Leigh521 Posted January 30, 2018 at 07:34 PM Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 at 07:34 PM We had our regularly scheduled board meeting last week. We had a quorum and we followed our agenda. A board member had an addition and was given the floor. During this time he addressed issues he has with the President/Chair. The president in return began to argue with him. No one stopped this, they finally got to a point they both felt done and the President moved on to the next addition. Before that addition was complete he gave a written resignation and left the building. The Vice President took over as Chair and finished the meeting. We have been told by our national organization that since no one went into executive session the meeting is null and void and the resignation doesn't stand. I would think that would be the boards decision. What are the steps for voiding a meeting? Are there certain rules for when that can be done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted January 30, 2018 at 07:45 PM Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 at 07:45 PM 9 minutes ago, Leigh521 said: We had our regularly scheduled board meeting last week. We had a quorum and we followed our agenda. A board member had an addition and was given the floor. During this time he addressed issues he has with the President/Chair. The president in return began to argue with him. No one stopped this, they finally got to a point they both felt done and the President moved on to the next addition. Before that addition was complete he gave a written resignation and left the building. The Vice President took over as Chair and finished the meeting. We have been told by our national organization that since no one went into executive session the meeting is null and void and the resignation doesn't stand. I would think that would be the boards decision. What are the steps for voiding a meeting? Are there certain rules for when that can be done? None of the facts which you have related here provides any reason whatsoever to believe that the meeting was null and void. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh521 Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:07 PM Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:07 PM Thank you. I was told to send an email letting our board know what our national office had said and that the meeting was void along with the resignation. No one has said anything since then because no one really knows what's right or what to do next. Our VP feels that he has been mislead and misinformed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:27 PM Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:27 PM (edited) 21 minutes ago, Leigh521 said: Thank you. I was told to send an email letting our board know what our national office had said and that the meeting was void along with the resignation. No one has said anything since then because no one really knows what's right or what to do next. Our VP feels that he has been mislead and misinformed. Just re-read Mr. Honemann's comment regarding the meeting itself. As far as the resignation is concerned, if no action was taken on it, it might be a moot point if the President changes his mind. http://www.robertsrules.com/faq.html#18 Edited January 30, 2018 at 08:28 PM by George Mervosh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh521 Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:30 PM Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:30 PM Mr. Mervosh, Our board had a special meeting the next day and accepted the resignation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:34 PM Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:34 PM 2 minutes ago, Leigh521 said: Mr. Mervosh, Our board had a special meeting the next day and accepted the resignation. If that meeting was properly called and held according to your bylaws and the board had the authority to accept it, it seems to be a done deal as far as the rules in RONR are concerned. Don't ask us to explain the position of your national organization though. It makes zero sense, at least to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh521 Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:47 PM Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:47 PM I understand. I was just stating who decided the meeting was to be thrown out and that it wasn't our organizations board of directors that said to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:49 PM Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:49 PM Just now, Leigh521 said: I understand. I was just stating who decided the meeting was to be thrown out and that it wasn't our organizations board of directors that said to. It seems the national organizations sees a problem which no one else does, at least based on these facts. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh521 Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:51 PM Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 at 08:51 PM Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Who's Coming to Dinner Posted January 31, 2018 at 12:41 AM Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 at 12:41 AM Do review the national rules to find out what authority, if any, the national organization has to annul one of your meetings. If there is no such authority, then you have received an opinion which you may disregard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted January 31, 2018 at 03:51 AM Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 at 03:51 AM Seems to me we're being awfully quick to say the national organization is wrong, without knowing the rules of this organization. Maybe the parent assembly has a bylaw that affiliate officers can only resign in executive session. Maybe someone is misinterpreting the rule that disciplinary procedures take place in executive session. Maybe there's more to the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh521 Posted January 31, 2018 at 12:53 PM Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 at 12:53 PM We have our own by-laws to follow. Our board wrote them and our national office approved them. Resignation of an officer is in writing to the secretary. Like I said in my first post, we have been told (doesn't matter by who) that when the board member started talking about the issues he had with the President then they should have gone into executive session and since they didn't our meeting did not follow parliamentary procedure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted January 31, 2018 at 01:13 PM Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 at 01:13 PM (edited) 20 minutes ago, Leigh521 said: we have been told (doesn't matter by who) that when the board member started talking about the issues he had with the President then they should have gone into executive session and since they didn't our meeting did not follow parliamentary procedure. Nonsense. Although advisable under delicate situations, there is no RONR rule that you must go into executive session for any reason. Ask Mr "Doesn't Matter" where he gets such a rule. And insist that he show it to you in writing. Edited January 31, 2018 at 01:14 PM by jstackpo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted January 31, 2018 at 01:39 PM Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 at 01:39 PM 39 minutes ago, Leigh521 said: We have our own by-laws to follow. Our board wrote them and our national office approved them. I don't doubt that. Certain bylaw provisions of the parent organization can also be binding on the child organization, and it is a matter of bylaw interpretation which they are. My only point is, they might have a reason for saying this that we are unaware of, being outside your organization. 40 minutes ago, Leigh521 said: Like I said in my first post, we have been told (doesn't matter by who) that when the board member started talking about the issues he had with the President then they should have gone into executive session and since they didn't our meeting did not follow parliamentary procedure. It sounds to me like they are misinterpreting the provisions on discipline, which do say discipline is conducted in executive session - but talking about issues with the President is not discipline, although, depending on what is said, it may be a decorum violation. Regardless, it is not the case that any instance of not following parliamentary procedure voids the entire meeting and all that occurs. Certain actions can be objected to, even later, as points of order, and others cannot. Here, the action in question is a resignation which has been accepted, and hence, all else aside, cannot be a continuing breach. But I will join with my colleagues in saying - they are making the claim, let them prove it. "If a rule was violated, please point to the rule, in whatever document it appears, and to a rule establishing that the remedy is as you claim" seems an eminently fair question, whenever a claim is made that some action violates the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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