Use of the motion Call for Orders of the Day

[J. Moore]

I belong to an organization that uses RRO as its parliamentary authority; in its bylaws, there is an order of business for general membership meetings.  Lately, the board has been ignoring the order of business (over the protests of some members).  What is the correct way to ask, or move, to get the board (and chair) to follow the order of business as laid out in the bylaws?

[Josh Martin]

3 minutes ago, J. Moore said:

I belong to an organization that uses RRO as its parliamentary authority; in its bylaws, there is an order of business for general membership meetings.  Lately, the board has been ignoring the order of business (over the protests of some members).  What is the correct way to ask, or move, to get the board (and chair) to follow the order of business as laid out in the bylaws?

Rise and say “Mr. President, I call for the orders of the day.”

See RONR, 11th ed., pgs. 219-224 for more information.

[Dan Honemann]

30 minutes ago, Josh Martin said:

Rise and say “Mr. President, I call for the orders of the day.”

See RONR, 11th ed., pgs. 219-224 for more information.

And then tell your board that it should mind its own business.  

[Guest Who's Coming to Dinner]

And be prepared to explain to your chairman what calling for the orders of the day means. Seems we have another case of a board trying to run a meeting of the general membership. Board members have no special rights at such meetings.

[Richard Brown]

3 hours ago, J. Moore said:

I belong to an organization that uses RRO as its parliamentary authority; in its bylaws, there is an order of business for general membership meetings.  Lately, the board has been ignoring the order of business (over the protests of some members).  What is the correct way to ask, or move, to get the board (and chair) to follow the order of business as laid out in the bylaws?

 in addition to calling for the orders of the day, a member could raise a point of order that the agenda is not being followed. I suspect that the chairman and members are more likely to understand that point of order than a call for the orders of the day

[Gary Novosielski]

7 hours ago, J. Moore said:

I belong to an organization that uses RRO as its parliamentary authority; in its bylaws, there is an order of business for general membership meetings.  Lately, the board has been ignoring the order of business (over the protests of some members).  What is the correct way to ask, or move, to get the board (and chair) to follow the order of business as laid out in the bylaws?

The board has no control over the order of business (or anything else) at a general membership meeting.  The board is not in session except during its own meetings, and if it attends general membership meetings at all, it is only as individuals, who have no more rights than any other member.  

[Tom Coronite]

These types of topics/issues always make me wonder how many organizations in actuality have two types of board meetings: one where only the board meets, and one where the general members are allowed to attend and address the board. They refer to the latter as a "membership meeting."

[Josh Martin]

3 hours ago, Tom Coronite said:

These types of topics/issues always make me wonder how many organizations in actuality have two types of board meetings: one where only the board meets, and one where the general members are allowed to attend and address the board. They refer to the latter as a "membership meeting."

Well, I think that does indeed occur, but there are also organizations with actual membership meetings which the board mistakenly thinks they run.

Edited March 24, 2018 at 07:01 PM by Josh Martin

[Tom Coronite]

Oh, for sure.

29 minutes ago, Josh Martin said:

Well, I think that does indeed occur, but there are also organizations with actual membership meeting which the board mistakenly thinks they run.

 

[Guest Who's Coming to Dinner]

Perhaps the confusion stems from the fact that board members are generally considered officers, and that officers such as President and Secretary usually serve at both board and general membership meetings. It's great to have people taking responsibility for keeping things organized, but not so great when they assume they can override the will of the membership.