Can voting members of a committee meet without inviting ex officio members to discuss business

[Guest Beth]

Question:

1. Is it against parlimentary rules for voting members of a committe to meet, discuss and/or draft a report or request without the its ex officio members present at the meeting?

2. Do the voting members of the committee have to call for a general meeting of the group (including ex officio) and then go into executive session in order to discuss an issue with ex officio members excused?

[Guest Edgar]

1. Is it against parlimentary rules for voting members of a committe to meet, discuss and/or draft a report or request without the its ex officio members present at the meeting?

2. Do the voting members of the committee have to call for a general meeting of the group (including ex officio) and then go into executive session in order to discuss an issue with ex officio members excused?

Ex-officio members are as much members as any other members and enjoy all the same rights. Anyone can get together with anyone but all members have a right to attend all meetings, whether held in executive session or not.

See also FAQ #2.

[Chris Harrison]

1. Is it against parlimentary rules for voting members of a committe to meet, discuss and/or draft a report or request without the its ex officio members present at the meeting?

All members of the Committee (ex officio or otherwise) have a right to attend the meetings and you risk rendering everything done at the meeting null and void if you don't invite them to the meeting or exclude them from the proceedings.

2. Do the voting members of the committee have to call for a general meeting of the group (including ex officio) and then go into executive session in order to discuss an issue with ex officio members excused?

All members of the Committee (ex officio or otherwise) have a right to attend the meetings and you risk rendering everything done at the meeting null and void if you don't invite them to the meeting or exclude them from the proceedings.

[Weldon Merritt]

Question:

1. Is it against parlimentary rules for voting members of a committe to meet, discuss and/or draft a report or request without the its ex officio members present at the meeting?

2. Do the voting members of the committee have to call for a general meeting of the group (including ex officio) and then go into executive session in order to discuss an issue with ex officio members excused?

The phrasing of your questions leads me to believe that you think ex officio members have no vote. That is not so; unless your bylaws specifically say that ex offico members have no vote, they do.

[Josh Martin]

1. Is it against parlimentary rules for voting members of a committe to meet, discuss and/or draft a report or request without the its ex officio members present at the meeting?

Well, it is against the rules to exclude the ex-officio members (either by failing to provide notice or by removing them from the meeting). If they just happen not to show up, that's fine.

2. Do the voting members of the committee have to call for a general meeting of the group (including ex officio) and then go into executive session in order to discuss an issue with ex officio members excused?

No. If the committee meets in executive session, the ex-officio members still get to attend.

Also, for both questions, ex-officio members are voting members unless your rules provide otherwise. See FAQ #2 for more information on ex-officio members.