Special Meeting Notice Requirements

[Guest Betty troyer]

What are the notice requirements for a Special Meeting? I've heard and read so many different answers but really need to know the correct one. Thank you!

[George Mervosh]

There is only one......the one that's found in your bylaws. If it's not there, you can't have them so don't sweat it.

[Guest Betty Troyer]

This is what our by-laws say " Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Chair, three Trustees or Directors as applicable to the Board being called to convene, or by the Chief or Assistant Chief."

[Guest Betty Troyer]

What is your interpretation of the above? (by-laws)

[George Mervosh]

RONR says a "reasonable" number of days, and also says it should be in the bylaws.

I'm almost certainly alone in this opinion, but in my view the clause quoted is incomplete and no special meeting should be called until the bylaws are amended to properly state a certain number of days. At the time that amendment is debated you can agree on what is reasonable.

[Gary Novosielski]

I'm almost certainly alone in this opinion, but in my view the clause quoted is incomplete and no special meeting should be called until the bylaws are amended to properly state a certain number of days. At the time that amendment is debated you can agree on what is reasonable.

Yes, I think it's a stretch to claim that what is clearly authorized in the bylaws should be ignored.

I believe that in the absence of provisions related to notice, the default provisions in RONR apply. By definition, as a "called" meeting, notice is required. It must be sent to all members a "reasonable" time in advance. It must contain a statement of the purpose of the meeting, and no business may be transacted at the called meeting except that for which the meeting was called.

Yes, RONR recommends including these provisions explicitly, for reasons of clarity, but [even if] they are omitted they still apply.

"Reasonable" should mean that members have enough advance notice to decide whether the issue is important enough for them to attend, and to change their plans if need be. Answers will vary, but if you ask me, I'd say a week would be nice, three-to-five days would usually be acceptable, and in a pinch, say, 48 hours. But nobody asked me, and I'm not a member. You'll have to figure it out. And yes, once you do, it would be wise to amend your bylaws to make it clear.

[hmtcastle]

This is what our by-laws say " Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Chair, three Trustees or Directors as applicable to the Board being called to convene, or by the Chief or Assistant Chief."

Unless you have both a Board of Trustees and a Board of Directors (and, if you do, to which board does "the board" refer?), it looks like you may have adopted some "boilerplate" language without altering it to suit your particular organization.