Role of Non-Board Members at Open Board Meeting

[Guest J. L. Stagner]

In the interest of openness, the Board of Directors which includes the Officers, have Open Board Meetings and invite the general membership to attend. Do the general members have to right to participate in discussions and decision-making at those meetings? What are the options available to the Board when the general members try to dominate and disrupt the workings of the Board?

[Bruce Lages]

If you have no specific rules relating to this and RONR governs, then the non-board members who are attending have no right to speak at all. The board could vote to suspend the rules (2/3 vote or vote of the entire board membership) to allow these guests to speak on a pending motion, but under no circumstances can non-members ever take part in a vote. Since allowing general members to attend board meetings seems to be a board policy, I believe only the board, by majority vote, (rather than the chair by himself), could remove any disruptive guests from the meeting.

[David A Foulkes]

The board could vote to suspend the rules (2/3 vote or vote of the entire board membership) to allow these guests to speak on a pending motion....

And, if memory serves from the many times this question is addressed, a majority vote will suffice to allow non-members to speak in general (not in debate on a pending motion, that is).

[Josh Martin]

Since allowing general members to attend board meetings seems to be a board policy, I believe only the board, by majority vote, (rather than the chair by himself), could remove any disruptive guests from the meeting.

I would agree, but it's not clear to me whether the board has, in fact, adopted a standing rule on this subject or if it is only a custom. If the latter, the chair is free to remove disruptive guests on his own initiative, subject to an appeal from the board.

[Guest Pat Fitzgerald]

Our Constitution states that the Past President may sit on the Board of Directors but does not have voting privileges. Question: Can she make a motion if she is in fact is a non voting member of the Board of Directors?

[David A Foulkes]

Our Constitution states that the Past President may sit on the Board of Directors but does not have voting privileges. Question: Can she make a motion if she is in fact is a non voting member of the Board of Directors?

Please post your question as a New Topic, where you will receive focused answers on your question rather than mixing them up here with Guest_JL_Stagner's question.