Vice Chair attending Board Meeting in Chair's place

[dmarr]

I am the Council on Finance Chair and I can't attend the upcoming Board of Directors meeting.  At the Council meeting we will be discussing a topic, I feel, is important information to the Board.  My Vice Chair (Council on Finance, Vice Chair) is very knowledgeable of the information and I would like for her to attend the Board meeting in my absence to answer any questions that may come up.  I realize the Vice Chair can not vote but can she attend the Board meeting in my place?  And where does it state this in the "Robert's Rules of Order" 11th edition?

 

 

[Chris Harrison]

You will need to check the bylaws as to the duties of the Vice Chair regarding whether one of those duties is to represent the Committee at Board meetings when the Chair isn't able to attend.

[dmarr]

Chris, what if there is nothing in the bylaws?

[Edgar Guest]

I realize the Vice Chair can not vote but can she attend the Board meeting in my place?

 

No. There's no "in my place" rule in RONR. If she's not a member of the board it's entirely up to the board whether to allow her to attend its meeting. In fact, it's not even clear that you have a right to attend board meetings.

[Gary Novosielski]

Chris, what if there is nothing in the bylaws?

 

Then it is up to the board (the body that is meeting) to decide if, when, how, and how much, non-members should be allowed to participate in their meeting.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

 

I can't attend the upcoming Board of Directors meeting.

...

I would like for [vice-chair] to attend the Board meeting in my absence to answer any questions that may come up.  

I realize the Vice Chair cannot vote.

But can she attend the Board meeting in my place?  

And where does it state this in the "Robert's Rules of Order" 11th edition?

You have two questions.

1.) Can person P answer questions at a board meeting?

2.) Can person P even attend a board meeting?

 

A board meeting is a members-only event.

Permission must be granted by the board to allow non-members (like your committee vice-chair) to see/listen to the business transacted.

 

But that is a trivial thing, to ask permission.

All you need to do is to tell your president that you plan to send your committee vice chair to the meeting so that she is conveniently handy to answer questions.

At the top of the board meeting, the chair will ask for "unanimous consent" to allow Miss Vice Chair to sit in on the side-lines and absorb the ambiance.

That should not be a problem.

Once she is in the room, she will be available for the board members to ask questions directed to her.

 

But to answer your quesion,

"No, she cannot sit in on a board meeting in your stead."

That is like a proxy sitution. You cannot give a right of membership to a non-member. It isn't yours to give.

 

 

 

I assume from your questoin that you, as a COMMITTE CHAIR, are empowered to sit on the board.

But that all vice-chairs of committees are not so empowered.

Right?