I take it that your bylaws don't address this subject. Our President usually establishes how our Executive and Organizational meetings are conducted.
For the Executive meeting, anyone may attend. We have an agenda that has been reviewed by the officers before the meeting. At the beginning of the meeting we have an open forum and anyone may address the proceedings. Once these non-agenda items are presented, the open forum is closed and the Executive Committee goes back to the agenda and conducts business. There is no further discussion from the non-Executive committee attendees. Items that were brought up during the forum are added to the agenda for that night or for the next meeting as the President directs. Ours is a policy that is stated at the beginning of the meeting whenever anyone not on the Executive Committee attends. Our meeting is open for review as well as the minutes that are taken; (at ALL meeting: Executive Committee, Organizational, Various Committees.....)

In answer to your question, there isn't a formal requirement to have an open forum, but it is a good idea so long as it doesn't take over your board meeting. Remember that an open meeting does not mean an open floor.

[ 01-18-2004, 11:25 PM: Message edited by: jonwilson ]

Our PTO was recently questioned as to whether or not we had to open the floor of our Executive Board meetings to our general membership. At the present time we do not include a public portion to our board meetings. We have always encourage those who want to attend to do so, but only have open floor meetings during our general assembly meetings. My question is - are we bound to open the floor of our Executive Board meetings to others? Thanks!!