Committee Appointments

[Guest Beth Luensman]

Our Board President wants to appoint members to an ad hoc committee.  Does this have to be done during a meeting?  If so, does it have to be during a full Board meeting or can it be done during a committee meeting?  He know who wants to be on the committee but would like to appoint prior to our next regularly scheduled Board meeting.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

Do your bylaws give your board president the power to appoint committees? Or did the assembly that adopted the motion to form the committee give him that power to appoint?

[Guest Guest]

Bylaws give him the power to appoint a committee

 

[Hieu H. Huynh]

The president would have to announce the names of the committee members to the assembly at the next meeting before the committee could act.

[Dan Honemann]

I suggest a careful reading of what is said in (d) on pages 495-496 of RONR (11th ed.), especially beginning on page 495, line 29.

[Josh Martin]

The president would have to announce the names of the committee members to the assembly at the next meeting before the committee could act.

I'm not sure about that. So far as I can tell, that rule only applies when the chair is appointing the committee because the assembly has authorized the chair to appoint a particular committee. If the President is authorized to appoint all committees by the bylaws, I don't believe any rule in RONR requires him to announce those appointments at a meeting.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

I'm not sure about that. So far as I can tell, that rule only applies when the chair is appointing the committee because the assembly has authorized the chair to appoint a particular committee. If the President is authorized to appoint all committees by the bylaws, I don't believe any rule in RONR requires him to announce those appointments at a meeting.

 

I agree after reading this thread.

[Guest Curious]

I'm not sure about that. So far as I can tell, that rule only applies when the chair is appointing the committee because the assembly has authorized the chair to appoint a particular committee. If the President is authorized to appoint all committees by the bylaws, I don't believe any rule in RONR requires him to announce those appointments at a meeting.

 

This seems quite extraordinary. Isn't the assembly entitled to know who is serving on its committees?

[Larry Cisar]

This seems quite extraordinary. Isn't the assembly entitled to know who is serving on its committees?

That depends upon what the Bylaws and higher say.

[Richard Brown]

This seems quite extraordinary. Isn't the assembly entitled to know who is serving on its committees?

The assembly can be informed by the president in his President's report at the next meeting after making appointments.

[Josh Martin]

This seems quite extraordinary. Isn't the assembly entitled to know who is serving on its committees?

No rule in RONR provides that the assembly is entitled to this information when the President is authorized to appoint all commitees in the bylaws. In most organizations, I imagine it is routinely done, although it may be done after the committee has begun its work (as opposed to a situation where the assembly authorizes the chair to appoint a member in a particular case, where it must be done before hand). If for some odd reason the President was trying to keep this information a secret, the assembly could certainly order the President to release this information.

[Dan Honemann]

No rule in RONR provides that the assembly is entitled to this information when the President is authorized to appoint all commitees in the bylaws. In most organizations, I imagine it is routinely done, although it may be done after the committee has begun its work (as opposed to a situation where the assembly authorizes the chair to appoint a member in a particular case, where it must be done before hand). If for some odd reason the President was trying to keep this information a secret, the assembly could certainly order the President to release this information.

 

I'm not sure that RONR is as clear as it might be in this regard.

 

For example, if the bylaws authorize the president to appoint all committees, and a special committee is created during a meeting at which the president is presiding, do you think that what is said on page 496, lines 8-17, is applicable?

 

I'm inclined to think not. (added later)

[Guest Curious]

Why not? The passage on Page 496 begins simply, "When the chair appoints a committee…" and doesn't distinguish the means by which the chair is authorized. What principle would require the chair to name the members only when specifically authorized?

[Josh Martin]

I'm not sure that RONR is as clear as it might be in this regard.

For example, if the bylaws authorize the president to appoint all committees, and a special committee is created during a meeting at which the president is presiding, do you think that what is said on page 496, lines 8-17, is applicable?

I'm inclined to think not. (added later)

I concur.

Why not? The passage on Page 496 begins simply, "When the chair appoints a committee…" and doesn't distinguish the means by which the chair is authorized. What principle would require the chair to name the members only when specifically authorized?

What we're discussing isn't a rule authorizing the chair to appoint committees, but a rule which authorizes the President to appoint committees. This isn't the same thing, even though the President will usually be serving as chairman in most societies.

From pg. 495, it is clear that if the bylaws authorize the President to appoint all committees, this authority remains with the President even if he is not in the chair, and even if he is absent from the meeting, unless the bylaws make provision otherwise. In other words, the President might make such appointments when he isn't the chairman, and then it seems quite clear that the rule on pg. 496 would not apply.

Even if the President happens to be in the chair at the time that a committee is established, he's still making such appointments by virtue of his authority as President, not by virtue of his authority as chairman.

From a technical perspective, the authority of the chairman exists only within the context of a meeting, unless the assembly specifically authorizes otherwise. On the other hand, if the bylaws grant specific authority to the President, that authority can be exercised even outside the context of meetings.

From a practical perspective, I recall a lengthy discussion on the old forum about what purpose was served by the rule in question. The view I expressed then was that it allows the assembly to revoke the authority it granted upon the chairman, and appoint the committee itself, in the unusual circumstance that the chairman appoints members who are clearly unsuited to the task. What the assembly giveth, the assembly can taketh away.

If the bylaws authorize the President to appoint all committees, however, taking this authority away is not an option, except by amending the bylaws. As a result, there seems to be no reason why the President is or should be required to inform the assembly of his appointments in advance of them beginning their work, unlike the situation where the chair appoints a committee as a result of specific authorization.

[Guest Curious]

Thanks for a really great explanation!

[Gary Novosielski]

The assembly can be informed by the president in his President's report at the next meeting after making appointments.

This actually happened on my local school board.  I had to appoint a previously established committee that needed to begin its work before the next meeting, and I did so and informed the committee members of their appointment (except for the one who was out of the country at the time).  I then reported on the appointments at the next meeting as part of the President's report.  Without objection, the appointments were also included in the minutes.