session What constitutes a session, treatment of postponed agendas.

[VolleKeepo]

On the first session (and first meeting), resolutions were to be dealt with. Four were approved, one was postponed indefinitely, and seven were postponed until a certain committee was present.

Does the next meeing (or session) start with the postponed seven resolutions, or do they start with the new agenda before the seven resolutions?

Note, the charter is nearly completely devoid of meeting procedures.

[Atul Kapur]

I'm going to assume from the way you use the terms that each meeting is a separate session (See Section 8, starting on p.81).

If the next session occurs within a quarterly time interval, and you have not adopted a special order of business (which I assume from your statement, " the charter is nearly completely devoid of meeting procedures."), then the standard order of business is:

1)    Reading and Approval of Minutes
2)    Reports of Officers, Boards, and Standing Committees
3)    Reports of Special (Select or Ad Hoc) Committees
4)    Special Orders
5)    Unfinished Business and General Orders
6)    New Business
(p. 353)

Items which were postponed to the present meeting are considered under Unfinished Business and General Orders. Note that this is before New Business.

It's unclear from what you've said whether the resolutions are recommendations from a committee; if so, they could be brought up under Reports from Standing/Special Committees (whichever type of committee applies).

[VolleKeepo]

16 minutes ago, Atul Kapur, PRP "Student" said:

whether the resolutions are recommendations from a committee

There were supposed to be recommendations from a committee. However, the entire committee was absent during that meeting so said resolutions had to be postponed.

Thanks for the info~

[Richard Brown]

48 minutes ago, VolleKeepo said:

On the first session (and first meeting), resolutions were to be dealt with. Four were approved, one was postponed indefinitely, and seven were postponed until a certain committee was present.

Does the next meeing (or session) start with the postponed seven resolutions, or do they start with the new agenda before the seven resolutions?

Note, the charter is nearly completely devoid of meeting procedures.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "seven were postponed until a certain committee was present".  What does that statement mean?  Can you elaborate? 

[VolleKeepo]

Just now, Richard Brown said:

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "seven were postponed until a certain committee was present".  What does that statement mean?  Can you elaborate? 

The seven resolutions were resolutions of appointment of seven officers. The (special) committee is required to report their findings on said appointees (who are not members of the assembly) before they can be approved by the assembly and assume office. The entire committee was absent in the first session, hence the postponement.

[Richard Brown]

If the committee was supposed to have reported at this meeting but did not do so because no committee member was present to give the report, I don't think there was a need to postpone anything.  This committee simply didn't report as it should have.  It can and should report at the next meeting. No postponement was necessary.

If the motions had not been previously referred to the committee and the intent at this meeting was to make the referral, the assembly could still have made the referral.  It is not necessary that any of the committee members be present in order for a motion to be referred to the committee.  Again, there was no need for the postponement.

So, I'm not sure what to make of the postponement "until the committee is present".  Such a postponement is clearly a postponement beyond the present session unless it is anticipated that a committee member will show up before the meeting adjourns.  At any rate, it is improper to postpone a motion beyond the next session.  In most societies, as Mr.Kapur pointed out, each meeting is a separate session.  Any motions that were postponed beyond the end of the current meeting should come up as general orders in the order of business for "Unfinished Business and General Orders" at the next meeting.  Motions which  are postponed to the next session are "general orders".    That would come up before new business.

Edited to add:  If the society is simply waiting for the committee to report, the committee can and probably should give its report at the appropriate point for that type committee (standing or special) report rather than waiting for Unfinished Business and General Orders.

Edited April 23, 2018 at 06:21 AM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph

[VolleKeepo]

1 hour ago, Richard Brown said:

I don't think there was a need to postpone anything.  This committee simply didn't report as it should have.  It can and should report at the next meeting. No postponement was necessary.

Got that. I was assuming that the resolutions had to be introduced in that meeting.

 

Thank you~

[Gary Novosielski]

Presumably if the recommendations were never reported out of the committee, no motion was made to adopt them.  If no motion was made, there is nothing to postpone, and so nothing to be considered under Unfinished Business or General Orders.

The matter can be introduced at the next meeting--or whenever the report is ready.