Hawaiian Shores -- Rash of Cancelled Committee Meetings!

WATCHDOG © 2012

Hello Watchdog Readers,

Watchdog has attended each of the committee meetings scheduled in the graphic and NOT A SINGLE ONE transpired! Watchdog is even a member of one of the committees and showed up for the meeting as the only member present. 

There are a number of troubling issues for members who feel it prudent to be involved in their Association meetings as an obligation to their property and monetary investment. The idea that Committee Meetings are scheduled and even noticed on the 'COMMUNITY' calendar though cancelled with no notice to each of the members of the various committees is absolutely unprofessional and unacceptable. It shows no respect for the volunteer who is not noticed. Further, having an ineffective community calendar shows disrespect for the Membership. The 'COMMUNITY' calendar has been useless as a tool yet for months the first thing one sees upon entry to the community  is the recommendation to see the 'Calendar' at the Association's website. Watchdog has asked this question here before, "Why?" "Of what use is it if it is not current?"

The Finance Committee was the latest to not meet as scheduled on the Community Calendar. Watchdog was told by the office manager [at 3:55p] that because one of the members 'called in the morning to say she would not be attending and two other committee members would not be able to make the meeting the chair cancelled the meeting.' Of course, it was not noticed on the COMMUNITY CALENDAR! Further, apparently the actual reason for the 'cancellation' was because the chair had been hosting a party at the Stables for the volunteers and decided he could not break away to meet a scheduled obligation. ALSO, the meeting was not CANCELLED it was RESCHEDULED! That meeting too is not reflected on the community calendar! This is the second Finance Committee meeting which has not convened as scheduled and noticed on the calendar. 

The Infrastructure Committee was scheduled to meet on Monday the 26th of March. Watchdog showed up. No one else did. Watchdog received no notice of cancellation or rescheduling. Watchdog wrote a letter to the chair of the Infrastructure Committee it contained the following requests:

• ·        Copy of the report/minutes from the February meeting.
•    Notification/confirmation of the next scheduled and committed meeting of the Infrastructure Committee
• ·        Email response as to why I wasn’t noticed; why the community calendar wasn’t noticed – as to last night’s meeting.

The letter was written the 27th of March. This is the 13th of April and Watchdog has not yet received a response.

Though 2 committee members showed up for March's Community Relations Committee meeting, 1 showed up ahead of time and left a few moments after the appointed time for the meeting and another showed up 15 minutes after the meeting was to begin. Thus, no Community Relations Committee meeting.

A Board of Directors is best served and consequently serves better when the appointed committees have a function, have members and meet regularly. Communication is an essential. The lack of leadership for this year's committees bodes poorly for the community at large. Last year, the Board came in with their agenda set, adopted, executed. Not so this year. Aimless and irresponsible is more to the point.

This is what is written in Roberts Rules of Order regarding committees: "It is the duty of the chairman to call the committee together, but, if he is absent, or neglects or declines to call a meeting of the committee? it is the duty of the committee to meet on the call of any two of its members. In small special committees the chairman usually acts as secretary, but in large ones and in all standing committees, it is customary to elect a secretary, who keeps a brief memorandum of what is done, for the use of the committee. Members of the society have a right to appear at the committee meetings and present their views on the subject before it at such reasonable times as, upon request, the committee may appoint... " The chair does not serve as a unilateral member of the committee. For a committee, the chair should look for consensus between its members before making any changes. To act arbitrarily works to defeat the purpose and progress of a committee, and indirectly the Board and by default the Membership!

Watchdog is confident the attitude of the Board of Directors is to operate with transparency and as the authority over and of all Committees should require all committees to operate in like fashion!

WATCHDOG © 2012