Successful Board Meetings can be accomplished in a timely, respectful manner by sticking to a straightforward strategy. Here is our guide on how to accomplish this for your association.

1. Regular Board Meetings are for the Directors to conduct the business of the Association.
   The membership is allowed to attend regular meetings although they do NOT make the business decisions of the community unless defined by the Declaration or Statute.
2. Establish Board Meeting Procedures
   Robert’s Rules of Order is the most commonly accepted guide for HOAs. The Association is not a government entity and not required to follow parliamentary procedure however most successful Boards follow a general outline based on this guide.
3. Meeting Notice Requirements
   Advance Meeting Notice is required. Everyone wants to be told what is going on even if they are not interested in attending. Failure to properly follow the meeting notice requirements will set your meeting up for failure.
4. Meeting Agenda
   Agenda is the board meeting playbook. Plan the meeting agenda in advance and follow it. Establish an agenda for every meeting that can be followed based on a simplified version of Robert’s Rules and hand it out to the attending members.
5. Establishing Quorum
   Quorum really does count. Directors are required to establish quorum in order to hold a meeting. A board meeting is established with a majority of the Directors in attendance which can be in person, conference call or live video.
6. Meeting Chair
   Meeting Chair is in charge and conducts the meeting in a businesslike manner. This individual is responsible for conducting the meeting, managing the dialogue, calling for a vote, recognizing the speaker and adjourning the meeting.
7. Chair Recognition
   Speak when recognized by the Chair. The Board of Directors will set the example for the members to follow which will ensure that everyone is heard in a timely manner. The chair will recognize the speaker on the topic after a motion and 2nd have been made.
8. Allowance to Speak
   Time limits can be established to maintain order. After being recognized by the Chair, an individual is allowed to speak once for a maximum of 3 minutes for each item on the agenda in order to not monopolize the meeting.
9. Meeting Minutes
   Meeting Minutes are required to be an accurate written record of the board meeting, which are taken by the Secretary. Minutes memorialize the Board’s decisions and generally contain agenda items, board motions and major issues that may not have resulted in a motion. However, the minutes do not have to be a detailed verbatim recording.
10. Calls for a Vote
    Directors vote on the agenda items. As outlined in the governing documents, the Directors have the authority to make the business decisions for the Association. The Chair calls for a vote with “pass” or “fail” recorded in the meeting minutes.
11. Open Forum
    Open Forum should be the last item on the agenda. It provides an opportunity for attendees to be recognized and speak for 3 minutes to concerns that were not addressed. The open forum should be after the meeting adjourns so that it may be discontinued if it becomes unruly.

We strongly recommend following these tips to avoid issues, confusion, or mismanagement. An association is a business and should be structured and operated like one. If your association is in need of management, please feel free to contact Signature Management Solutions for assistance.