Board meetings

[Guest Chris]

At a board meeting when board members or the membership has a question  is there an order in who has the right to speak first or first who stands is next?

[Chris Harrison]

As far as RONR is concerned only members of the body which is meeting have any rights (RONR p. 648 ll. 11-14).  So at Board meetings only Board members have any rights.  If the Board wants to change that they can adopt rules (or the bylaws can be amended) to grant nonmembers (of the Board) rights.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

As noted, nonmembers of the board have no rights at a board meeting. The board could adopt a rule on who can speak first. See RONR 11th ed., pp. 378-383 regarding "Assignment of the Floor When More Than One Person Claims It". Here's the first sentence from that section:

 

"If two or more rise at about the same time to claim the floor, the general rule is that, all other things being equal, the member who rose and addressed the chair first after the floor was yielded is entitled to be recognized." (p. 378, ll. 11-14)

[Guest Chris]

Thank you for getting back to me. Just so we both understand (mainly me). When I say board members I am talking about elected officials within the property owners association. Membership or members refer to folks that belong to the association. We encourage members to attend the regular board meetings. I was told by a board member during a meeting that if a board member wishes to speak that I (president) must call on board members first before any members. Is this true? Thank you

[Richard Brown]

Attending board meetings to observe and speaking at board meetings are two different things.  It is quite common for homeowner associations (and other organizations) to have rules or customs allowing "regular" members (non-board members) to attend board meetings.  We normally refer to them as guests, since they are not members of the body that is meeting.

 

Permission to speak may be granted by custom, by special rule, or by a majority vote at a board meeting (or by unanimous consent).

 

However, to participate in debate would require a special rule of order or a two thirds vote of the board at a meeting.

 

Agreeing with the answers by Mr. Harrison and Mr. Huynh, there is no rule in RONR addressing this specific situation.  Unless you have a rule or custom to the contrary, there is certainly nothing wrong, though, in granting preference to board members.  It is, after all, their meeting.

[Josh Martin]

Thank you for getting back to me. Just so we both understand (mainly me). When I say board members I am talking about elected officials within the property owners association. Membership or members refer to folks that belong to the association. We encourage members to attend the regular board meetings. I was told by a board member during a meeting that if a board member wishes to speak that I (president) must call on board members first before any members. Is this true? Thank you

Unless your board adopts rules or motions providing otherwise, you must only call on board members. If the board does adopt rules or motions permitting non-members of the board to speak during board meetings, then the board will need to work out the details for itself.