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Meeting Adjourned Early


fixter

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As the president our bylaws state that I appoint and oversee all committees. I was not happy with some actions that a committee chairman had taken which actually violated our code of ethics. I questioned him during reports of committees. As soon as I brought this up, several arguments broke out that I could not gain control of. It was motioned and seconded to adjourn which the vote carried. Needless to say there was much company business that did not get taken care of. We meet once a month. When we get to our next meeting I want to replace this person as chair but am worried that we will wind up in the same scenario. I understand that this would probably fall under unfinished business but in our agenda, report of committees is long before that. What is to stop this from happening over and over? I am also wondering how to contact a local parliamentarian that I could employ to run a meeting?

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I have a copy and paste document that I often paste here when someone asks about retaining a parliamentarian. However, I'm on my cell phone and don't have it with me. Perhaps someone else will post it. In the meantime both NAP and a AIP provide referrals. Here are their website urls.

NAP: Parliamentarians.org

AIP: aipparl.org

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41 minutes ago, fixter said:

As the president our bylaws state that I appoint and oversee all committees. I was not happy with some actions that a committee chairman had taken which actually violated our code of ethics. I questioned him during reports of committees. As soon as I brought this up, several arguments broke out that I could not gain control of. It was motioned and seconded to adjourn which the vote carried. Needless to say there was much company business that did not get taken care of. We meet once a month. When we get to our next meeting I want to replace this person as chair but am worried that we will wind up in the same scenario. I understand that this would probably fall under unfinished business but in our agenda, report of committees is long before that. What is to stop this from happening over and over? I am also wondering how to contact a local parliamentarian that I could employ to run a meeting?

If it is part of your powers and duties as President to appoint committees, then replacing this person as committee chairman would come up under the President's Report, not Unfinished Business. Reports of officers come before committee reports.

As for dealing with a member who is speaking when he does not have the floor, and who persists in this behavior after the chair directs him to stop, see RONR, 11th ed., pgs. 644-648.

As for employing a local parliamentarian to serve as a professional presiding officer, both the National Association of Parliamentarians and the American Institute of Parliamentarians provide referrals.

Finally, I am concerned about the nature of your "questioning" of the committee chairman during his report. Could you elaborate on what you said?

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48 minutes ago, Josh Martin said:

If it is part of your powers and duties as President to appoint committees, then replacing this person as committee chairman would come up under the President's Report, not Unfinished Business. Reports of officers come before committee reports.

As for dealing with a member who is speaking when he does not have the floor, and who persists in this behavior after the chair directs him to stop, see RONR, 11th ed., pgs. 644-648.

As for employing a local parliamentarian to serve as a professional presiding officer, both the National Association of Parliamentarians and the American Institute of Parliamentarians provide referrals.

Finally, I am concerned about the nature of your "questioning" of the committee chairman during his report. Could you elaborate on what you said?

Sure. He is the chairman of our Sheriff's work program committee. I had been given pictures of the prisoners washing his POV and another's POV. At the same time things that need to get done do not. I simply asked him to explain how having them wash personal vehicles benefitted our company or the community.

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Guest Who's Coming to Dinner

Save the confrontation for personal meetings with the committee chairs. Your administrative duties should not be consuming time at a general meeting, where your only duty is to preside. Since the chairs serve at your pleasure, there is no need to interrogate them before the members. Doing so invites disorder, as you discovered.

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I agree.  It's probably not going to go well when you replace him but order is required, even for law enforcement personnel.  The pages Mr. Martin cited should help. I don't see the need to hire someone, to be honest.  It's your job to maintain order and a calm firm demeanor with command of the proper rules is your ammunition.

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