Guest Jon Posted June 4, 2015 at 09:04 PM Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 at 09:04 PM Our organization allows the Executive Committee to meet to make emergency decisions on behalf of the Board when it is not possible to assemble a quorum of the board. What constitutes an emergency? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Lages Posted June 4, 2015 at 09:20 PM Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 at 09:20 PM I think the only answer we can give you is that what constitutes an emergency is going to be anything that your organization agrees is an emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted June 4, 2015 at 09:22 PM Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 at 09:22 PM That is for your organization to decide. But, your executive committee has only such powers as are granted to it in the bylaws. It might be exceeding its authority when it takes these "emergency" actions. Any such actions taken without authorization can, however, be be ratified by the parent body (the organization? The Board of Directors?) if it is an action which the parent body could have taken. There is a very recent thread on this very topic from just a few days ago. I suspect there is really no authority for these emergency decisions. Check your bylaws carefully to see just what powers the executive committee has. The powers specified in the bylaws are the only powers it has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted June 4, 2015 at 09:32 PM Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 at 09:32 PM Our organization allows the Executive Committee to meet to make emergency decisions on behalf of the Board when it is not possible to assemble a quorum of the board. So first the board would have to call a special meeting and then, failing to get a quorum, the executive committee would call a special meeting? Does the board have regularly scheduled meetings? How often? Does the executive committee have regularly schedule meetings? How often? Do your bylaws provided for special meetings of the board? Of the executive committee? How much notice is required? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted June 5, 2015 at 01:41 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 01:41 PM I would define an emergency as an imminent or actual attack on the life, liberty, or property of the organization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted June 5, 2015 at 01:56 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 01:56 PM Our organization allows the Executive Committee to meet to make emergency decisions on behalf of the Board when it is not possible to assemble a quorum of the board. That is for your organization to decide. But, your executive committee has only such powers as are granted to it in the bylaws. It might be exceeding its authority when it takes these "emergency" actions. Any such actions taken without authorization can, however, be be ratified by the parent body (the organization? The Board of Directors?) if it is an action which the parent body could have taken. There is a very recent thread on this very topic from just a few days ago. I suspect there is really no authority for these emergency decisions. Check your bylaws carefully to see just what powers the executive committee has. The powers specified in the bylaws are the only powers it has. Doesn't her initial post seem to indicate the authority does exist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted June 5, 2015 at 02:00 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 02:00 PM Doesn't her initial post seem to indicate the authority does exist?No. It says, "Our organization allows the Executive Committee to meet to make emergency decisions on behalf of the Board. . . ." That could mean that the bylaws allow for it.... and it could mean that they have a custom of allowing it. One is "legal" and the other is not. If she had said, "Our bylaws allow. . . ." I wouldn't have made that statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted June 5, 2015 at 03:03 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 03:03 PM I would define an emergency as an imminent or actual attack on the life, liberty, or property of the organization. So a natural disaster would not count? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted June 5, 2015 at 03:11 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 03:11 PM I would define an emergency as an imminent or actual attack on the life, liberty, or property of the organization. So a natural disaster would not count?I was kinda wondering the same thing.... we tend to get lots of hurricanes where I live. Lots of meetings get "canceled" when we are threatened... or actually hit... by one. I guess Transpower's interpretation wouldn't allow emergency action by the executive committee to repair a gaping hole in the roof of the clubhouse, either.... unless the gaping hole was caused by a bomb or missile of some kind. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:23 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:23 PM So a natural disaster would not count?I was kinda wondering the same thing.... we tend to get lots of hurricanes where I live. Lots of meetings get "canceled" when we are threatened... or actually hit... by one.I guess Transpower's interpretation wouldn't allow emergency action by the executive committee to repair a gaping hole in the roof of the clubhouse, either.... unless the gaping hole was caused by a bomb or missile of some kind. . . . If we replace "attack on" with "threat to," which I suspect is what was intended, then the interpretation covers natural disasters and gaping holes in the roof of the clubhouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:30 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:30 PM I would define an emergency as an imminent or actual attack on the life, liberty, or property of the organization. I can think of countless examples of emergencies that fall short of that definition. Running out of beer comes quickly to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:44 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:44 PM Emergency: A more serious situation than an incident, but less serious than a disaster. (Oxford Canadian Dictionary, 1998; noted by Pearce 2000, Chapter 2, 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:46 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:46 PM Oxford Canadian Dictionary I don't see how introducing foreign languages into the discussion is especially helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:48 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 06:48 PM Well, lóòk at it this way: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted June 5, 2015 at 07:20 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 07:20 PM A natural storm could be an "attack" on one's life, so it's covered by my definition. But I could accept Mr. Martin's amendment of "threat to." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmuel Gerber Posted June 5, 2015 at 07:32 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 07:32 PM Emergency: A more serious situation than an incident, but less serious than a disaster. (Oxford Canadian Dictionary, 1998; noted by Pearce 2000, Chapter 2, 2)As if we are supposed to know what "Pearce 2000" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted June 5, 2015 at 07:46 PM Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 at 07:46 PM A natural storm could be an "attack" on one's life, so it's covered by my definition. Who's doing the attacking . . . Mother Nature? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted June 6, 2015 at 12:46 AM Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 at 12:46 AM Yes, Edgar, Mother Nature--including bears in the woods! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted June 12, 2015 at 03:25 PM Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 at 03:25 PM As if we are supposed to know what "Pearce 2000" is. I quoted it because of the amusing notion that by defining emergency in that way, it required us to know the exact definitions of incident and disaster.* It is an example of a definition that obfuscates, rather than clarifying. Not an unusual characteristic when governments are involved in the process. In amateur radio communications, "emergency" is fairly simply defined as a situation where life or property is endangered. ____________________* Once we know those, we can get on to less the pressing issue of what Pearce 2000 is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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