That might be the intention but you will find that a board will identify to itself the sort of role that it wants to have. To a strong CEO a board is just another embuggerance, to a capable CEO it is Strategy, policy, governance and a sounding board, to a weak CEO, the board will either run the organisation or the organisation will go under (does that sound familiar?). Just because the text books and AICD says it is so doesn't make it so. RAA, and its ilk, should look to the union movement for guidance on member based advocacy organisations or the AMA (the medicos union) or The Pharmacy Guild (the Chemist Shop Owners).