Phew, that was quite a Board meeting!
I am so proud of my new JVC camcorder and last night decided to test it by taping a small part of the Thursday night Board meeting.
Arriving shortly after the meeting began, I stood at the very back of the Clubhouse fireside room and pressed the record button scanning attending residents and distant Board members.
It actually worked! Turning it off I moved to the back of the Clubhouse coffee bar and began video taping again.
Oops, wrong move! The Communications Committee Chairman objected strongly and I was asked [ordered] to turn my Camcorder off. She said I needed permission to videotape Board meetings.
Since it was no skin off of my nose I turned it off and proceeded to sit down. Yawn! 
However, at 2am this morning [guess it was a delayed reaction], I awoke and realized THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LAND OF THE FREE and decided to get busy. The following questions came to mind:
- Do I, as a citizen of the United States, Alabama and resident of Spanish Cove have the right to record public meetings?
- What laws are in place that allow a Communications Committee chairman to prevent or block communications?
- How do the remaining Board members feel about making videos of Board meetings since, in the past, lots of photos and voice recordings have been made? The only difference last night was that I used a combination of the two.
- What United States and Alabama laws pertain to this issue?
I can honestly say that my intention was honorable. I thought, as in the past, that if I succeeded in making my first movie the change in venue might be fun for our readers.
In the days to come I hope to obtain answers to my questions and I’d appreciate your expertise, opinions and concerns?
Sandra
PS: I’d really like to win that Oscar! 
Tags: Board Meetings, communications, Expression, Free Speach, Freedom, Meetings, Videotape, Videotaping
Dale. this is not a comment, it is a recommendation…..need a contribution towards a good one?
To Mrs. Mundane: I thought that you kept your personal dignity in a poor circumstance. I agree with most responders that there was absolutely nothing wrong with your videotaping our Meeting. As so many have pointed out, we’ve been audio recorded, minutes and pictures taken – why not both. It might reach a larger audience that doesn’t come to the Meeting – if they weren’t put off by this one.
Also, the Board is sitting facing the attending Members. We shouldn’t be doing anything that can come back to haunt us. I don’t think we’re hiding from anything – otherwise I might wear a mask (no comments please).
Hey Dick, we’re talking about adding Lillian and Spanish Cove resident names etc to the slide shows.
OK. I’ll bite. What in the world are you talking about?
Sally, it’s definitely doable but the number of alpha-numeric characters is limited [but not too much].
Watch it!
you must be referring to Mrs. Mundane?
I will talk with the Guru and see what we can do next time. I was in a hurry and didn’t take the time to get names. Sorry.
Sally, I could not agree with you more (or said it any better).
Well spake, Sally!
I don’t think a resignation is in order. Everyone should take it down a notch. There is too much tension between board members. I have seen this before with other POASC boards. Factions are not good. Us and Them is not good. We is good. Respect for decisions other than our own is necessary. You win some; you lose some, but civility needs to remain at all times. They must admit that sometimes someone else may have a better plan or at least should have the opportunity to express it without interruption or rancor. Order and decorum is essential. Hopefully the members of this board, all of whom are volunteers, will get together for the betterment of all.
I agree that her “performance” was disgusting and showed that she really doesn’t give a damn about the Cove. All she wants is her way!
I believe in our Board and the great job they are doing. I do believe that the Board Member that showed out and was so out of order should be asked to resign. No one should be allowed to cause such disruption and embarrassment to our Community! The actions of this board member showed no respect for the meeting or the feelings of the people that live in this community and those of us who want us to continue on a positive road and make things better everyday. Anyone who would display such total disregard and interruption to the order of things should be asked to resign.
LOL, I forgot about that!
Let’s not be like the English Parliament. They get pretty testy at times and have been known to throw a few punches, I believe.
Sally, very helpful and it’s easy to say what should and shouldn’t have been done but, from what I understand, there’s more to the story.
Most of the Board members are familiar with Roberts Rules of Order as evidenced by previous Board meetings.
Wally agree wholeheartedly and maybe, like the English Parliament, we’ll here ‘ORDER, ORDER & HEAR HEAR’.
A sensible requirement that board members know the SC rules and covenants as well as Roberts Rules just might slove this problem of grandstanding. Oh but Hark! is that too much to ask?
I agree a Parliamentarian would be great. Do we have any here in the Cove? I mean a REAL Parliamentarian? If none is available, the Chairman and/or Secretary should have a copy of Robert’s Rules. In cases like the one that occurred Thursday, a short recess could have been called to give them time to check the book. As I see it, most of the Directors were not listening Thursday night. Director Junkins was well within his right to object to the motion by Director Bemis. There was a motion on the floor to approve the Mid-Year Budget Review. The second motion was out of order, since it was on a different subject, even though it had to do with finance. If emotions had not risen to the red zone, the Chairman would have been able to explain to Director Bemis that her motion could be addressed under New Business. At that time she could have been told that a Director may not call for an Executive Session. She could have amended her motion to call for a Special Session and the board would have voted either Yay or Nay.
Calling for a resignation for the video recoding caper and the events surrounding it seems a bit over the top. Calling for a resignation would be more fitting for events that involve illegal (defined as in violation of our rules, regulations and by-laws), malfeasance, personal retribution, etc. by individuals or a few numbers of the Board. Nonetheless, I thought it an embarrassment to the entire Board since there wasn’t a mechanism for resolving the problem in a fitting manor.
By the end of the meeting I had resolved to suggest that our Board needs to appoint a well qualified (backed by evidence) Parliamentarian to serve as the final arbiter of procedural matters at Board meetings. The person appointed should have a “life” appointment subject to recall only in the event of persistent material mis-calls on procedural matters. Municipalities enjoy the services of an attorney to handle such matters but we cannot afford that luxury. Many organizations solve the problem of managing orderly meetings with a Parliamentarian and I believe we could do so too.
I was embarrassed and disgusted by the sight, of a Board member having just trashed decorum and rules of procedure, gleefully giggling and looking out at the audience for approval of this self serving demonstration. This is not the first time this person has put on a “show” for the purpose of personnel attention, but I certainly hope it is the last. A better service that this Board member could perform for the community and the corporation would be to quietly resign from the Board.
This is my opinion. James S. Fletcher.
Whatever happened to “Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer”?
Award the Oscar to Ms. Bemis, she put-on the show!
PS I don’t believe the video camera was the real issue.
Looks like more drama took place at the meeting then what one sees on CSPAN. My meetings are rather none eventfull, but then most are my friends or neighbors. Sandra, perhaps not OSCAR material, but a contender for one of those video shows.
I for one can not see why there would be any objection to the taping of a public POASC Board meeting. We have for a long time permitted the tape recording of the meeting. One would hope that the members of the Board are saying what they think and believe and not putting on a show for those in attendance. Is it possible that the Board member objecting was concerned that it would not look good that was necessary to nudge the person sitting next to her to second a motion she had made because no one else on the Board would? Or that others would see her behavior when the chair ruled her motion out of order since discussion was already taking place on a previously made and seconded motion on a report by the chairman of the Finance Committee whose committee had recommended action by the Board. It seems strange to me that during an era when the nation can watch congress in action on CSPAN and when the Baldwin County Commissioners allow taping and public television viewing of their meetings that a member or our Board of Directors objects to the video recording of a meeting. I believe a apology to the Board, the public in attendance, and the members of POASC is in order for the deplorable behavior exhibited and the subsequent storming from the the meeting itself.
Oops! Sorry, Sandra. That was YOU who wrote the article. Good job, by the way!
It’s a public meeting. I don’t think having someone videotape the proceedings is going to make me any more uncomfortable than I would otherwise be. I’m no lawyer, but I believe the restriction for videotaping (or voice recording for that matter) is that it’s not supposed to be done without a person’s knowledge.
As Sally says, we take photos now and we record audio of various meetings. Video recording simply combines those features.
I have no objection to use of any of those media. I think the whole issue can be resolved by making an announcement at the next meeting that voice recorders and cameras are permitted, including still cameras, wireless phones and video recorders. Make it a resolution if necessary.
What have we to hide?
If you show us the tape-we might give you the Oscar?
I serve on a few boards in my home town (have been chairperson also), and would not appreciate the meetings being taped either. It makes people uncomfortable (for all sorts of reasons), and if one wants to know the details, read the minutes or ask someone who attended. My training lectures on communication, counseling, supervising to name a few, have been taped and I have partaken in management retreats that are also videoed and serve as training for those at work that need additional training hours. On those, the intended audiance is known, otherwise to much “big brother” watching.
Years ago when I received one of those old fullsize VHS camcorders I took it to a party to practice. Tried to take it to one of my kid’s violin concerts, and was told “no recording” ……..the courts do not allow either.