Remember two things: (1) Some lawyers can get awfully dicey with wording, and (2) Executive Director Bill Neville is a lawyer. Read this article and draw your own conclusions.

From John Curry

May 15, 2023

Robert's Rules of Order....everybody follows Robert's Rules, right? WRONG! 

Let us take a look at pages taken from "Board Policy" for meetings at both OPERS and STRS to see how they conduct their Board meetings. Here is how Bill Neville can control what goes on (and doesn't go on) at STRS Board meetings more so than the Executive Director of OPERS can control his Board meetings. 

See if you can see the subtle difference which makes all the difference in the world! THERE IS A MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORDS "SHALL" AND "MAY," ISN'T THERE? Gee...I wonder who wrote this page in the STRS Board Policy manual? This wouldn't be what you call "hobbling democracy" at STRS would it? OPERS follows Robert's Rules....STRS creates their rules, if necessary, as they "go along." Pretty handy, eh?