Happy belated Father’s Day to all of the fathers out there who are reading the blog today. I hope yesterday was filled with fun and joy and you were surrounded by the ones that you love and the ones that love you. If you were, it’s a pretty good guess you were not at the monthly Board of Directors meeting.
I do think however that somehow, some way, Mother’s day is a bigger event than Father’s Day is. There just seems to be more excitement and thrill associated with Mother’s Day than Father’s Day. Ther’s more sales. There’s more talk about it on TV. In fact, some dads have to stay home and actually cook a back yard bar b que on Father’s Day and to be honest, I’m not brave enough to ask my wife to stay home and cook on Mother’s Day.
So……these Father’s Day v. Mother’s Day thoughts got me thinking about one unique phone call I received while doing the Condo Craze Radio Show live on the air several years ago. It was from a gentleman who thought it was a bad idea for a woman to serve on a Board of Directors. I was certainly taken back by the call and pressed him for an explanation. From what I remember, he said things like “What does a woman know about fixing a broken pipe or a busted sidewalk?”
Most of my male lawyer friends know nothing about those things either and can barely turn a screwdriver or know which end to use to turn a screw. Me included. That wouldn’t necessarily make them or me a bad board member. So, needless to say, the nut who called was way off base.
However……………………
There is always a however………………… Can anyone make an argument that one of the sexes do make better board members than the other? Let’s use stereotypes. Are men more stubborn board members than women are and won’t ask for help or directions even when it’s obvious they are lost? Are men less likely to compromise? Do women actually know less about the physical problems that aging properties routinely suffer? Are women more open to compromise? But, do they sometimes hold grudges against fellow board members which last a life time? Is either sex better with number crunching or saving money? Who has better ideas when it comes to making the place look better? It’s all for fun — so for today and today only – in your experience, does either sex bring more to the table as a director of a community association?
