Maui Mark

"I rise to move the previous question." That's it! That's the one! Many mahalos for the advice. And yes, he is an annoying little fish in a mighty ocean of control issues. Many thanks again.

Thanks so much for the help. So if he can, how does he obtain the floor when the chair won't recognize him because he has already spoken twice? Point of order doesn't seem right, since the chair is making a decision to ignore this person based on knowledge at hand and the chair cannot read his mind to know why he wants the floor. So the chair just continues to call on other people who are just reinforcing other people's points using slightly different words. Time to bring this to a vote and move on. Can he stand and say something like, "Mr. Chair, I would like to make a motion. Will you recognize me?" Or would that be out of order?

If a member has already spoken twice during debate on a motion, can he later gain the floor to move the previous question since that is a subsiderary motion and technically not debate on the main motion?

Thank you Mr. Brown. Adopting such a rule of distribution is one thing not thought of. If we can get a majority and get such a rule adopted, then it won't matter what anyone else thinks or wants. Thanks also for the confirmation that there is nothing in RONR that prevents advance distribution. I have combed the relevant State law and can find nothing there either. It is simply not addressed. Thx g40. A motion might work, but I am thinking of formalizing justifications before hand with a few Whereas's in a Board Resolution. Maybe then debate will be about the actual wording of the resolution rather than just not dealing with a motion because nobody has their own opinion. We are dealing with a lot of puppet board members that will vote with the President whether he is right or wrong. A democratic RONR only works when everyone has their own opinion and no one is intimidated by an authority figure. My real, secret agenda with all this is to do away with 3 and 4 hour long board meetings where bad decisions are made because nobody has had time to consider the information. These meetings shouldn't take more than 40 minutes if everyone came prepared. I stand by how I was taught... come prepared or don't come.

(Small Board Rules) I have never encountered this before and would respectfully ask opinions regarding the best way to deal with it. Every board or committee I have on which I have served has produced "packets" containing a proposed agenda and supporting documents to be studied by the member before coming to the meeting. Basically, "Come prepared or don't come at all," has been a board members' responsibility to ensure a smooth and productive meeting. This also applies to any planned executive sessions, should they be required. Our current board president and secretary drag their heels on releasing information to board members until the evening of the meeting. With not enough time to consider the information, the president is the only one who is fully informed and will present the information with his arguments and go to a vote, knowing that there will be puppet members who will vote any way he wants. Delaying tactics such as "lay on the table" and "postpone indefinitely (or until next regular meeting)" have been marginally successful, but are oft met with an argument that the issue is too time sensitive and immediate to postpone for any reason, thus the delaying motion is defeated. The mover of such a delaying tactic, is seen as an obstructionist to getting business done. And now the board has been informed by the secretary that executive session agendas and background information cannot not be given out until right before the session (even though the board are all under confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements), I have researched the Hawaii Revised Statues and Bylaws for relevant sections to make my case for transparency and a board making informed decisions. Is there anything else in RONR that can be used to require these "board packets" ahead of time? Suggestions and strategies would be greatly appreciated. Mahalo!