President has gone rogue

[Guest Kathi]

We have a motion to present before the association tomorrow .a very hot topic. The president doesn't agree with the rest of the board. She's bringing her own parliamentarian and keeping the agenda secret until just before the meeting. I am the parliamentarian, what do I do? I don't think the president will listen to me at all.

[Larry Cisar]

Sit back and relax. If the chair does not want to listen to you, there is nothing you can do. You might want to refresh yourself on handling appeals from the rulings of the chair, amending the agenda, and how adjournments are handled.

[Curiosulus]

I am the parliamentarian, what do I do? I don't think the president will listen to me at all.

 

Are you a member as well? In that case, you still have your rights as a member to raise points of order and appeal, especially if you've been frozen out as parliamentarian. And what's this business about a secret agenda? Your meeting has no official agenda except the one adopted by a majority of votes. Ultimately, you will have to rely on the support of that majority if you wish to do battle with Attila.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

Also, FAQ #20 may be of interest.

[Gödel Fan]

Are you a hired parliamentarian or a member parliamentarian?  The chair may consult with anyone they wish, and should be free to choose their own parliamentarian (except for approval for funds to pay one).  However, if you're a member parliamentarian, it's probably fair to ask the chair before the meeting whether, if they don't intend to consult with you, and intend to consult with an outside parliamentarian, you can fairly consider yourself absolved of your responsibility to maintain impartiality, and therefore free to debate, vote, make motions, etc.  

 

Then, if you don't like the proposed agenda, debate against it.

[Josh Martin]

We have a motion to present before the association tomorrow .a very hot topic. The president doesn't agree with the rest of the board. She's bringing her own parliamentarian and keeping the agenda secret until just before the meeting. I am the parliamentarian, what do I do? I don't think the president will listen to me at all.

 

I'm not entirely clear on how the President has "gone rogue." He hasn't done anything wrong based upon the facts provided. The parliamentarian serves primarily as an advisor to the chair, and as a result, the chair should be free to appoint someone in whom he has confidence. Nothing in RONR requires that the President release a tentative agenda prior to the meeting. He can't release the actual agenda prior to the meeting, since the agenda is not final until it is adopted by the assembly.