speaking at a general meeting

[out of order]

I have some 'issues' that I want to bring up at a general meeting. Do I need to contact the board in advance to get on the agenda? Or do I speak during Old/New Business. If I do speak, can the President tell me that I'm out of order and not allow me to speak?

[Gary c Tesser]

Here's a few thoughts.

1. The board has no standing, at all, at a general meeting of the membership. Has anyone been pretending that it does?

2. Normally, a general meeting doesn't need an agenda at all. Really. Not at all. The routine order of business (in RONR at the top of p. 25, and in excruciating detail in Section 41 a few hundred pages later, and even more briefly in RONR - In Brief) does the trick all the time, unless the organization conducts itself weirdly, which is not a good idea. Also look at FAQ #14, over there on the website somewhere.

3. There's really no such thing as "Old Business." To use that expression is confusing and misleading, at best. Yes, you should be able to bring up your issues in New Business, without anyone blinking an eye. -- that is, unless your organization has some weird rule like, "all new proposals must be vetted by the board at least 45 days before any general meeting." If you do have such a rule, then that rule is your problem.

4. The president can tell you that you are out of order, and not allow you to speak, only if it's really true that you are out of order, or that your remarks are. He needs to give his reasons for that ruling, too, and they go in the minutes. And you, or any other member, can appeal his ruling to a decision of the membership.

5. Why do you call yourself "out of order" so early?

[Kim Goldsworthy]

I have some 'issues' that I want to bring up at a general meeting.

Do I need to contact the board

in advance

to get on the agenda?

No, there is no rule in Robert's Rules that says that all things must be pre-agendized prior to the commencement of the meeting.

I don't know how a BOARD got involved in a GENERAL MEMBERSHIP meeting.

I don't know the relationship between what the board does vs. what the general membership does.

The board isn't even constituted at a meeting of the general membership, so technically, there is nothing a board can do at a meeting of the general membership.

Why doesn't the general membership run its own meeting?

Or do I speak during Old/New Business?

You just cannot speak willy nilly. -- You must first MAKE A MOTION.

It isn't a soap box you know.

You cannot just carp, complain, cavil, and practice extemporaneous speaking.

You must speak to your motion.

If I do speak, can the President tell me that I'm out of order and not allow me to speak?

IF you are to speak at all, then "new business" is the most likely class of business which will best fit.

Yes, the chair (not the president) can tell you that you are out of order, IF you are out of order.

That is the job of a good chair. -- To maintain the regular order; to prevent disruption of the regular order.

[out of order]

Here's a few thoughts.

1. The board has no standing, at all, at a general meeting of the membership. Has anyone been pretending that it does?

2. Normally, a general meeting doesn't need an agenda at all. Really. Not at all. The routine order of business (in RONR at the top of p. 25, and in excruciating detail in Section 41 a few hundred pages later, and even more briefly in RONR - In Brief) does the trick all the time, unless the organization conducts itself weirdly, which is not a good idea. Also look at FAQ #14, over there on the website somewhere.

3. There's really no such thing as "Old Business." To use that expression is confusing and misleading, at best. Yes, you should be able to bring up your issues in New Business, without anyone blinking an eye. -- that is, unless your organization has some weird rule like, "all new proposals must be vetted by the board at least 45 days before any general meeting." If you do have such a rule, then that rule is your problem.

4. The president can tell you that you are out of order, and not allow you to speak, only if it's really true that you are out of order, or that your remarks are. He needs to give his reasons for that ruling, too, and they go in the minutes. And you, or any other member, can appeal his ruling to a decision of the membership.

5. Why do you call yourself "out of order" so early?

[out of order]

I really appreciate your insight. It has been extremely helpful. As to my name....I just thought it was cute!