Roll call of officers and directors

[Guest Ed]

The topic is twofold: the annual meeting is coming up and the question regarding roll call of officers and directors came up. First, is there a requirement that the presiding officer do a roll call of all voting Board members at the beginning of the meeting. Two, if so, is the officer and director roll call done before a quorum is determined?

[Rev Ed]

As the Board is not officially at the annual meeting, at least in its capacity as the Board, there is no requirement for a roll call of officers and directors unless the organization's own rules require it. Also, quorum should be determined first as there is no point having a meeting if there is no quorum.

[Guest Ed]

Is it the presiding officer's sole responsibility to determine a quorum, or is it determined by the Secretary and then communicated to the chair?

[David A Foulkes]

Is it the presiding officer's sole responsibility to determine a quorum, or is it determined by the Secretary and then communicated to the chair?

It is the Chair's prior to calling the meeting to order, but should the quorum be lost during the meeting and the Chair does not announce it, any member may raise a Point of Order to that fact so long as he doesn't interrupt a speaker who has the floor. (p. 337 l. 34ff)

[David A Foulkes]

Also, quorum should be determined first as there is no point having a meeting if there is no quorum.

Assuming the meeting is a validly scheduled or called meeting, you still must hold the meeting even in the absence of a quorum. It will be fairly brief, however. (p. 336 l.24ff)

[Guest Ed]

It is the Chair's prior to calling the meeting to order, but should the quorum be lost during the meeting and the Chair does not announce it, any member may raise a Point of Order to that fact so long as he doesn't interrupt a speaker who has the floor. (p. 337 l. 34ff)

Let's assume the chair determines a quorum is in fact present before the meeting. Is the first order of business to call the meeting to order or is it to declare a quorum is present then call the meeting to order? It seems to me after a quorum is determined, the chair calls the meeting to order, then any opening ceremonies take place like the pledge or allegiance, then the chair declares a quorum is present. It this right?

[George Mervosh]

Let's assume the chair determines a quorum is in fact present before the meeting. Is the first order of business to call the meeting to order or is it to declare a quorum is present then call the meeting to order? It seems to me after a quorum is determined, the chair calls the meeting to order, then any opening ceremonies take place like the pledge or allegiance, then the chair declares a quorum is present. It this right?

No.

"Before the presiding officer calls a meeting to order, it is his duty to determine, although he need not announce,that a quorum is present. If a quorum is not present, the chair waits until there is one, or until, after a reasonable time, there appears to be no prospect that a quorum will assemble. If a quorum cannot be obtained, the chair calls the meeting to order, announces the absence of a quorum, and entertains a motion to adjourn or one of the other motions allowed, as described above." RONR, pp. 337-338.

[Tim Wynn]

Let's assume the chair determines a quorum is in fact present before the meeting. Is the first order of business to call the meeting to order or is it to declare a quorum is present then call the meeting to order?

Neither of these is an item in the order of business.

It seems to me after a quorum is determined, the chair calls the meeting to order, then any opening ceremonies take place like the pledge or allegiance, then the chair declares a quorum is present. It this right?

See RONR (10th ed.), p. 343, l. 5-9, for the answer to your question.

The chair determines a quorum is present, though he need not announce it, before calling the meeting to order. See p. 337, l. 34 - p. 338, l. 7.