It is THAT time of year again...Annual Meeting time...
As most seasoned board members come to discover, there is usually a challenge with annual meeting attendance. This is particularly troublesome when attendance is too low to achieve "quorum" and the board is not able to conduct the meeting at all. Here are Some Tips on Improving Annual Meeting Attendance: The annual meetings, let's be honest, aren't always the most exciting meetings to attend. There can be detailed budgeting talk, break down of projects completed throughout the year, history of board votes, and information on dues. Though all of this information is important to the health of the association, it is not very exciting. So, some easy things you can do to spice up your meetings: - Create some sort of booklet (packet) to hand out to owners prior to the annual meeting detailing (briefly of course) what events happened at the association that year and why everyone's input is important at the upcoming annual meeting. This can be a great way to alleviate some of the owner's anxiety around attending the annual meeting and encourage them to attend! - Make the Annual Meeting an Annual Event! Reach out to local organizations and coordinate a wine tasting, charity organization, an art show or a local girl scout to bring a booth with cookies! This can take minimal time to reach out to local organizations or charities and have someone stop by to give your owner's a reason to be at the annual board meeting. This may also be a great way to get their input and plan an event for the following year! The most basic and important reason to get attendance up at the annual meeting is pretty simple: create a great culture in your community. The whole reason for living in a community is to avoid the responsibilities associated with home upkeep and be able to be surrounded by folks you enjoy! So, as board members, find a way to encourage more community attendance at your meetings!
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Being a community board member is no easy task; however, working together with other board members to improve your community can be very rewarding! Though responsibilities will differ between different communities, there are some basics things you can do to be a positive influence and get things done.
First off, there are meetings to attend, decisions to make, venders to interview and hire, notices to send, financials to review and owner questions to answer. Depending on a board member's career status, these tasks can be a bit overwhelming. So, regardless of community size, every one can use some quick tips to make life easier. Tips, Tricks to Being a Board Member 1. This is by far the most important thing you, as a board member, can do - read the By Laws and Rules and Regulations. These documents are not only the board agreed upon rules, they are also the legal dictation of your association's responsibility to it's owners! 2. Actually read and understand the By Laws. This is so important, it is step one and step two. As a board member, you want (and need!) to understand the agreed upon description of your role. This will save you from misunderstandings and potentially over working! 3. Get to know your fellow board members! This can be a lot of fun. It is important to meet and build a relationship with your fellow board members and involved owners. Remember you are in this together, this is your community - don't take the other board members or involved owners for granted! **As a property manager, I see many communities struggle just to meet quorum at board meetings. And, often times meetings need to be rescheduled so important decisions can be voted upon. Getting to know and building relationships with fellow community members will help alleviate this** 4. Become familiar with your board's meeting packets, agenda, and new business items before board meetings! You don't want to be in a situation five minutes prior to a board meeting where you aren't sure what the topics for discussion are! Be sure to request any meeting packets early or have another board member bring you up to speed on agenda items so you can adequately prepare for the meeting. 5. Ask any clarifying questions about the agenda items prior to the meeting – this will surely “wow” your board's president or manager! 6. Show up to meetings. Plain and simple. 7. Understand the board meeting procedures unique to your board. Each community manages their meetings differently. Some are formal and some are more relaxed. You'll want to be aquatinted with the general tone of your community's meetings. 10. Delegate tasks when you can – for example, if you’re the secretary, find someone to take the meeting minutes so you don’t have to. Or, if you have an involved owner, consider creating a committee for them to run. An example might be a "grounds committee" with the responsibility of watering plants every week. This can save your board time and money when it come to maintaining plants. 11. This one is in tandem with number 10. Keep tasks "in-house" whenever possible. For example, maybe an owner is willing to take on the responsibility of "care taker" who can mow the lawn and shovel sidewalks in the winter. Don't overlook owners who want to be involved; this will save your community money and avoid outsourcing services. 12. Find trusted experts to look to for advice and services – such as accountants, attorneys, contractors, and vendors. 13. Know the difference between your operating and reserve budgets. You may have no experience in finance, nor any desire to get involved with the community's finances, but it won't hurt to understand where the money is going! 16. Educate yourself and attend board trainings and social gatherings – it will be worth staying involved in the community and learning more about your neighbors! 17. Consider hiring a management company to work together with your board. They have the experience and time to take care of most, if not all, the day to day tasks in the community and can help the board be effective. The most important duties of an HOA board member are to protect, enhance and maintain the Association. Stepping up to be a board member can be a rewarding, yet challenging experience. These tips are just the tip of the ice burg when it comes to successfully running a homeowners association, but it is a good place to start! |