Adjourn Meeting

[Guest Art]

We have a regularly scheduled monthly meeting coming up.  We have reason, that I can't get into now, to possibly need to adjourn the meeting early and quickly.  Currently, we ask for a motion, a second, and a vote to adjourn.  As chairman, does Roberts Rules allow me to forgo these steps, and simply adjourn the meeting?

[George Mervosh]

Just now, Guest Art said:

We have a regularly scheduled monthly meeting coming up.  We have reason, that I can't get into now, to possibly need to adjourn the meeting early and quickly.  Currently, we ask for a motion, a second, and a vote to adjourn.  As chairman, does Roberts Rules allow me to forgo these steps, and simply adjourn the meeting?

"In the event of fire, riot, or other extreme emergency, if the chair believes taking time for a vote on adjourning would be dangerous to those present, he should declare the meeting adjourned—to a suitable time and place for an adjourned meeting (if he is able), or to meet at the call of the chair. "  RONR (11th ed.), p. 86   Other than that, no.

[Dan Honemann]

11 minutes ago, Guest Art said:

We have a regularly scheduled monthly meeting coming up.  We have reason, that I can't get into now, to possibly need to adjourn the meeting early and quickly.  Currently, we ask for a motion, a second, and a vote to adjourn.  As chairman, does Roberts Rules allow me to forgo these steps, and simply adjourn the meeting?

If a time comes when there is a need to adjourn the meeting early and quickly, as you anticipate may occur, a member (not the chair) should be prepared to make a motion, when no other member has the floor, that the meeting be adjourned. See Section 21 in RONR (11th ed.) for details.

Nothing in Robert's Rules allows the presiding officer to simply adjourn a meeting except under the circumstances described on pages 240-41 (or as mentioned by Mr. Mervosh).