SETTING THE AGENDA

QUESTION: Who sets the agenda for board meetings? I'm concerned the board president may prevent discussion of needed items by refusing to put them on the agenda.

ANSWER: When it comes to setting board meeting agendas, all directors have a right to bring business before the board. The president cannot choke off the board's business by refusing to list matters on the agenda. The exception to this rule involves defeated motions.

Revisiting Defeated Items. Once an item has appeared on the agenda and has either died for lack of a second or was voted down, that item may not reappear on future agendas unless requested by a director who was on the prevailing side of the vote. (See Robert's Rules of Order, section 37) Otherwise, single issue directors will disrupt board business by placing the same defeated items on every agenda.

Updated 7/23/2008