Accountability
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.”
--Thomas Paine
Lesson 6: Board members must be held accountable
If your organization doesn’t send out an agenda before each board meeting, then be prepared to have your time wasted. Likewise, if your meetings take longer than two hours, examine the reasons why. No one appreciates dull, boring, unproductive meetings. Whether you serve on the board or on a committee, you need to hold your leaders accountable for their performance, in particular the way they handle meetings, since this is the most direct way they interact with members. Who evaluates the officers and committee chairs? Who evaluates the organization’s Executive Administrator
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Their founder, St. Benedict, a keen observer of human nature, stressed the importance of the person and the relationship of persons living together. In his Benedictine community, or “school for the Lord’s service” as he described it, everyone must accept responsibility for the outcomes expected of them — both good and bad. Coming from a family with 13 children, my parents had created a similar atmosphere of accountability. We knew that our actions, both good and bad, affected everyone and, therefore, we were accountable to everyone. We took this responsibility very seriously, looked out for one another, and kept each other in line. Volunteer boards could learn much about accountability from large families and religious …show more content…
For instance, you must send out meeting notices with a meeting agenda, start and end meetings on time, keep accurate financial records, ensure accurate minutes of all proceedings, and engage board members in voting and decision making. If you aren’t doing these things, then you are NOT being responsible. Likewise, board members also have responsibilities. For instance, you must show up on time, stay until the end of the meeting, be prepared to vote on whatever is expected of you, review financial records, and ensure accurate records of all proceedings. In addition, you are often expected to volunteer for at least one committee or task force and donate your time, talent, and/or treasure by making a financial contribution to the