Moving an Agenda item up on an Agenda format set by a Bylaw section.

[Hummel]

Our Bylaws state

"c. The order of business at general membership meetings shall be as follows:

Roll Call of Officers

Approval of Minutes

Treasurer's Report

Unfinished Business

Officers' Reports

Committee Reports

New Business

Closing of Meeting"

Our Bylaws state that "A. There will be two regularly scheduled meetings a year in March and October."

And that our annual election of seven Board members will "take place at the October membership meeting."

The Question: Do these Election take place under New Business?

Next Question: If the answer is yes, is there a parliamentary procedure the assembly could use to move the Elections up from New Business to an earlier place on the Agenda.

The past five years the Elections were just listed on the meeting Agenda for October between Officer's Reports and Committee Reports so ballots could be counted during the Standing Committee Chair reports. The Standing Committee Chairs are appointed by the Board in January so not up for election.

[Edgar Guest]

 . . .is there a parliamentary procedure the assembly could use to move the Elections up from New Business to an earlier place on the Agenda.

 

Firstly, don't confuse the order of business with an agenda. See FAQ #14.

 

Secondly, the order of business described in your bylaws is so close to the Standard Order of Business that you might want to delete the former and adopt the latter. For example, I'm not sure why the treasurer's report would be separated from the other officers' reports.

 

Finally, the assembly could, by a two-thirds vote, "suspend the rules" and take up the elections earlier. Though I think that placing them under "new business" is usually early enough, especially if they're the first item of new business.

[Sean Hunt]

I would say that the elections should normally be taken up at New Business, although, formally, they are special orders and there should be a separate heading in the agenda for Special Orders.

[Guest Guest]

Is an Agenda a listing of the items to be discussed under the topics of the order of business?

[Edgar Guest]

I would say that the elections should normally be taken up at New Business, although, formally, they are special orders and there should be a separate heading in the agenda for Special Orders.

 

Thanks. I should have dusted off my copy of RONR. Though, having done so, I note that it says (p.357) that elections may be regarded as special orders.

 

In any case, I think it might be helpful to post RONR's Standard Order of Business:

1. Reading and Approval of Minutes
2. Reports of Officers, Boards, and Standing Committees
3. Reports of Special (Select or Ad Hoc) Committees
4. Special Orders
5. Unfinished Business and General Orders
6. New Business

[Edgar Guest]

Is an Agenda a listing of the items to be discussed under the topics of the order of business?

 

I think that's a reasonably accurate description. And note that many meetings take place with no agenda at all.

[Guest Hummel]

Thank you Edgar and Sean. Am I bound to keep the order of business as stated in our Bylaws or can we post RONR standard order of Business? Am now going to read page 357.

[Edgar Guest]

Am I bound to keep the order of business as stated in our Bylaws or can we post RONR standard order of Business?

 

Your bylaws supersede ("overrule") RONR. But you could always amend (change) your bylaws.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

Our Bylaws state

...

Roll Call of Officers

Approval of Minutes

Treasurer's Report

Unfinished Business

Officers' Reports

Committee Reports

New Business

Closing of Meeting"

Our Bylaws state that

...

And that our annual election of seven Board members will "take place at the October membership meeting."

The Question: Do these Election take place under New Business?

 

RONR says that elections, ideally, should be treated as if it were "special orders."

 

Q. Where do you put your special orders in your customized order of business?

 

If nothing else, make sure elections are entertained prior to "unfinished business."

[Edgar Guest]

If nothing else, make sure elections are entertained prior to "unfinished business."

 

Might one ask why?

[Kim Goldsworthy]

Might one ask why?

Why?

 

RONR's default order of business places special orders:

• after reports
• before unfinished business

So, the closest match for the original poster's customized order of business might well be:

• after one report (treasurer's)
• before unfinished business

 

That's a pretty close match.

[Gary Novosielski]

Although your bylaws supersede RONR's order of business, they are clearly in the nature of Rules of Order, and even though they appear in the bylaws, they can be suspended temporarily by a 2/3 vote. 

 

So you can put them [the elections] wherever you like, if 2/3 agree.  You would just need a motion to Suspend the Rules and schedule the elections after <whatever> in today's order of business.

[Guest Hummel]

Thanks everyone.

Hummel