KNOW LOW......

 (To help members understand how the many LOW groups benefit them and preserve and enhance the value of their property, a number of articles were prepared for the bi-weekly newspaper. In this one we look at the Board of Directors.)

 The Lake of The Woods Association is a not-for-profit corporation charted under the laws of Virginia to promote the creation and preservation of the quality of life in the community and the protection of property values. The seven-member Board is elected to staggered three-year terms and has the responsibility of carrying out the charter.

 The Board prepares the Association budget, authorizes payment of its bills, sets member dues and other fees, hires the General Manager - who oversees more than 100 other employees - and appoints the committees needed to help the Board carry out its duties. The president of the Board is the Association's chief executive officer. However, over the years the Board has wisely structured itself as a policy making and oversight group, delegating the day-to-day running of the Association to the General Manager.

LOW members, that is property owners, elect Board members annually, in September. A nominating committee solicits applicants for Board membership and recommends them to the Board. Other names may be placed on the ballot by securing 150 member signatures. The new Board elects the president and other officers.

 The pleasing and safe environment, amenities and sound financial condition of the Association are evidence that from the beginning LOW has benefited from strong governance by its Boards of Directors. The pool of members from which directors can be chosen includes many experienced professional and business people. The nominating committee recruits from among these candidates willing to give three or more years of time to make sure that the community is efficiently and safely administered.

 The Board meets in the morning of the first Saturday of each month. All meetings are open except when personnel, legal and personal matters are discussed and when questions involving negotiations and property are taken up. Only votes taken in open session are valid. Changes in LOW rules and regulations, bylaws and committee members and committee charters, among other matters, are voted on in open meetings attended by members of the community. This open forum also provides a place where LOW members can voice concerns and opinions directly to Board members in the presence of their fellow members. However, experience has shown that members' problems can be most efficiently addressed if the first stop is the General Manager, who, after all, is responsible for the day-to-day running of the community.

 Without the Association committees, more nearly 20 of them, the Board would be overwhelmed by the number of matters needing attention at LOW. The Board writes the committee charters and appoints the members, all volunteers.

 The way the Board and committees relate to each other has been at times in the past, delicate. Committee members are giving their time, work hard on issues and, quite understandably, think their recommendations should be followed. The Board should, and does, weigh committee views carefully. In the end, however, it is the only body at LOW elected by all the members and charged with full fiscal responsibility for the Association. It owes Committees a clear and full explanation of its decisions. But it must make those decisions in the best interests of the entire community.

 The Board's major responsibility is the Association budget, which takes all year to put together. There are two budgets, capital and operating. The Planning Committee is responsible to the Board for the capital budget in addition to its work on five-year plans. The operating budget is drawn up by the General Manager who relies heavily on the cost-center managers, the committees associated with cost centers - M&E, Clubhouse, etc. and the Finance Committee.

 Without a Board of Directors, there would be no community at Lake of the Woods. Directors and committee members undertake considerable work and responsibility without compensation. This is a strong sign that members appreciate and support the organization required to maintain the quality of life in the Lake of the Woods community.