Someone asked:
> Does anyone belong to organizations or synagogues
> that have open Board Meetings?
I can't find the original post with the name of the
questioner, so I am sending this message to the list.
Below is the reply a friend of mine offered. I think
he wishes to remain anonymous, but I can forward any
follow-up questions to him.
Thank you.
-Stanley Nachamie
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----------------------
Our synagogue has been around for 13 years in its
present form, and before that in a different form
for 8 years. The last 13 years we have been
self-governing and remain so today (under the
leadership of a Rabbi). For the first 7 years, we had
completely open organizational meetings for the entire
community, and those that attended three our of five
meetings
could vote. This model is best compared with the New
England town meeting. Then we got larger, and moved
to a board and committee structure.
The four permanent committees are Ritual, Learning,
Community Service and Life Cycle. They focus their
energy as one might expect given their names; but they
play a role in the larger governance of the community
as well.
At the time we made the change in structure, the
leaders strove to retain some transparency at meetings
while recognizing that the New England town meeting
model no longer worked. So, all board meeting minutes
are available to anyone in the community who asks for
them, and we have one board meeting every quarter
(every 3 months) open to the community. Here is how
it works:
1. We have a quarterly meeting every three months,
which is an expanded version of our executive
board meetings. Expanded in two ways:
a. it is an open meeting, and,
b. the four permanent committees each get one
vote.
2. An open meeting means that anyone in the community
can speak and propose ideas, events, etc. Board
members must still make and second motions.
3. Any proposals must be distributed to the four
committees at least a week before the meeting so
that each committee can meet and decide how it as
a
group wants to vote its one vote. These votes
count the same as the vote each board member has.
4. The thinking behind this is that the board should
discuss with and hear input from the community,
and that the community, both at the quarterly
meeting and via the committees, should have an
opportunity for participation and bringing ideas
and proposals.
We have other committees as well, but they have not
done enough to be considered involved and contributing
so much to the community that they should get a vote.
Perhaps this will motivate one or more of them to do
more for the community.
One practical situation to consider is whether or not
there will be community participation. Without it,
open meetings can waste resources and frustrate a
board. In the case you mention, it may be quite
difficult to tell in advance how interested the
community is in participating. One way to gauge this
is with a survey; another is to collect anecdotal
information in casual conversations.
We are undergoing a social change in our community in
which people volunteer for committee and board work
less than their predecessors did (the neighborhood has
high turnover and other Jewish religious institutions
are going through the same change). Thus it is a
reflection of a larger social trend that our quarterly
meetings are not well attended unless there is a
major outstanding issue facing the community. This
may lead us to re-examine the structure yet again.
Perhaps that is sufficient. If not, let me know.
Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author
and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL
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