Missing in Action

Juan, Sylvia, and Monika were fed up. Where, they wondered as they sat in a meeting room at the Shadyspot Community Center, were the other eight board members? Stefan, the board chair, should have called the meeting to order 15 minutes ago, but there were not enough individuals present to make a quorum. Juan, Sylvia, and Monika looked at each other, rolling their eyes. They were the only ones who could be counted on to attend each and every monthly meeting.

When most members were present, the board was lively and engaged. Stefan and the chief executive had worked hard to recruit skilled individuals who represented the diverse Shadyspot community, and Juan, Sylvia, and Monika genuinely liked their fellow board members.

Take Addy, a mother of three rambunctious children. She had valuable insights about youth programming. Unfortunately, one of her brood always had an earache or the flu or an upset stomach on board meeting days, and she often was unable to find babysitters. Then there was Tom, an elderly, wealthy gentleman who led the board in giving. Now quite frail, he rarely left his home. Brad, on the other hand, was never home. A savvy investment banker, he missed meetings because he was in Hong Kong or London for business. Rita, who had used her connections to the movers and shakers in Shadyspot to boost the Center's capital campaign, was now an inactive board member due to a campaign of her own for the state senate. Many of the absent board members had valid reasons for not attending meetings, but they didn't always ask to be excused, leaving those who did attend meetings wondering who was going to show.

Stefan cleared his throat. Four more members of the board had entered the room. The group now had a quorum. He called the meeting to order, indicating that the board should start planning a retreat to discuss strategic planning. Monika couldn't keep quiet any longer. What, she blurted out, would be the point of going forward with a board retreat if not every member would be present? That comment encouraged Juan to ask if the board members in attendance were aware of a clause in the bylaws stating, "Absence from three board meetings within a fiscal year, without prior notification, is equivalent to resignation from the board." Noticing that Sylvia was now nodding yes, Stefan realized he and the board could no longer ignore the issue of attendance.

What can the Shadyspot Community Center board do to improve member attendance and who should do it? Should the board implement the clause in its bylaws?