Special Meeting called & postponed

[Guest Confused]

The President of my organization called a special meeting in accordance with association articles of association. The majority of the BOD responded to the special meeting in the negative, stating the organization was moving too quickly to address a particular topic. Due to the BOD comments, the membership was not notified of the special meeting. What is the appropriate process to "suspend" or "amend" the previously called special meeting?

[Guest Edgar]

What is the appropriate process to "suspend" or "amend" the previously called special meeting?

There is no provision in RONR for "suspending" or "cancelling" or "postponing" a properly called meeting.

But was this a special meeting of the board? If so, there's no requirement that the general membership be notified.

Was this a special meeting of the general membership? If so, the general membership must be notified even if the board thinks the meeting is a bad idea.

So what's really going on here?

[Guest Confused]

It was a special meeting of the board with an agenda to discuss 3 topics. The majority of the board felt uninformed to discuss these topics, so the meeting was "suspended" to give the board time to learn of the subject matter. The articles of association state that notices of special meetings of the board must be distributed in writing to the membership. This particular meeting was never distributed due to the immediate push back from the board.

[Guest Edgar]

Well, assuming the meeting was properly called, it was too late not to notify the membership. The board can't take a "what they don't know won't hurt them" attitude.

Of course I realize many members might be upset if they attended the board meeting only to find out that none (or not enough) of the board members showed up but that's the president's fault for calling a special meeting without first consulting at least a majority of the board members. And keep in mind that special meetings are only to be called for business that can't wait until the next regular meeting.

[Tim Wynn]

The President of my organization called a special meeting in accordance with association articles of association. . . Due to the BOD comments, the membership was not notified of the special meeting.

The articles of association state that notices of special meetings of the board must be distributed in writing to the membership.

How do you figure that the special meeting was called in accordance with the articles of association? It seems that it wasn't.

In that case, there's no meeting to postpone.

[Trina]

It was a special meeting of the board with an agenda to discuss 3 topics. The majority of the board felt uninformed to discuss these topics, so the meeting was "suspended" to give the board time to learn of the subject matter. The articles of association state that notices of special meetings of the board must be distributed in writing to the membership. This particular meeting was never distributed due to the immediate push back from the board.

So, is the special meeting notice normally sent out in two installments, so to speak -- first to board members, and then to the general membership? In this case was the actual notice sent to the board members, or was the meeting just in the planning stage (people chatting be e-mail, or other informal means) when the negative feedback from some board members occurred?

[Guest Edgar]

In this case was the actual notice sent to the board members, or was the meeting just in the planning stage (people chatting be e-mail, or other informal means) when the negative feedback from some board members occurred?

The President of my organization called a special meeting in accordance with association articles of association.

Sounds more formal than informal to me. Perhaps more details will be provided.

[David A Foulkes]

Dear Confused, I am too.

The President of my organization called a special meeting ...

Do your rules actually give the President the unilateral authority to call special meetings?

The majority of the BOD responded to the special meeting in the negative, stating the organization was moving too quickly to address a particular topic.

Well, what the majority of the Board could have very easily done, and should have (assuming the meeting was in fact properly called, and so, had to be called to order) was adopt a motion to Postpone or Commit the particular topic, so as to allow for more time to learn more about it. Nothing in RONR would have required the Board to take a vote on the motion at this meeting, much less adopt it. At the very least, they could have defeated the motion (there being a majority of temporarily-anti-topic members) causing no action to be taken and creating a potential research-fruitful delay in consideration of it. And I guess we'll assume the decision on this topic is one the Board is authorized to make.

It was a special meeting of the board..... The articles of association state that notices of special meetings of the board must be distributed in writing to the membership.

Do your rules truly and in fact require the notice for special Board meetings to go out to the general membership, who in the general sense would have no business at a Board meeting anyway? What sort of organization is yours?

[Tim Wynn]

Do your rules truly and in fact require the notice for special Board meetings to go out to the general membership, who in the general sense would have no business at a Board meeting anyway? What sort of organization is yours?

This is common in community associations.