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Committee chair problem

(13 Posts)
Cabbie21 Tue 01-Sept-26 13:13:18

I’m not giving too much detail for obvious reasons.
The Chair of a committee I am on seems to treat the organisation as his own property.
The Committee recently needed to resolve a particular issue and took a decision. There was no vote. Now the Chair has subsequently overruled the committee decision and issued instructions to resolve the situation differently.
I have no particular view as to whether the Committee’s decision or the Chair’s decision was the better way, but I do think the Chair had no right to overrule in this way.
Fair enough, if there had been a vote with no majority either way, the Chair would have had a casting vote, but he has acted outside of the Committee.
I feel very uncomfortable about this. It is realistically too late now to alter the plan, but I am not happy to just let this situation go. What would you do?

Cossy Tue 01-Sept-26 13:18:16

I’ve been both Chair and Deputy Chair and I totally agree, the Chair was absolutely wrong to overturn the decision.

He has absolutely no remit to do so if a vote had already been taken and agreed.

nanna8 Tue 01-Sept-26 13:21:41

Don’t you have minutes of the meetings ? That would solve the issue. Challenge - it is illegal to do what they have done if it is a recognised incorporated body . The committees I am on would go mental.

Jaxjacky Tue 01-Sept-26 13:30:31

Are there others who feel the same?
Personally I would check the constitution, then challenge them quoting that.

Shelflife Tue 01-Sept-26 13:40:50

For this sort of reason I no longer sit committees! Lesson there perhaps 🤔

Oreo Tue 01-Sept-26 14:26:23

Shelflife

For this sort of reason I no longer sit committees! Lesson there perhaps 🤔

Committees are the work of the devil.
There are two types of people on them…those who believe in public voluntary service and those who like telling everyone else what to do, usually loudly.
Ask the rest of the committee privately how they feel OP or you may find yourself the only one with the bottle to challenge him.

Cabbie21 Tue 01-Sept-26 14:37:53

Cossy, the original decision was taken, as most are, by consensus, no vote.
The new decision has been communicated only to those needed to implement it.
I am waiting to hear back from the other person directly involved. Meanwhile I am checking out theConstitution.

Aveline Tue 01-Sept-26 14:41:24

That's what to do. The constitution should clarify the situation for you.

Cabbie21 Tue 01-Sept-26 14:59:56

Checked the Constitution and Rules and there is no clarification, other than that in the case of a tied vote the Chair has the casting vote. There was no actual vote.
This particular decision was actually made two meetings ago and reinforced at last week’s meeting.

winterwhite Tue 01-Sept-26 15:06:12

Presumably the Chair was present at the meeting that reached the decision? Did he speak against it then?

IMO if the Chair felt in retrospect that the decision was wrong another meeting should have been called to re-discuss it.

The situation you describe is so unusual I’d be surprised if any constitution covers it.

Doodledog Tue 01-Sept-26 15:08:20

Do others feel as you do?

If so, you could call an extraordinary meeting with one agenda item - to clarify the role of the chair and if appropriate to reconsider the changes he made.

It would be tricky, and if the vote goes in favour of the chair's actions you may feel you need to resign, but you may find that a risk worth taking.

Aveline Tue 01-Sept-26 15:15:35

Review the minutes of that meeting two meetings ago?

Aveline Tue 01-Sept-26 15:16:07

Bring it up for the agenda of the next meeting?