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Executive Session - Tabled Discussion and Vote


MRGrill

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If a discussion and vote in Executive Session is "tabled" to be taken up again at next Exec Board Mtg, and during the open and regular meeting a member of the general assembly moves to vote on the same issue that has been tabled by Exec Board, can the Chairman delay general vote on that motion until the Exec Board has had the opportunity to discuss and vote on whether there is approval to move forward by the Exec Board? Thanks, Mike

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If a discussion and vote in Executive Session is "tabled" to be taken up again at next Exec Board Mtg, and during the open and regular meeting a member of the general assembly moves to vote on the same issue that has been tabled by Exec Board, can the Chairman delay general vote on that motion until the Exec Board has had the opportunity to discuss and vote on whether there is approval to move forward by the Exec Board? Thanks, Mike

This question shows a few misunderstandings of parliamentary procedure, and we need to try to clear up some points.

Executive session refers to a meeting or portion of a meeting at which the proceedings are secret. However, the proceedings are never to be kept secret from the actual members of the body that is meeting.

Unless the bylaws provide otherwise, the assembly of the general-membership meeting need not wait for the executive board to make a decision before it can act on a matter.

The chair has no authority to delay a vote.

"Table" is not the proper motion to use in the situation you describe. The question should have been Postponed to the next meeting.

If the assembly of general members makes a decision, the board cannot take any action that would conflict with that decision.

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Thanks for the information. I really appreciate your assistance.

If I understand you correctly even if the Exec Board is in discussion and postpones an issue, the general membership can make a motion, have a discussion, and vote in favor of the motion even though the Exec Board would have ended up opposing the proposal when they took it up at the next Exec Board meeting?

If the adopted motion, violates, the charter, rules of governing bodies, or the law then and only then can the Exec Board overturn the general assembly's vote?

Can you think of an occasion or an example of when an Exec Board would have to approve a proposal in order to bring it before the general assembly? Mike

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Thanks for the information. I really appreciate your assistance.

If I understand you correctly even if the Exec Board is in discussion and postpones an issue, the general membership can make a motion, have a discussion, and vote in favor of the motion even though the Exec Board would have ended up opposing the proposal when they took it up at the next Exec Board meeting?

If the adopted motion, violates, the charter, rules of governing bodies, or the law then and only then can the Exec Board overturn the general assembly's vote?

Can you think of an occasion or an example of when an Exec Board would have to approve a proposal in order to bring it before the general assembly? Mike

The board has only the authority given to it by the bylaws (or higher governing document) or by an act of the general assembly.

The board works for the assembly of the organization, not the other way around.

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Yeah...but...

As others have noted (and RONR says), a board has only those powers granted by the bylaws.

It may well be that your DAV bylaws (I'm not familiar with any, to be sure) do indeed grant "governing board" powers to your board. You will have to look carefully at your bylaws to find out.

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If the adopted motion, violates, the charter, rules of governing bodies, or the law then and only then can the Exec Board overturn the general assembly's vote?

Unless -- as other posters recognize-- the bylaws give it such authority, the Executive Board can never overturn a decision of the assembly of the general membership. However, the assembly's presiding officer ought to rule out of order any main motion made in the assembly that violates the bylaws governing the organization (which in your case apparently could include the bylaws of the organization at superior levels as well as the bylaws of the local group). RONR (11th ed.), p. 111, ll. 4-10; p. 450, ll. 2-4 & 14-17.

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