Email Policy for Walterdale Theatre Associates: Roberts Rules of Order state that a meeting is “a single official gathering of its members in one room or area to transact business during which there is no cessation of proceedings and the members do not separate, unless for a short recess.” RR 11^th edition pg 82.  Regularly scheduled meetings give all board members adequate time to know about the meeting and to attend. It is important to note that only the President or Chairman can call any meeting to order and only the Chairman may ask for the vote regardless of who made the motion or seconded it. No meetings of the board may be held by emails under our current bylaws.  The major difficulties being that miscommunication happens when individuals cannot see and hear each other simultaneously and that emails are often spontaneous which does not allow for the appropriate notice to be given to call a meeting to order (typically 10 days for a special meeting). However, given that emails are a convenient and common way of communicating, it is important that we recognize that the board will use emails as a source of communication ie. sending out the Agenda and Minutes and for information.  As such, emails among the board should follow the following guidelines: All emails directed to the entire board should be for information only.  One member may email the group to ask for input into an issue they are trying to resolve or make a decision concerning their role on the board.  The other members of the board should respond to the person asking the question and not necessarily to the whole board in order to avoid a discussion or debate.  Emails should not be used to resolve an issue that concerns the whole board and which would normally be handled at a regularly scheduled board meeting or special meeting.  If at any time it appears that there is a debate or discussion going on by email between the board members, the President or Vice-President should ask that the emails stop and the discussion be carried forward to the next regularly scheduled board meeting.