Agenda Issue

[Guest Huang Po]

An agenda is approved at the outset of the meeting . The bylaws call for 30 days  notice to members ,   prior to the meeting , of business to be conducted at the meeting . The agenda has a header after Reports for, Unfinished Business  and  then New Business . When the meeting gets to new business a member moves to bring up from the table a matter of business tabled at a meeting of the assembly  two weeks previous . The  chair proceeds to call for a vote to bring the matter up from the table . A point of Order is raised :

"that it is out of order to allow the motion  to bring up ,for two reasons ; 1)   30 days  notice   has not been provided as per the bylaws , and 2) it is not on the agenda that was carried at the start of the meeting . The chair rules both objections as not well taken and proceeds with the vote on bringing up . 

Was the Chair correct to do so ?

HP 

[Gary Novosielski]

Was the meeting at which the motion was laid on the table the immediately previous meeting?  

[Guest Huang Po]

Yes . Does that matter if within same session ? 

[jstackpo]

The chair was correct on both points of order:  Neither was well taken.

1)  The thirty day notice was (presumably) given prior to when the motion was first made.  Tabling doesn't require the notice to be given again as all those who responded to the first notice were present when the motion was tabled and hence on notice that the item could come up again later in the meeting or at the next one.

2)  The standard order of business allows for "New Business", which is the time when it is appropriate to take an item from the table.  See page 371 for the difference between the "order of Business" and an "agenda".

Session is of no consequence in this context.  Indeed the motion could have been taken from the table at the SAME meeting in which it was tabled.

Edited October 22, 2017 at 06:51 PM by jstackpo

[Guest Huang Po]

Interesting  - point 1 made above .

That would mean that at any meeting going forward members would not know when the matter might be brought up ( as long as within permitted temporal limits for bringing  up ) . If this is correct the Notice which  allowed for the matter to be  on the  earlier agenda is sufficient  . But  members  interested  would need to make sure they showed  up at every meeting, within the temporal allowance for bring up , if they wanted to vote on the matter - were  it  brought up . Seems a  neat and tidy answer ? 

Thank-you :

HP 

[jstackpo]

Not exactly.  See page 300 in RONR.  If a motion is not taken from the table at the next meeting (which is usually the next session as well), the question dies, and you would have to make the motion again as a new motion at a yet later meeting.  I presume your rule for a 30 day notice for new motions would kick in at that point. 

So all the folks have to be sure to do is show up at the meeting immediately after the meeting at which the motion was tabled.

Also check that you don't really mean "postpone to the next meeting" --  see page 179ff. and page 209ff.  You may be misusing "table".  (Lots of people do, don't feel bad.)

[Gary Novosielski]

Also see FAQ#12 here.  Note well: "In ordinary societies [the motion to Lay on the Table] is rarely needed, and hence seldom in order."

Edited October 22, 2017 at 10:17 PM by Gary Novosielski