Question: Bully of the group?

There is someone in our association who took it upon herself to single out another officer. One of the main reasona for the attack of the other board member was because she asked for a system of checks and balances, meaning: two signers on the checking account, no use of a debit card and checks to be copied before deposits. This person even went so far as to have a meeting of the people she thought would be her supporters and wrote a petition to be signed by members in the community to get rid of another board memeber. The POV was unfair to the other person who had no idea this was happening. The president of our association is good friends with this person but when push came to shove had no problem pointing the finger at the officer to created this petition. Should both these people be asked to leave the board? Roberts Rules does not address this but they conducted themselves in ways that broke many rules. HELP!!!

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Rose H writes:
Someone in this group needs to yell "Time Out!" and ask everyone to pause for a moment because things seem to be spiraling out of control. It sounds like the problem began when one board member asked another to institute some standard financial practices. So, that's the first issue. Groups should be using some of the tactics along the lines of those you mention. We have a great article on 5 Smart Financial Controls that you might find helpful. Secondly, a group should not get rid of a board member because of any petition. There should be a formal procedure to follow, including a vote, which should be outlined in your bylaws. Typically, board members are asked to leave because of a pattern of inappropriate conduct or a serious incident, like theft, not because of a disagreement. Can your group find a way to reassess the whole blow-up? At a minimum, there needs to be a board meeting where issues can be raised and hashed out. Consider having a mediator at that meeting (perhaps the school principal could help) if feelings are still too raw and issues may be hard to discuss. Another helpful article is this piece on building consensus. Good luck and let us know how it goes.