Shmuel Gerber Posted August 1, 2012 at 01:54 AM Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 at 01:54 AM Basic rights of membership. Item #20 on the summary list of notable changes in RONR is that “the Eleventh Edition … Refines the definition of a member of an assembly, and the enumeration of a member’s basic rights” (p. 3, ll. 1-15).As in previous editions of RONR, a member of an assembly (also known as a voting member) is defined as “a person having the right to full participation in its proceedings.” The 11th edition more fully specifies what this entails—that is, “the right to attend meetings, to make motions, to speak in debate, and to vote.” All of these rights had already been identified in the 10th edition as “basic rights that may be curtailed only through disciplinary proceedings” (10th ed., p. 255, ll. 26-28), although only the latter three were mentioned in the initial definition of member. The 11th edition adds the notion of other basic rights that are “concomitant” (pronounced “kun-KÄM-i-tent”; see definition here) to these rights, “such as the right to make nominations or to give previous notice of a motion” (see also p. 264, ll. 6-13).Definition of “In Good Standing.” Item #6 on the summary list of changes is “Addition of a definition of a member ‘in good standing’” (p. 6, ll. 19-21 and footnote).Previous editions of RONR noted that the membership of the local assembly of an organized society “is limited to persons who are recorded on the rolls of the society as voting members in good standing” (10th ed., p. 6, ll. 18-21). No indication was given, however, of how persons may attain or lose the status of being voting members “in good standing”—other than simply being recorded on the rolls as such.Under the 11th edition, such an assembly’s membership “is limited to persons who are recorded on the rolls of the society as voting members and who are in good standing,” where “members in good standing” are defined as “those whose rights as members of the assembly are not under suspension as a consequence of disciplinary proceedings or by operation of some specific provision in the bylaws.”The 11th edition also addresses the status of members who are not in good standing owing to the suspension of only some membership rights: “If only some of an individual’s rights as a member of the assembly are under suspension (for example, the rights to make motions and speak in debate), other rights of assembly membership may still be exercised (for example, the rights to attend meetings and vote).”–S.G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted August 1, 2012 at 02:29 AM Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 at 02:29 AM I may be beating a dead horse here but do you think there's a difference between a member of the assembly (which I take to mean one of the members who is present -- assembled -- at a meeting) as opposed to a member of the society (or association or organization) whether present (assembled) or not?I seem to recall being disabused of this notion is a recent thread but, as I appreciate this new "What's New" series, I thought I might beat that poor horse one more time.To try to relate it to this particular thread, a member of the society has a right to vote but he can only exercise it if he's a member of the assembly (that is, only if he's present).H6AJRW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmuel Gerber Posted August 1, 2012 at 03:25 AM Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 at 03:25 AM I may be beating a dead horse here but do you think there's a difference between a member of the assembly (which I take to mean one of the members who is present -- assembled -- at a meeting) as opposed to a member of the society (or association or organization) whether present (assembled) or not?I seem to recall being disabused of this notion is a recent thread but, as I appreciate this new "What's New" series, I thought I might beat that poor horse one more time.To try to relate it to this particular thread, a member of the society has a right to vote but he can only exercise it if he's a member of the assembly (that is, only if he's present).H6AJRWI think it would help if you just tried to forget about the definition of an assembly as being the particular members who are gathered at a meeting, because it is resulting in some strange ideas of what it means to be a member of an assembly. The assembly is the body of persons who are meeting, and anyone who is "entitled to full participation in its proceedings" is a member of that assembly, whether present or not.According to your definition of "member," a requirement of a "vote of a majority of the entire membership" would be the equivalent of a "vote of a majority of the members present." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted August 1, 2012 at 11:58 AM Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 at 11:58 AM I think it would help if you just tried to forget about the definition of an assembly as being the particular members who are gathered at a meeting, because it is resulting in some strange ideas of what it means to be a member of an assembly. The assembly is the body of persons who are meeting, and anyone who is "entitled to full participation in its proceedings" is a member of that assembly, whether present or not.According to your definition of "member," a requirement of a "vote of a majority of the entire membership" would be the equivalent of a "vote of a majority of the members present."The fact remains, however, that there is a distinction to be drawn between the society as a whole, which exists as an entity regardless of whether or not a meeting is being held, and its assembly, which exists only when a meeting is being held.Whether or not it helps to forget about this distinction (pronounced "fuggedaboudit") is another question altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David A Foulkes Posted August 1, 2012 at 04:37 PM Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 at 04:37 PM So, is there a single word or two-word phrase descriptive of the collection of members of the assembly that are in attendance during a meeting? Or are we left with "the members at the meeting?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Thomas J Balch PRP Posted August 1, 2012 at 08:41 PM Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 at 08:41 PM How about "members present"? Cf. RONR (11th ed.), p. 402, l. 30.Thomas J Balch PRPCAUTION:The answers to questions found in RONR Official Interpretations are the product of deliberation and refinement by all of the current authors; they undergo a process similar to that followed in preparing new editions. . . . Their formal, deliberate, and joint nature raises them in persuasiveness over opinions expressed orally or in writing by individual members of the authorship [like the one I offer above!].RONR Off. Interp. 2006-1 (emphasis added). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Wynn Posted August 18, 2012 at 08:34 PM Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 at 08:34 PM I've said this before, and I'm not sure why I think reiterating it would help, but THE ASSEMBLY of an organized society is, as the name suggests, a deliberative assembly. So, it is an assembly, with the specific name THE ASSEMBLY. A board is an assembly with the specific name THE BOARD. Whether or not an individual is in attendance in a meeting has no bearing on whether or not he is a member of THE BOARD or THE ASSEMBLY of an organized society. A person could be a member of THE BOARD or THE ASSEMBLY of an organized society without being a member of the other. A person could be a member of an organization without being a member of THE ASSEMBLY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted August 18, 2012 at 09:10 PM Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 at 09:10 PM I've said this before, and I'm not sure why I think reiterating it would help, but THE ASSEMBLY of an organized society is, as the name suggests, a deliberative assembly. So, it is an assembly, with the specific name THE ASSEMBLY.A board is an assembly with the specific name THE BOARD. Whether or not an individual is in attendance in a meeting has no bearing on whether or not he is a member of THE BOARD or THE ASSEMBLY of an organized society.A person could be a member of THE BOARD or THE ASSEMBLY of an organized society without being a member of the other.A person could be a member of an organization without being a member of THE ASSEMBLY.All of this is essentially correct (although not in the least bit helpful or informative) except for "A board is an assembly with the specific name THE BOARD.", which I think is just plain nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Wynn Posted August 18, 2012 at 09:18 PM Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 at 09:18 PM All of this is essentially correct (although not in the least bit helpful or informative) except for "A board is an assembly with the specific name THE BOARD.", which I think is just plain nuts.Which was this post of yours intended to be: helpful or informative? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted August 18, 2012 at 09:27 PM Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 at 09:27 PM Which was this post of yours intended to be: helpful or informative? Both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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