Calling for an Executive Session

[Guest Frank Vincent]

Can the Board Chairman or President of an organization call to go into "Executive Session" Or does that require the authorization, in the form of a motion from a Board member and or membership? I have heard different views on this subject.

[Chris Harrison]

The body which is meeting can vote to go into Executive Session and it takes a majority vote.

[Tim Wynn]

Can the Board Chairman or President of an organization call to go into "Executive Session" Or does that require the authorization, in the form of a motion from a Board member and or membership? I have heard different views on this subject.

See RONR (11th ed.), pp. 95-96 for executive session.

[Burke Balch]

If the question is whether the presiding officer can unilaterally, without either a vote or unanimous consent of the members of the voting body, direct the meeting to go into executive session, the answer is no -- unless the rules require executive session in the circumstances, such as for certain disciplinary procedures (RONR [11th ed.], p. 95, ll. 24-26; p. 655, ll. 9-11).

If the question is whether the motion to go into executive session can originate with the presiding officer, or must be moved by another member, the answer is that the presiding officer could validly ask whether there is unanimous consent to go into executive session (see RONR [11th ed.], pp. 54-56). Even if there is an objection, the presiding officer could "assume" the motion (id., p. 54, ll. 34-36), which would then be subject to debate and vote by the membership of the voting body. So the presiding officer need not wait for a motion to be made by another member in order to bring the question of going into executive session before the voting body.