Calling a Special Meeting

[Guest GW111]

Hi, is there a difference between "calling" a meeting and "noticing" a meeting? Our body is disagreeing on who gets to set the time, date, and place of a special meeting.

The body's Constitution says, "The Chair or 25% of all the voting members of the  Central Committee may call a special  Central Committee meeting. A special  Central Committee meeting shall be noticed by postmarking an agenda at least one week before the intended meeting."

If 25% of the body calls the meeting, do they set the time and place? Or do they have to have permission from the chair who then decides when and where they can meet?

[jstackpo]

Clearly the "or" says either the "chair OR 25%..." can "call" the meeting when and where they want (within reason, of course).  There is obviously no requirement to get the permission of the other party.   You are using "noticed" is a non-RONR manner, but I suspect it is the same as calling a meeting.  The call (see page 92) has to contain full information about the issue(s) to be discussed and acted upon at the special meeting, and has to be sent out at least a week in advance.

[Richard Brown]

Guest GW, it is ultimately up to your organization to interpret its own bylaws. However, based on what you posted, I would think that if the meeting is called by the members, the members calling the meeting may determine what shall be the subject of the meeting and set the agenda.

Edited to add, I also think the person or members calling the special meeting may set the time and place of the meeting. 

Edited December 12, 2017 at 12:11 AM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph

[Guest GW111]

Thank  you very much for your help on this.