Suspend Board Member

[Guest Gary C]

Our Treasurer defied the stated will of the membership concerning a capital project approved by membershipo vote, failed to meet the Board directive as Finance Committe Chairman for that project,withheld financial statements requested by a Board member for that project, attempted to add 2 voting ExOfficio Board members not defined in our bylaws or approved by the membership, made false accusations and insults toward Board members, has missed or walked out of 8 of 15 meetings in 2010 and refused to seek resolution to trust and respect issues within the Board and membership. These action have been detrimental to the Board and Club. I intend to move that he is suspended from the Board until formal complaints and a hearing under RRO Chapter XX disiplanary proceeding can be arranged.

Please provide your thoughts on the motion to suspend and the process. Thanks very much Gary C.

[Tim Wynn]

Our Treasurer defied the stated will of the membership concerning a capital project approved by membershipo vote, failed to meet the Board directive as Finance Committe Chairman for that project,withheld financial statements requested by a Board member for that project, attempted to add 2 voting ExOfficio Board members not defined in our bylaws or approved by the membership, made false accusations and insults toward Board members, has missed or walked out of 8 of 15 meetings in 2010 and refused to seek resolution to trust and respect issues within the Board and membership. These action have been detrimental to the Board and Club. I intend to move that he is suspended from the Board until formal complaints and a hearing under RRO Chapter XX disiplanary proceeding can be arranged.

Please provide your thoughts on the motion to suspend and the process. Thanks very much Gary C.

Start with step one. See RONR(10th ed.), p. 632, l. 10 - p. 633, l. 13.

As for deposing him from office, see p. 642-643.

[hmtcastle]

I intend to move that he is suspended from the Board until formal complaints and a hearing under RRO Chapter XX disiplanary proceeding can be arranged.

Such suspension could only follow the initiation of those very disciplinary procedures.

But see FAQ #20 for a possible alternative.

[Guest Gary C]

Our Bylaws Section V Violation of Club Rules and Regulations includes a process for violations first is a warning, second is appear before the Board third is expulsion. Our Bylaws also state "meetings of the Club and Board of Directors shall be governed by the parliamentary Rules laid down in Roberts Rules of Order." Would you agree that failing to comply RRO is therfore a violation of Club Rules and Regulations? Thanks. Gary

[hmtcastle]

Would you agree that failing to comply RRO is therfore a violation of Club Rules and Regulations?

Perhaps, though I don't think you can suspend a member without initiating the disciplinary procedures outlined in Chapter XX. The bylaws you cited appear to provide only for a warning, a second warning, and expulsion. Nothing about suspension. They also refer to expulsion from membership in the organization, not "suspension" as a member of the board. It's not clear that the board has a right to suspend one its members. RONR certainly doesn't give it that authority.

[Guest Gary C]

Thanks for these responses. The Bylaws do state 3 (substantiated ) complaints and a member will be expelled which is a drastic disipline. I plan to propose a Bylaw amendment to more closely follow RRO disiplanary proceedings. Also for a Bylaws and Standards Committee of regular members available for confidential inquiries, complaints, Bylaws and regs interpretation, hearings, Board support etc. When the Board is the problem seems that the membership should make the judgements. Gary