Executive vs General Meetings

[Guest Daddio]

The PTO we have at our school follows Roberts Rules. We have a meeting in 2 weeks that was publicized to the school, put on our events calendars and emailed out to members about. There are some major issues in the organization and members have expressed concerns. Now the president is stating it will be an executive board meeting only, not open to members.

Question is, since it was publicized, can it be changed to exclude everyone now and made an executive only meeting? She's basically l pushing off addressing the issues with members by doing so next general meeting is in April - basically when school is about over hence we can't address anything with them).

[hmtcastle]

Question is, since it was publicized, can it be changed to exclude everyone now and made an executive only meeting?

It's either a meeting of the board or it's a meeting of the general membership. If it's a meeting of the board, only board members have a right to attend (and if others were invited, the board is free to change its mind). If it's a meeting of the general membership, the board won't even be there . . . as a board.

But there's no magical way to change a meeting of one body into a meeting of another body.

[Guest Daddio]

Fun. it was publicized as a "PTO Meeting". Didn't state either way.

I'm going to assuming it is an exec only based on what I was told.

Thanks for the help!

[Trina]

The PTO we have at our school follows Roberts Rules. We have a meeting in 2 weeks that was publicized to the school, put on our events calendars and emailed out to members about. There are some major issues in the organization and members have expressed concerns. Now the president is stating it will be an executive board meeting only, not open to members.

Question is, since it was publicized, can it be changed to exclude everyone now and made an executive only meeting? She's basically l pushing off addressing the issues with members by doing so next general meeting is in April - basically when school is about over hence we can't address anything with them).

Was it publicized as a general membership meeting? Do the bylaws prescribe some regular schedule of meetings, and is this meeting part of that schedule? Was it a special (called) meeting, and, if so, whose meeting was it?

In any case, a meeting of the general membership cannot be transmogrified into a meeting of an entirely different body (executive board), no matter what the president says.

On the other hand, if it was a board meeting in the first place, and general members were invited to attend -- and are now being uninvited -- that is a different situation.

[Guest Daddio]

It was stated only "PTO meeting". Nothing has been sent stating executive or general membership. Just PTO meeting.

The by-laws require a minimum of 4 general membership meetings per year.

There are 8 PTO Meetings listed on our calendar provided to us as members (families). My assumption would be they would be general since provided to us (why promote if we can't attend?). Neither the calendar of events nor the emails state specifically the type either. Only date, time and PTO meeting.

[hmtcastle]

I'm going to assuming it is an exec only based on what I was told.

I'm not sure that's the assumption I'd make but you know best. If it's a meeting of the PTO then it's a meeting of the "O" (the organization) and not a board meeting. Make sure the board members aren't trying to "hijack" the meeting by telling everyone else to stay home.

And remember that, if it is a meeting of the general membership, the board, as a board, won't be there (the board can only act as a board at board meetings). Some here even suggest that the board members sit in the "audience" with the other members since, at a general meeting, their status as board members is irrelevant.

[Guest Daddio]

oh, I'm sure they are. Just wanted to know what is right and what is not, and what I can or can not do per Robert's Rules. Thanks again.