Alternate Board Member Question

We would like to know when an alternate becomes a board member? Is he considered a board member at the time he is elected an alernate or must he wait his turn if there is a vacancy? We are having much trouble with this....the alternate is friends with other board memebers and they "want him to have a say"...We are officers (President and Secretary)..and they are a very gossipy clicky group! Please help...He (the alternate) in fact has just called a special board meeting requesting that all the board attend the meeting...which he wants to have at one of the buddies home (who is also on the board)We usually have our meetings at a local church fellowship hall...We have no idea what the meeting is about!
Looking forward to hearing from someone soon..

I presume an alternate Board member is someone who was not elected to the Board but may have been a runner-up and was designated to replace a Board member if and when a vacancy occurs on the Board. A Board meeting can be called by the President or by whatever number of Board members are designated in the By-laws (usually 2). An alternate would never be allowed to call a Board meeting.