Understanding the Real Power of Boards through Robert’s Rules of Order
Why Electing a Trustworthy and Competent Board Matters More Than You Think
Whether you live in a high-rise condominium, a gated neighborhood, or a co-op community, one thing is certain: the decisions made by your Board of Directors affect your quality of life, your property value, and your peace of mind.
Yet many homeowners treat board elections like an afterthought—or worse, they don’t vote at all.
What most don’t realize is that the board is the operational heart of the association—and Robert’s Rules of Order (RONR), the gold standard of parliamentary procedure, offers a detailed framework for how boards should function, what authority they hold, and what limits they face.
Let’s pull back the curtain and look at why the right board members matter.
Boards Are Empowered Between Meetings—But Only Within Limits
According to RONR §49:5–7, a board of directors is a body empowered to act on behalf of the full membership between regular meetings—but only to the extent granted by the bylaws. In practical terms, that means:
- Your board can approve contracts.
- They can manage finances and maintenance issues.
- They can even make disciplinary decisions or pursue legal action.
But here’s the catch: these powers can only be exercised lawfully and transparently if the board members are both competent and ethical.
⚠️ Electing a board that doesn’t understand (or doesn’t care about) its procedural limits can lead to overreach, secrecy, or worse—financial mismanagement and abuse of authority.
Committees Work, but Boards Decide
Homeowners often assume that committees do the heavy lifting. While they do provide support and recommendations, the board makes the final call.
As outlined in RONR §50:4–5, committees cannot act independently unless granted specific authority. Their primary role is to investigate, deliberate, and report. If you elect a passive or uninformed board, they may blindly follow committee suggestions or fail to ask the right questions—leading to rubber-stamp decision-making that doesn’t reflect the community’s needs.
Officers Are More Than Just Titles
A board is more than a group of names. Each officer plays a role that must be taken seriously. According to RONR §47:5–29:
- The President (or Chair) must be tactful, impartial, and deeply familiar with the rules.
- The Secretary is the official record keeper—and mistakes here can impact legal standing.
- The Treasurer is responsible for managing funds according to bylaw-prescribed procedures.
You wouldn’t hire someone to manage your personal finances or legal documents without checking their qualifications. Why do less for your board?
Your Bylaws Only Work If the Board Follows Them
Bylaws are only as strong as the people enforcing them. RONR §49:4–7 emphasizes that the board must carry out the orders of the assembly and cannot override decisions of the membership. In other words, a rogue board is acting against the will of the owners—and that’s not just wrong, it’s null and void under parliamentary law.
But here’s the problem: many boards get away with this behavior because no one calls it out, or no one knows the rules.
Transparency, Minutes, and Meetings Matter
Under RONR §49:16 and §49:17–19, official action must take place in properly noticed meetings, with a quorum present, and minutes recorded and retained. Informal conversations, text messages, or secret email votes do not count.
A trustworthy board respects this. A questionable board will find ways around it.
What Homeowners Can Do
Here’s how you can protect your community:
- Learn your bylaws and whether your association has adopted Robert’s Rules.
- Attend meetings—not just to listen, but to observe who shows up, who’s prepared, and who’s pushing for transparency.
- Vote thoughtfully in board elections. Character matters. So does competence.
- Ask candidates how familiar they are with RONR and their legal responsibilities.
- Support reforms that hold board members accountable. This includes education requirements, financial disclosures, and term limits.
Final Thought: You Deserve Better Than ‘Good Enough’
A well-run board is invisible in the best way—it creates peace, not noise. But when the wrong people hold those seats, the damage may not be visible until it’s too late.
Remember: your board governs your property, your money, and your rights as an owner.
As RONR reminds us time and again, governance is a trust—not a privilege.
Elect wisely. Stay involved. And hold your board to a higher standard.
Written by Jessica Herzog, Parliamentary Consultant & Member of the National Association of Parliamentarians.
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