Members Addressing Board

[BirdieH]

Our organization allows members to attend board meetings. Although they cannot participate in the meeting, 10 minutes are allowed at the beginning of the meeting for members to address the board. Recently an absent board member and a general member sent letters to the board to be read during this period with their concerns and requests for board action. Can we as a board stipulate that members must be present to address the board? We do not want to be inundated by "letter writing" campaigns where we are unable to ask questions for further information.

[Rev Ed]

You could, however this could be conterproductive. The members should be allowed to write the Board with their issues. However, some sort of protocol for handling letters. For example, all letters should be addressed to the Board but sent to a specific member such as the Secretary or the President who can then prepare a report for each meeting that deals with any letters that have been received (with copies of letters prepared for other Board members to review if necessary.) Some organizations will have two Secretaries: A Recording Secretary to prepare Minutes of meetings and a Correspondence Secretary to handle correspondence. Normally one person can handle both duties.

[Trina]

Our organization allows members to attend board meetings. Although they cannot participate in the meeting, 10 minutes are allowed at the beginning of the meeting for members to address the board. Recently an absent board member and a general member sent letters to the board to be read during this period with their concerns and requests for board action. Can we as a board stipulate that members must be present to address the board? We do not want to be inundated by "letter writing" campaigns where we are unable to ask questions for further information.

Look at the wording of the rule that allows this (in the bylaws, in the words of an adopted motion... or maybe it's just a custom in the organization?) and check to see if anything is said about reading correspondence during that 10-minute period. Permission to address the body in person does not automatically extend to a right to have written material read aloud, epecially in the member's absence.

Even a member of the assembly who is present in person, and who is in the middle of properly addressing the assembly, does not have an automatic right to start reading written material (see RONR 11th ed. p. 393 ll 30-33).

In other words, I don't think you have to stipulate "that members must be present to address the board" (since it is, by its nature, actually impossible for someone to address the board without being physically present); however, I don't see why the board couldn't clarify what "address the board" means.