Voting Item

[Ariann M. Pradia]

If there is a voting item on the agenda, should the members be notified in advance prior to the meeting?

[jstackpo]

RONR has no requirements for such, except in some special cases.  What is the nature of the "item"?

[Richard Brown]

And what, if anything, do your own rules and bylaws say about previous notice?

[Dan Honemann]

I'm inclined to wonder what is meant by "a voting item on the agenda."

I suppose that a "voting item" is a motion of some kind, but unless this organization has some bylaw provision or special rule of its own regarding agendas for its meetings, there isn't an agenda for any meeting unless and until one is adopted by the assembly at that meeting, usually at its beginning. And if this is an assembly that meets as frequently as quarterly, and has adopted RONR as its parliamentary authority, it probably should not be adopting any agendas for its meetings.

[Ariann M. Pradia]

The voting item that was voted on was to go into a contact with a hotel for a conference.  I feel like when it involves money, members should have receive prior notice.  Members were given 20 minutes to review the document and make a decision.  There are no Bylaws that speak to the subject.

[George Mervosh]

3 minutes ago, Ariann Pradia McCoy said:

The voting item that was voted on was to go into a contact with a hotel for a conference.  I feel like when it involves money, members should have receive prior notice.  Members were given 20 minutes to review the document and make a decision.  There are no Bylaws that speak to the subject.

RONR does not require previous notice for something like this.  The assembly could have always postponed the matter to the next meeting (assuming that next meeting his held within a quarterly time interval) or sent it to a committee for further review and recommendations.  The organization can adopt a rule requiring previous notice on certain types of motions.

[Guest Who's Coming to Dinner]

I suspect that members who are content to have an agenda imposed on them are likewise ignorant of their right to postpone a motion so they can review it.

[Guest Zev]

Ariann: If the hotel has not been advised of the result of the vote then the motion can still be rescinded by a majority vote if previous notice has been given. If the hotel has been advised of the result then it is too late. The only recourse would then be to discipline the individuals that hurried this motion through the assembly.

[Dan Honemann]

9 hours ago, Guest Zev said:

Ariann: If the hotel has not been advised of the result of the vote then the motion can still be rescinded by a majority vote if previous notice has been given. If the hotel has been advised of the result then it is too late. The only recourse would then be to discipline the individuals that hurried this motion through the assembly.

Well, no rule in RONR prevents either rescission or deliberate breach of a contract (although the latter may be a very bad idea), and I see nothing as yet in the facts provided which would warrant the institution of disciplinary proceedings against anyone.