aftergolf Posted May 7, 2014 at 12:38 AM Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 at 12:38 AM I am a newbie, and trying to understand RRs in time for our upcoming annual meeting in June.Our HOA will not publish board minutes to the members, and only allows the minutes to be read at the HOA office with prior notice and a scheduled and agreed to time. The minutes are not allowed to be copied, photographed or taken out of the office. There is nothing in the by-laws or any other documents concerning this. Our annual meetings are run by RRs and would like to know if this is something that could be brought forward to discuss under new business.Thank you in advance for any assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Harrison Posted May 7, 2014 at 01:07 AM Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 at 01:07 AM As far as RONR is concerned nothing in the current practice regarding access to the minutes is improper (RONR p. 460 ll. 13-17). If the Membership wishes to change the rules to grant themselves more access they can do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 7, 2014 at 01:07 AM Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 at 01:07 AM You could draw up a "Standing Rule" (see p. 18) requiring that the Board distribute their minutes (or just post them, or something more convenient) to all the members. This would have to be adopted by the membership at your next general (annual) meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary c Tesser Posted May 7, 2014 at 09:43 AM Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 at 09:43 AM And please, please, pick up a copy of RONR - In Brief. REad it at once, and ask questions here. Reading it at once can take an hour or two; asking questions here depends only on your typing speed and the velocity of propagation of electrons in a copper or silicone dioxide medium. Also you need a computer. Keep reading and asking questions here for the next three weeks and by June you could be a semi-expert, or fully-qualified aspiring parliamentarian like me, or at least my mom thought I was when she had read about 500 of my posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftergolf Posted May 7, 2014 at 11:33 PM Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 at 11:33 PM Thank you for the help, reading as fast as I can and attempting to absorb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kathy foram Posted May 14, 2014 at 10:04 PM Report Share Posted May 14, 2014 at 10:04 PM Do written committee reports have to be read out loud at a meeting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted May 14, 2014 at 10:13 PM Report Share Posted May 14, 2014 at 10:13 PM Do written committee reports have to be read out loud at a meeting? Please post your unrelated question as a new topic. This forum works best that way. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Beth Gallager Posted June 1, 2014 at 03:17 PM Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 at 03:17 PM I have a question - can a member of an organization request copies of the Board Meeting Minutes for several months? I thought that the 10th edition of Robert's Rules states that they cannot. Did the 11th edition change that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Harrison Posted June 1, 2014 at 03:47 PM Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 at 03:47 PM can a member of an organization request copies of the Board Meeting Minutes for several months? Anyone can request anything they want. However, only Board members have a right to inspect Board minutes and no one has a right to get copies of the minutes. I thought that the 10th edition of Robert's Rules states that they cannot. Did the 11th edition change that?Well as I said above anyone can request anything (I could request you send me a million dollars but you'd be under no obligation to grant that request). The rule regarding who has a right to inspect the minutes has not changed between the 10th and 11th Editions (RONR p. 460 ll. 13-20). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g40 Posted June 1, 2014 at 03:53 PM Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 at 03:53 PM I assume the HOA Board is elected by the members of the HOA. I suggest the following: 1. Speak directly with Board members and officers of the HOA and make this request. 2. Whenever the HOA elects Board members and officers, make your views known to all candidates. Then, support candidates who share your views and oppose candidates who do not. 3. Bring up the issue at any/all membership meeting(s) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted June 1, 2014 at 05:10 PM Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 at 05:10 PM The rule regarding who has a right to inspect the minutes has not changed between the 10th and 11th Editions (RONR p. 460 ll. 13-20). Nor has the rule by which those minutes can be required to be "produced and read to the society's assembly." p. 487, l 17ff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Beth Gallager Posted June 4, 2014 at 09:03 PM Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 at 09:03 PM Robert's Rules 10th edition states... Page 470Minutes of BOD meetings are accessible only to the members of the board unless the board grants permission to a member of the society to inspect, OR UNLESS THE SOCIETY BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE (OR THE VOTE OF A MAJOROITY OF THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OR A MAJORITY VOTE IF PREVIOUS NOTICE IS GIVEN) orders the board's minutes to be produced and read to the society's assembly. OK, I am not sure about the "unless the society by a two-thirds vote (or the vote of a majority......." Does that mean that a group within the society could call for vote of 2/3s or would it be the "Board" would call for a 2/3 vote, or does the entire organization (headed by who) call for a 2/3 vote. This is really not very clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted June 4, 2014 at 09:10 PM Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 at 09:10 PM OK, I am not sure about the "unless the society by a two-thirds vote (or the vote of a majority......." Does that mean that a group within the society could call for vote of 2/3s or would it be the "Board" would call for a 2/3 vote, or does the entire organization (headed by who) call for a 2/3 vote. This is really not very clear. The (general membership of) the Society would have to issue that order at a meeting of the Society. A "group within the society" could do it as long as it was done at a meeting of the Society and as long as the motion (to order a reading of the board's minutes) received the required vote. Edited to add: There is no procedure for a "group within the society" to act outside of a properly called meeting (of the society). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weldon Merritt Posted June 4, 2014 at 09:15 PM Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 at 09:15 PM I am not sure about the "unless the society by a two-thirds vote (or the vote of a majority......." Does that mean that a group within the society could call for vote of 2/3s or would it be the "Board" would call for a 2/3 vote, or does the entire organization (headed by who) call for a 2/3 vote. This is really not very clear. No one "call for a 2/3 vote." What needs to happen is that a member of the society, at a meeting of the general memebrship, makes a motion that the board minutes (of a specified meeting) be prodocued and read to the assembly. If that motion receives either a two-thirds vote (2/3 of those vioting) or the oite of a majority of the entire membership, it is adopted and the board must produce the minutes and have them read. However, if a member gaves previous notice that the motion would be made, then only a majority vote (of those voting) is needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Harrison Posted June 4, 2014 at 10:40 PM Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 at 10:40 PM What needs to happen is that a member of the society, at a meeting of the general memebrship, makes a motion that the board minutes (of a specified meeting) be prodocued and read to the assembly. If that motion receives either a two-thirds vote (2/3 of those vioting) or the oite of a majority of the entire membership, it is adopted and the board must produce the minutes and have them read.So how exactly does that work? Is it expected the Secretary (for the Board) will have the minutes book on hand even at a meeting of the General Membership? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted June 4, 2014 at 10:48 PM Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 at 10:48 PM Is it expected the Secretary (for the Board) will have the minutes book on hand even at a meeting of the General Membership? I don't think so. I think it's similar to calling for a special meeting upon receipt of a petition by the required number of members. The secretary is obligated to do the best she can do. Eventually something will stink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest T. Landrum Posted June 6, 2014 at 05:36 PM Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 at 05:36 PM How long does an organization have to keep their notes of a meeting and where must the notes be kept? The organization is a National organization, with chapters in each state, and each state has chapters. Ours is in Calif. I guess what I’m asking is can our secretary keep the notes at her houses? If so this can cause a problem when other members wish to review the books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Lages Posted June 6, 2014 at 06:24 PM Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 at 06:24 PM If by 'notes of a meeting' you mean the actual minutes of the meetings, they should be kept for as long as the organization is in existence. If you're talking about the secretary's personal notes that are used to prepare the minutes, those are the property of the secretary, not the organization, so it is up to the secretary what to do with them. Those notes are not a substitute for the minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Ralph Posted June 8, 2014 at 02:41 PM Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 at 02:41 PM So how exactly does that work? Is it expected the Secretary (for the Board) will have the minutes book on hand even at a meeting of the General Membership?A good secretary of the board would have the minutes book to hand if she becomes aware that previous notice is given of the motion to order the board minutes read. If one of the other two types of vote is used, then I suppose we might have to hope the secretary has the minutes on one of those new-fangled tablet things or the like. Or that the minutes could be read at the next meeting.How long does an organization have to keep their notes of a meeting and where must the notes be kept? The organization is a National organization, with chapters in each state, and each state has chapters. Ours is in Calif. I guess what I’m asking is can our secretary keep the notes at her houses? If so this can cause a problem when other members wish to review the books.The minutes should be kept in the organization's premises, if it has one. If not, then the secretary's house is probably going to be a likely location.In either case, they should be kept indefinitely.For future reference this board works best when you post a new question as a new topic even if it is similar to a question from a few weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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