March 12, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Condo Meeting.

Being a part of a new group is always interesting, but my first meeting of our condo association was definitely not what I had expected.    We have owned this place for about three years but the annual meeting in the past were held when we were out of town so we sent in our proxy vote and assumed that all would be well.  We knew that an activist board of directors had taken over two years ago and that they had been making improvements.  Also they have enforced the bylaws.   I suspected that unpleasantness would arise at the meeting tonight, and it did.  It was fascinated to observe.

They did something tonight that I had never seen before.   When tabulating the votes for the new board, they read aloud each ballot, in front of the group, a total of 79 ballots.  I could not believe it.  It took 35 minutes, while everyone sat quietly and listened.  What a waste of time.   The lady sitting beside me told me that this was the second time this had been done.  Two years ago, folks were upset with the results and accused the volunteers recording the votes of cheating, so last year they did the tabulation in front of everyone.   That was a first for me.  

Until the last two year, the meetings were calm and boring, according to my new friend Barbara.   I suspect that the old timers don't like the changes.    But I like this board.  The grounds look lovely although more sparse than before and the trash system is vastly superior but I could tell that the President does not suffer fools and he was short with his answers.   Being the President of a condo association is a thankless job.  He should quit after this year, when all the changes are put into place.   I even had to gather the sense of the meeting together myself in a short speech,  even though no one knew me.  Then I moved that the meeting be terminated, and it was.