Agenda Change and Approval

[Guest kwe]

I will be moderating a meeting for a non-profit organization for which I work. This meeting is open to the membership. It is an informational meeting to discuss some matters of business. No voting will take place at this meeting. Sufficient notification was given to the membership about the meeting. I worked on the agenda with the board. The complete agenda was not published before hand, though in the letter about the meeting some business items were listed. The agenda will be given to the membership at the time of the meeting.

Does the membership have to approve the agenda and can a member at the meeting alter it by making a motion to add any items of business?

[Tim Wynn]

I will be moderating a meeting for a non-profit organization for which I work. This meeting is open to the membership. It is an informational meeting to discuss some matters of business. No voting will take place at this meeting. Sufficient notification was given to the membership about the meeting. I worked on the agenda with the board. The complete agenda was not published before hand, though in the letter about the meeting some business items were listed. The agenda will be given to the membership at the time of the meeting.

Does the membership have to approve the agenda and can a member at the meeting alter it by making a motion to add any items of business?

What you describe is not a deliberative assembly, primarily because without a vote the individuals in attendance have no control, and with no control they can't approve or adopt anything.

[Guest Edgar]

No voting will take place at this meeting.

Says who?

Is this a board meeting to which member of the association have been invited (but at which they would not be permitted to vote)?

Is this a meeting of the general membership of the association (in which case the board should have little, if anything, to say about what can and can't be done there)?

[Tim Wynn]

Says who?

Is this a board meeting to which member of the association have been invited (but at which they would not be permitted to vote)?

Is this a meeting of the general membership of the association (in which case the board should have little, if anything, to say about what can and can't be done there)?

It sounds to me like it's a lecture.

[Guest Edgar]

Does the membership have to approve the agenda and can a member at the meeting alter it by making a motion to add any items of business?

See FAQ #14.

[Guest kwe]

In the by-laws that cover this particular organization, informational meetings are usual and customary. They function as more personal ways of communicating rather than through hard copy letters or some electronic form. For example, a presentation will be made on this organization's financial situation. There is nothing to adopt. We simply want to update the membership on where we are financially. There will be plenty of discussion. No lecture.

[Guest Edgar]

We simply want to update the membership on where we are financially.

Who is the "we" who is holding this "meeting"?

If, as Mr. Wynn suggests, it's not a meeting in the parliamentary sense of the word, you needn't worry about such parliamentary niceties as members, agendas, etc.

[Guest Guest]

"We" means the board of this non-profit. That this is not a deliberative assembly since there will not be any voting is very helpful. Thank you Mr. Wynn.

[Rev Ed]

An informational meeting can also be called a special meeting - with the only item(s) on the Agenda being items that need to be discussed and not voted upon.

[Tim Wynn]

An informational meeting can also be called a special meeting - with the only item(s) on the Agenda being items that need to be discussed and not voted upon.

There is no significant parliamentary distinction between an improperly called meeting and a special meeting where no business can be transacted. This is principally why there is often disapproval (from me, anyway) of the concept of calling a special meeting to "only discuss stuff."

[Trina]

An informational meeting can also be called a special meeting - with the only item(s) on the Agenda being items that need to be discussed and not voted upon.

I believe it is more accurate (as previous posters have said) to not think of this as a meeting at all in the parliamentary sense, in which case the rules of procedure don't apply. It sounds more like a hearing (not in the disciplinary sense, of course), or an 'informational meeting', as the original poster said.

If the bylaws provide for such non-voting 'informational meetings', all the better, as it should be clear that no business can or will be conducted.

I do not believe a special meeting (in the RONR sense) can properly be constrained so as to be unable to make decisions (motions and votes). I remember a number of previous threads on this forum that discussed this at paralyzing length...

[Rob Elsman]

As the other replies make clear, there is a lot of detail about this meeting that is missing. Most of the original post is written in the passive voice, so it is impossible to know who is doing what to whom. Without clearer information, I'm afraid that we are left with an impossibly incomplete description of a meeting that sounds rather bizarre.

[BryanSullo]

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and use a bit of hyperbole to make a point: Presumably, the board of directors of a society can decide to throw a party (at their expense), and invite all the members. This would not be a meeting of the society, and the hosts (BoD) could run the event in any manner they so choose, including setting an agenda for this event. They just cannot transact business there, and RONR does not, in any way, apply.

Just because all of the members of a society are invited to an event, does not mean it has to be a deliberative assembly. I see no difference with this "informational meeting".

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. (It has been known to happen, from time to time.)

[Tim Wynn]

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and use a bit of hyperbole to make a point: Presumably, the board of directors of a society can decide to throw a party (at their expense), and invite all the members. This would not be a meeting of the society, and the hosts (BoD) could run the event in any manner they so choose, including setting an agenda for this event. They just cannot transact business there, and RONR does not, in any way, apply.

Just because all of the members of a society are invited to an event, does not mean it has to be a deliberative assembly. I see no difference with this "informational meeting".

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. (It has been known to happen, from time to time.)

You're not wrong.

[Rob Elsman]

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and use a bit of hyperbole to make a point: Presumably, the board of directors of a society can decide to throw a party (at their expense), and invite all the members. This would not be a meeting of the society, and the hosts (BoD) could run the event in any manner they so choose, including setting an agenda for this event. They just cannot transact business there, and RONR does not, in any way, apply.

Just because all of the members of a society are invited to an event, does not mean it has to be a deliberative assembly. I see no difference with this "informational meeting".

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. (It has been known to happen, from time to time.)

I'm afraid the fact situation is getting foggier, not clearer.