Member avoiding censure by exiting meeting/teleconference

[Guest wildguy]

The body meets both in person and by conference call. Bylaws call for operation per latest RONR, and have a section for removal of a member by formal process, but otherwise do not otherwise mention disciplinary procedures.

Near the end of a conference call under any other business, motion is made and seconded to censure one member for his repeated abusive remarks directed to the chair, fellow members, and staff. The chair asks for parliamentary advice regarding the motion, and is informed its in order if pertaining to recent behavior viewed by the entire body and amounts to a formal reprimand. Further advised that the target member should be allowed to speak first in their defense. At this point, it appears the target of the motion left or was disconnected from the teleconference (indeterminate). As the target was no longer present and couldn't speak in their defense, the motion was tabled for their next monthly meeting and the meeting adjourned.

Questions:

1) When picked from the table at the next meeting, is the censure motion remain valid or is it no longer sufficiently timely?

2) If no longer valid, and in light of the note that the target be allowed to speak, is it not possible for a target of censure to always make such a motion stale by exiting a meeting or teleconference?

-WG

[Rev Ed]

Firstly, the motion should have been postponed to the next meeting, not tabled. Tabling a motion is a temporary measure to rake up a more important issue, and then the motion would be taken from the table again. However, assuming the group wanted to postpone, it would come up under Unfinished Business.

The censure issue could be addressed at the next meeting, but if the member in question is now not causing an issue, it might be easier to simply drop the issue.

[wildguy]

Rev Ed -

To be clear, the censure motion was not tabled but was "unfinished business" due to adjournment (of the body which has regular meetings more often than quarterly) and hence is slated to be addressed as "Unfinished Business" at the start of the next regular meeting. It will be to the body to determine if the member in question is still an issue.

Thanks again on clarifying the ongoing validity of the motion.

-WG