President's Reports, Elected and Appointed Officers' Reports

[Guest Josephine]

I belong to a not-for-profit organization that has a local chapter that has chapter Bylaws.

The bylaws state that every officer and Executive Board member shall keep the Executive Board fully advised of official activities.

The bylaws also state that the Editor (appointed by the Executive Board) of the monthly newsletter shall produce a monthly newsletter containing...officers' reports.

In recent months and years, based on what I view in the newsletter, and based on my attendance of Executive Board meetings, and attempts to communicate with officers, it appears that the President and most of the elected and appointed officers have not been submitting any reports for months and/or years in some instances. At the most recent Executive Board meeting, the President announced that he was not going to give a report, to which the VP replied, yes, and we don't want to hear your report, either, or words to that effect. Several Board Members laughed nervously.

Don't Robert's Rules require that reports be given, by the president and elected and appointed officers, as part of a standard agenda?

If a body is out of compliance with its own bylaws, what recourse do individual members have?

If the Executive Board members don't hold the President accountable, what recourse do individual members have?

If an appointed officer does not submit such reports to the Executive Board and Editor (as above), can a member conclude that such officer(s) are not fulfilling their role and take action to investigate and/or request removal of same?

And do Robert's Rules provide for members who are not Executive Board members the opportunity to speak during an Executive Board meeting? I thought that RR's provided a block of time for members to suggest items "from the floor" as it were.

Thanks!

[Josh Martin]

Don't Robert's Rules require that reports be given, by the president and elected and appointed officers, as part of a standard agenda?

RONR does provide for the reports of officers as a part of the standard order of business, but it notes that in most societies it is customary to hear from all the officers only at annual meetings. In other cases, the chair simply calls on those officers who have reports to make. In many societies, the only officer who would regularly make a report would be the Treasurer. The Secretary does read the minutes at each meeting, but this has a separate heading in the order of business. Your rules may provide otherwise.

Also, the term "standard agenda" is really a bit of an oxymoron. An "agenda" is used by assemblies which meet infrequently (and therefore have need for more detailed scheduling of business) or in cases when the standard order of business is inapplicable. As a consequence, when properly used, each agenda will be tailored to the particular circumstances so that there is no "standard agenda." Most assemblies generally have no need for an agenda and will be served perfectly well by the standard order of business or by a special order of business adopted by the assembly.

If a body is out of compliance with its own bylaws, what recourse do individual members have?

If the Executive Board members don't hold the President accountable, what recourse do individual members have?

If an appointed officer does not submit such reports to the Executive Board and Editor (as above), can a member conclude that such officer(s) are not fulfilling their role and take action to investigate and/or request removal of same?

Disciplinary action may be an option. See RONR, 11th ed., pgs. 653-654. Also be sure to check if your Bylaws have customized disciplinary procedures, which would supersede RONR.

And do Robert's Rules provide for members who are not Executive Board members the opportunity to speak during an Executive Board meeting?

No. So far as RONR is concerned, only board members have the right to speak during board meetings, and non-board members may only speak with the permission of the board. This requires a majority vote when no business is pending or a 2/3 vote when business is pending.

I thought that RR's provided a block of time for members to suggest items "from the floor" as it were.

RONR does not grant members who are not members of the board a right to speak during board meetings. Whenever RONR uses the term "members," this refers to members of the body that is meeting unless the text specifically states otherwise.

[Trina]

I belong to a not-for-profit organization that has a local chapter that has chapter Bylaws.

The bylaws state that every officer and Executive Board member shall keep the Executive Board fully advised of official activities.

The bylaws also state that the Editor (appointed by the Executive Board) of the monthly newsletter shall produce a monthly newsletter containing...officers' reports.

In recent months and years, based on what I view in the newsletter, and based on my attendance of Executive Board meetings, and attempts to communicate with officers, it appears that the President and most of the elected and appointed officers have not been submitting any reports for months and/or years in some instances.

...

Are the board members not keeping the board 'fully advised of official activities'? Do they carry on their official tasks, but never mention anything (during meetings) about what they are up?

Or do you mean they are not submitting anything that sounds like an official report (perhaps even a written report, which the newsletter editor could easily paste into the newsletter)?

If they never report anything about their official activities during meetings, how do they typically pass the time during the meetings (just curious)?

[Guest Josephine]

"Are the board members not keeping the board 'fully advised of official activities'? Do they carry on their official tasks, but never mention anything (during meetings) about what they are up?"

It seems to me that some board members are not keeping the board fully advised of official activities. In some instances they carry on their official tasks, but do not mention anything during meetings about what they are up to. The reason I am aware of this is that I have been aware of some of these activities, but when I check with individual officers who otherwise should be informed, they don't know about what has been occurring but which has not been reported to the Executive Board.

"Or do you mean they are not submitting anything that sounds like an official report (perhaps even a written report, which the newsletter editor could easily paste into the newsletter)?"

In some instances, they are not submitting anything that sounds like an official report. There are a number of appointed officers who apparently haven't submitted anything to the board or the newsletter in years.

In some instances, I suspect that some of the appointed officers are in fact holding a position but are doing nothing. No shows, in other words.

"If they never report anything about their official activities during meetings, how do they typically pass the time during the meetings (just curious)?"

Well, let's just say that the meetings are very, very short, less than an hour, typically. The last meeting's minutes are approved, the treasurer's report is approved, and perhaps there is one other item of business on the agenda, if that. Most of the elected officers don't actually do anything in their capacity as officers, and don't report anything, except perhaps vote at board meetings. Appointed officers, who don't have a vote, don't submit reports and they don't generally go to the Executive Board meeting either.

So yes, the few things that a few of the officers do are not being reported at Executive Board meetings, and the officers who ought to be doing (or are doing) any of a number of things are not submitting the reports that the bylaws indicate are required.