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Rescinding of motions


Guest Nancy Mori

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Hello. I have a question about rescinding motions. About 10 years ago, I served on the board of a club and made several board motions which were voted on in the affirmative. Note that these were NOT motions voted upon by the general assembly but rather just the board - all mainly dealing with club procedures. Fast forward 10 years and now it appears newer board members want to override a motion or two previously approved, which is fine. My question is - how would the current board go about that? Would they contact me to rescind my original motion or would a current board member be able to do that? OR would/could they simply make a motion that negates the original motion?

Thank you in advance

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Hello. I have a question about rescinding motions. About 10 years ago, I served on the board of a club and made several board motions which were voted on in the affirmative. Note that these were NOT motions voted upon by the general assembly but rather just the board - all mainly dealing with club procedures. Fast forward 10 years and now it appears newer board members want to override a motion or two previously approved, which is fine. My question is - how would the current board go about that? Would they contact me to rescind my original motion or would a current board member be able to do that? OR would/could they simply make a motion that negates the original motion?

Thank you in advance

Any member can make a motion to Rescind or Amend Something Previously Adopted, which can be applied to anything that has continuing force and effect as the result of the adoption of a main motion.

See RONR (11th ed.), p. 306, for the vote requirement.

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Thank you both for your responses. My question really had nothing to do about "ownership" of a motion but rather the proper procedures to rescind a motion made by myself or anyone for that matter. It had always been my understanding that anyone can rescind a motion but it was recently brought to my attention that some current board members of my club believe a motion may only be rescinded by its originator.

Tim - to expand on your response - is it also possible for the general membership to rescind a motion made by the board during a board meeting?

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Would they contact me to rescind my original motion or would a current board member be able to do that?

Misunderstandings occur when people think of motions in these terms. Ownership is essentially lost at the moment the Board began considering it 10 years ago.

My question really had nothing to do about "ownership" of a motion but rather the proper procedures to rescind a motion made by myself or anyone for that matter. It had always been my understanding that anyone can rescind a motion but it was recently brought to my attention that some current board members of my club believe a motion may only be rescinded by its originator.

I think that was George's point. The notion that the originator of a motion (10 years later, no less!) still has some particular right or ownership of it leads to misunderstandings. Here. it seems "some current board members" are laboring under that misconception. Instead, as George points out, once you understand that the motion belongs to the assembly, it's clear that anyone in the assembly can begin the process to rescind .

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All helpful answers which lead me to my next question - can a board override a motion made & passed by the membership by passing a board motion that changes the intent of, or even negates, the membership's motion? Again, this is a belief of some members of my club's current board but not one I subscribe to as I believe while a board is in existence to oversee the daily operation of the organization, it is the membership's organization.

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All helpful answers which lead me to my next question - can a board override a motion made & passed by the membership by passing a board motion that changes the intent of, or even negates, the membership's motion? Again, this is a belief of some members of my club's current board but not one I subscribe to as I believe while a board is in existence to oversee the daily operation of the organization, it is the membership's organization.

See RONR. (11th ed.), p. 483, ll. 6-13. No action of the board can conflict with or alter any decision of the assembly of the society.

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