Documents and Executive Session

[Guest Michelle Aldridge]

What is the protocol for disturbing documents that will be discussed during Executive Session? Can the documents be distributed/reviewed prior to the meeting? 

[Edgar Guest]

What sort of documents are you talking about? For instance, whose documents are they?

 

There's certainly no problem with distributing, say, the Constitution of the United States. That's a document.

 

Or the menu from a local tavern. That's a document too.

[Gary Novosielski]

But these are presumably more disturbing.

[Edgar Guest]

But these are presumably more disturbing.

 

Perhaps, But I suspect there are many who find the U.S. Constitution (or at least parts thereof) "disturbing".

[Guest Guest]

My apologies for disturbing...

The documents pertain to the issue that will be discussed during the executive session. 

We do not want to include them in the packet that goes to the Board prior to the Regular Session meeting.

 

[Edgar Guest]

We do not want to include them in the packet that goes to the Board prior to the Regular Session meeting.

 

Then don't.

 

Edited to add: Though one wonders who the "we" are that have the documents.

[Guest Guest]

Is there anything that would prohibit us from sending the documents,  to be discussed in the Exec. Session, to the Board members prior to the meeting?

[Edgar Guest]

Is there anything that would prohibit us from sending the documents,  to be discussed in the Exec. Session, to the Board members prior to the meeting?

 

Is there anything that requires that the documents be sent?

 

And, again, who's this "we" and "us" who has presumed control of these disturbing documents? And who decided that they were disturbing?.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

Is there anything that would prohibit us from sending the documents,  to be discussed in the Exec. Session, to the Board members prior to the meeting?

"Anything"?

 

Perhaps.

You cannot distribute slanderous/libelous (which one is written?) material.

Robert's Rules of Order does have a rule about respecting the integrity of one's fellow member.

(It is a rule of debate. But I would argue that to impugn a member's good name without a disciplinary action already in progress would likewise be disallowed.)

 

If you are concerned about "previous notice", then be assured that previous notice refers to motions, not (supporting) documentation.

You are not obligated to send out entire documents, short of a pending bylaws amendment situation, or its equivalent.

[Rev Ed]

Is there anything that would prohibit us from sending the documents,  to be discussed in the Exec. Session, to the Board members prior to the meeting?

 

Well, nothing in RONR would prohibit this.  However, 'common sense' would suggest that anything that may be considered libel should not be distributed either before, during, or after a meeting.  The organization's own By-laws, rules, and/or customs may require the documents to be distributed beforehand, but RONR would not.

[Josh Martin]

Is there anything that would prohibit us from sending the documents,  to be discussed in the Exec. Session, to the Board members prior to the meeting?

 

There is no rule in RONR which prohibits anyone from sending documents pertaining to an upcoming executive session to the board members prior to the meeting, but there is also no rule in RONR which requires it.