Complaints

[Guest Ali]

A member of the Club has submitted a number of Complaints against a Board Member.  Most of the complaints address Board Decisions made long before they became a member of the Club. 

Questions:

1.  Can an individual submit Complaints to the Board for decisions made and actions taken prior to their joining the club?

2.  Can an individual be held singularly responsible for Board Decisions, where motions were made and votes taken?  

3.  Several Board Members shared Board Meeting Minutes and Board conversations with this individual, is there anything the Board should or can do about these other Board Members?  

Many thanks for any insight you may have, Ali

[Bruce Lages]

In the order in which you asked:

1.  Nothing in RONR would prevent an individual from submitting complaints to a Board. What your board - or organization - do about them may be covered under procedures spelled out in your bylaws or rules, or, if not, is up to the board, and perhaps ultimately, the organization to decide.

2. When a body takes action as a result of a motion and vote, that action is an act of the body itself. It would not be appropriate - outside of a clear violation of organizational rules or a legal situation - for the organization to hold an individual board member responsible for an action approved by a majority of the board.

3. Board minutes are under the control of the board as a whole, but the board may agree to share them with the membership, or the membership may, by a 2/3 vote, a majority vote with previous notice, or a vote of a majority of the entire membership, order them to be read at a membership meeting. If the minutes were shared otherwise, the board members who did the sharing may be subject to disciplinary action. That would most likely be up to the membership. Board conversations may be a little more tricky to maintain control over, unless they were a part of a meeting in executive session, where secrecy is imposed. Under that condition, disciplinary action would certainly  be warranted.

[Richard Brown]

I think the question of whether it was inappropriate to share minutes of a board meeting with a non-board member depends on the circumstances and on information that we do not have. 

 

For example were the board meetings held in executive session? Do non board members frequently attend board meetings? Are the board minutes generally kept secret?

 

I think the primary question to be answered is whether the board meetings were held in executive session.

[Guest Ali - Compliants]

The Board meetings were not held in Executive Session.  Non-board members do not attend the Board Meetings. 

Many thanks, Ali