By Passing the Board

[Guest Frank]

Dear Sir, In our Association the Board of Directors is there to represent the general membership.

Several members got together and from their own monies purchased items for the Associations Meeting hall without coming to the Board first was improper in my view. The proper procedure on any proposed project and or expenditure always goes through the Board of Director's. It's our job to oversee the Association business, etc. etc.

What is your view, and can this be recinded, meaning can the members be told to return these items? Please advise. Thank you,

[Chris Harrison]

If the members used their own personal money (and not the Association's) to purchase the items I don't see where the Board has any business in telling them what to do with them Of course, if the Association members don't want those items in their hall they could politely thank the members for the thought but indicate that they don't want the items there.

[Guest Frank]

If the members used their own personal money (and not the Association's) to purchase the items I don't see where the Board has any business in telling them what to do with them Of course, if the Association members don't want those items in their hall they could politely thank the members for the thought but indicate that they don't want the items there.

Ty However, You miss my point! The Board wasn't properly informed.

[Chris Harrison]

Ty However, You miss my point! The Board wasn't properly informed.

No, I didn't miss your point. No informing is necessary because the Board has no say in how a member spends their own money even if they bring that item to an Association meeting (though the Association members themselves can decide not to use those items in the meeting if they so choose).

[Guest Edgar]

It's our job to oversee the Association business, etc. etc.

The Board wasn't properly informed.

You may have an inflated sense of the board's role. You might want to lose an "etc." or two.

[Trina]

Dear Sir, In our Association the Board of Directors is there to represent the general membership.

Several members got together and from their own monies purchased items for the Associations Meeting hall without coming to the Board first was improper in my view. The proper procedure on any proposed project and or expenditure always goes through the Board of Director's. It's our job to oversee the Association business, etc. etc.

What is your view, and can this be recinded, meaning can the members be told to return these items? Please advise. Thank you,

Unless your bylaws give the board authority to allow/disallow all items brought into the meeting hall (unlikely, although not impossible) the board doesn't appear to have any grounds for doing anything, at least not on the basis of being offended at being left out of the purchase decision. Also, since this was not an action of the association (it was done by individuals, using their own money), it cannot be rescinded, in the parliamentary sense.

The board might have authority to order the items removed from the meeting hall, Whether the board such authority depends on the bylaws. The board has only the authority granted to it by the bylaws. If the general membership doesn't like the items (for some reason, I keep picturing ugly curtains as the items of controversy), the general membership certainly can order them removed.

I don't think anyone can order the members to return the items they chose to purchase.

[Guest Edgar]

(for some reason, I keep picturing ugly curtains as the items of controversy)

And I pictured a kegerator. Go figure.

[Trina]

And I pictured a kegerator. Go figure.

[tctheatc]

Ty However, You miss my point! The Board wasn't properly informed.

So if I'm a member of the association, and my othermember friend decide to spend OUR money and pick up donuts for everyone and bring them to the meeting hall for a snack during the meeting, you're gonna object and say the board wasn't properly informed?

You may have an inflated sense of the board's role. You might want to lose an "etc." or two.

I'm with Edgar.

[Josh Martin]

What is your view, and can this be recinded, meaning can the members be told to return these items?

No, there is nothing to rescind, since it was not an act of the board or even of the society, but of individual members. The board certainly has no authority to instruct members to return items they purchased with their own money. At worst, the board might be able to order the items removed from the meeting hall, although in the general case that authority is likely to rest with the general membership (except during meetings of the board, of course, during which the board would certainly control the hall). If the items do end up being banned from the meeting hall, perhaps the members will return them, or find a personal use for them, or sell them on eBay, etc. The board doesn't have any say in that, either.

So my view is starting to be that your society needs new board members, although in the interest of fairness I'll reserve judgment and hope that this power trip is not reflective of the board's general behavior.

Ty However, You miss my point! The Board wasn't properly informed.

No, I think you missed Chris's point. The Board doesn't need to be informed about what people do with their own money. Now, it's not the individual members' decision as to whether the items will actually be placed in the meeting hall, but they can spend their money as they see fit.