In camera procedures

[Guest Gloria Cleland]

General meeting adjourned. Motion made to open in camera session. Motion made approving action, seconded and carried. Should a motion then be made to advice Council to carry out approved a tion be in camera group?

[Richard Brown]

Gloria, I'm not sure I understand your question.  When you refer to an "in camera" session, which is non-standard parliamentary language, are you referring to what RONR and parliamentarians refer to as an "executive session".... essentially a meeting (or portion of a meeting) normally conducted with only members (and perhaps certain invited guests) present and in which the proceedings are secret?

 

If so, the body (assembly, board, council, whatever) would usually go into executive session BEFORE adjourning, because once adjourned, the meeting is over.  You seem to have some unusual procedures. 

 

I do not know what you mean by your question, "Should a motion then be made to advice Council to carry out approved a tion be in camera group?"   Can you try re-stating your question? 

[Hieu H. Huynh]

General meeting adjourned. Motion made to open in camera session. Motion made approving action, seconded and carried. Should a motion then be made to advice Council to carry out approved a tion be in camera group?

 

Is the Council like a board? Do you want the general membership to direct the board on action approved "in camera"? If that is the question, the board will find out about the direction when they are informed of it, so I don't see why the motion to direct the board needs to be secret.

 

If you could provide more info, that would be helpful.

[Guest Guest]

This is a meeting of a church council. It was on the agenda to have an in camera session at the end of the meeting to discuss Christmas gifts to staff. Staff who would be recipients of gifts were asked to leave. They then adjourned General council meeting by motion. Then motion was made to open in camera session to discuss Christmas gifts. Motion was made approving Christmas gifts and for cheques to be made up for Individuals seconded and carried. Minutes were taken but suggestion is that minutes should also then reflect a third motion advising council to carry out writing of cheques and cards as Christmas gifts. In camera session was adjourned.

[Guest Guest]

Very confusing procedure but one individual maintains there needs to be the 3 steps. Opening session, discussion of topic, motion to approve gift suggestion presented, and then third step advising the council to act on the decision?

[Edgar Guest]

Ideally, the same motion would have approved the gifts and direct the council to purchase and send them. But if two motions were made, that's okay too. Needless to say, the minutes should reflect what was actually done, not what should have been done.

 

Also, as previously noted, once the meeting was adjourned it was over. The only way to meet again would be to call another meeting (giving whatever proper notice is required).

 

Next time, just go into executive session (without adjourning). If desired, a brief recess could be called so non-members can leave the room.

[Guest Gloria Cleland]

Thank you.

[George Mervosh]

Thank you.

 

Ms. Cleland, in my opinion all action taken after the General Council meeting adjourned is null and void, but I would raise a point of order about it at your next meeting so that your council is educated about their improper procedure. Thankfully it will be too late to be the Scrooge and take all the gifts and checks back.