Auntie ABATE / “Cuz” Report

Dear Cuz,

I go to some of the Board of Director meetings that are held each month and after I have attended a few, I understand how they work. My question is this. I don’t understand how the committee meetings work. Sometimes I think it is a free for all with input from a lot of different people with a lot of different ideas. Can I speak my mind and give my opinion? Or should I just sit back and listen?

Dazed and Confused

Dear D & C,

I’m glad you asked that question. The purpose of the committee meetings is to save time during the Board meeting by hashing out any details before the Board meeting takes place. This happens so the Board of Directors doesn’t have to be bogged down with all areas of the organization that don’t necessarily need to be voted on, and that could take hours to discuss. Board and committee members often travel long distances to monthly meetings and a long meeting often makes the day stretch into 12 or 14 hours long. We are all volunteers, so we try to keep these meeting days as short as we can.

Members that have volunteered to sit on a committee of their choosing, and one that they have an interest in, meet before the Board meeting each month. The committee chairperson reports committee findings to the Board, so further action can take place if need be. In other words, questions are asked, discussions take place, and research is done before a board meeting so there is accurate, concise information available to the Board should any kind of a vote need to take place.

How does a meeting work, then? The committee chairperson comes up with a list of topics to go over at the meeting called an agenda. Committee members give their input, share ideas, and make recommendations at the meeting. The Chairperson then reports those recommendations to the Board, and they will then accept the committee’s recommendations or send them back to the drawing board for more discussion or a better solution.

Any member of ABATE of Wisconsin is invited to sit in on a committee meeting. It is matter of respect, however, that comments and suggestions from non-committee members be held until the chairperson asks for comments from members attending. Otherwise, if too many members try to voice their opinions or give their suggestions at the same time, things tend to get off track and the agenda is not always followed or completed.

So, to help un-daze and un-confuse you. Any member can attend a committee meeting, and any member can offer input or solutions to a problem that may arise. We just need to wait our turn. Remember that the best ideas our organization comes up with is from our membership and from their experiences. We want and look forward to your suggestions.

“Cuz”