcoming Board meeting be a Closed meeting? There is nothing in our By Laws that permits a "Closed Meeting" or makes any reference to a Closed Meeting at all. Only that the President may call an additional Board meeting if she deems it necessary.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

Our Club has a standing Open Board Meeting on the first Thursday of each month.

Any non Board Member has always been invited and welcome to our Board Meetings.

Now the President has called a "Closed Board Meeting...Board Members Only" for this month's Board Meeting.

Is she following Robert's Rules by making this change four days prior to the established open Board Meeting?

No.

No individual can unilaterally decide a meeting to be closed.

That is a decision the body which is meeting is authorized to decide.

Your president is free to make a motion to that end, but the making of the motion is no guarantee that the motion will pass.

[hmtcastle]

If I read what you are saying correctly, the Board must collectively vote to approve that the regular, upcoming Board meeting be a Closed meeting?

Not exactly. Yes, it's the board's decision (not the president's alone) to admit non-members to (or exclude them from) its meetings but it needn't make that decision in advance (though, of course, it would be nice to let non-members know that, unlike in the past, they probably won't be admitted next time). And the meeting can "open" and "close" and "open" and "close" throughout the evening. It needn't be all "open" or all "closed". Further, the board is free to admit some non-members (of the board) and exclude others.

[Guest Laura]

Thank you both for your advice...It helps greatly.