Verbiage reminding members to stay quiet?

[Guest Hart]

Howdy, and TIA for any responses.

My organization has been without strong leadership for quite some time. We now have a Board President who is familiar with open meeting laws, and general meeting procedures, as well as a director (myself,) who is anxious for order. Is there official, or even recommended verbiage for reminding members that they are guests at our meeting, not participants? When we have members present, they tend to interject whenever they think they have something important to say. This time, I want to head them off at the pass, as it were, by giving them a formal reminder at the beginning of the meeting.

[Joshua Katz]

Well, with very few exceptions, no one should be speaking without recognition, not just guests. So would it be more politik to remind everyone to seek recognition instead, and to note that you will only be recognizing guests for limited purposes?

[Guest Hart]

The tentative plan is to formally begin following "The Rules" in January. This issue is rearing its head now because we'll be discussing a hot issue in our next meeting. The board is reasonably respectful of one another without recognition; membership is feral.

[Joshua Katz]

Understood, I'm just thinking of what might provoke less anger. 

For what it's worth, I'm not sure I love throwing the switch like that. As a wise woman told me when I became FD parliamentarian, if people are picking up slabs of meat and dragging them across their faces, it's not a good time to explain which fork is for what. In other words, my preference is to slowly introduce things, not expect every rule to be followed immediately. But that's just me; you know your organization. 

[Gary Novosielski]

On 12/5/2023 at 4:46 PM, Guest Hart said:

The tentative plan is to formally begin following "The Rules" in January. This issue is rearing its head now because we'll be discussing a hot issue in our next meeting. The board is reasonably respectful of one another without recognition; membership is feral.

I think it would help to preserve order if the members themselves set a good example by seeking recognition and not interrupting each other.  "Reasonably respectful" lies somewhere on a spectrum between properly respectful and feral.  

[Richard Brown]

A statement by the chair at the beginning of the meeting along these lines would be appropriate:

"On behalf of the board, I welcome our guests and thank you for coming.  I remind our guests that this is a meeting of the board, not of the general membership.  Although general members are welcome to attend, debate and discussion of matters before the board will be limited to members of the board.  General members are permitted to address the board with their concerns during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting (or at the end of the meeting), but are not permitted to speak or address the board during consideration of agenda items and other motions."

Note:  If you do not have a "comment period" for members to address the board, you might consider adopting such a procedure.  It might even be required by your bylaws or by law if this organization is something like a homeowner or condo association or public body such as a school board.  

[Gary Novosielski]

On 12/5/2023 at 5:31 PM, Richard Brown said:

A statement by the chair at the beginning of the meeting along these lines would be appropriate:

"On behalf of the board, I welcome our guests and thank you for coming.  I remind our guests that this is a meeting of the board, not of the general membership.  Although general members are welcome to attend, debate and discussion of matters before the board will be limited to members of the board.  General members are permitted to address the board with their concerns during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting (or at the end of the meeting), but are not permitted to speak or address the board during consideration of agenda items and other motions."

Note:  If you do not have a "comment period" for members to address the board, you might consider adopting such a procedure.  It might even be required by your bylaws or by law if this organization is something like a homeowner or condo association or public body such as a school board.  

And if that doesn't work there is always, "Awright, awright--pipe down y'animals!"

[Guest Hart]

On 12/5/2023 at 3:10 PM, Joshua Katz said:

if people are picking up slabs of meat and dragging them across their faces, it's not a good time to explain which fork is for what.

Brilliant visual; point well taken. 😂

On 12/5/2023 at 3:14 PM, Gary Novosielski said:

"Reasonably respectful" lies somewhere on a spectrum between properly respectful and feral.  

All depends on the topic, which only adds to the problem. 

On 12/5/2023 at 3:31 PM, Richard Brown said:

you might consider adopting such a procedure.

There's no way we'd be home before midnight if we did. We're nonprofit arts, and our bylaws seem vague by design. 🫤

Thoughtful answers, all. I appreciate the input!