Guest Sylvia Posted June 12, 2018 at 02:46 PM Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 at 02:46 PM A motion was made and carried at a meeting that the Rules Committee of the organization (the Board is the Rules Committee) meet and address and define participation by volunteers with the organization which is an elected body. The Chair had not called a Rules Committee meeting to address the issue (he is in favor of procedures that are not in keeping with the organization, thus the motion) . The Vice Chair sent out an email that copied the Chair and the Board and called for a meeting. The majority of the Board has agreed on a specific date and time, however, the Chair says that he cannot attend. The Chair has been advised that he will be sent the agenda prior to the meeting and the minutes after the meeting. Is it correct that the Board is within its rights to proceed with the meeting even though the Chair says he cannot attend? Please note that this is an Interim Chair to serve until August and he has not called Board meetings and chosen to lead without the direction of his duly elected Board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted June 12, 2018 at 02:54 PM Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 at 02:54 PM Questions: 1. What do your bylaws say about meetings of this "board aka rules committee" and how (and by whom) they can be called? 2. Do your bylaws specifically say that this "rules committee" is in the nature of an executive board? Or is it set up simply as a committee, much like any other committee, with no power to actually do anything without direction from the membership? 3. What do you mean when you say that the organization is an elected body? Is it a public body, as in a governmental entity of some sort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sylvia Posted June 12, 2018 at 03:21 PM Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 at 03:21 PM The Rules committee is only referred to when talking about bring by law changes before the body. Any by law submission goes to the Rules Committee who makes sure it is ok in it language to proceed with presenting to the general membership for a vote. The motion at the meeting was to refer the issue in question to the Rules Committee for review and an interpretation of their function with the elected body. Otherwise it is not addressed anywhere else in the by laws. The Board was appointed the Rules Committee by the previous chair and by the Interim Chair now serving. We are an elected body that is the county representation of a State political body. If we have more who qualify for allotted positions, then we are on the ballot in the primary for those of our party to select the slots allowed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted June 12, 2018 at 03:43 PM Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 at 03:43 PM This sounds to me like a special meeting of the Board. Provided the notices were sent out in time, the meeting can occur, with the Vice Chair presiding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted June 12, 2018 at 04:42 PM Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 at 04:42 PM 57 minutes ago, Transpower said: This sounds to me like a special meeting of the Board. Provided the notices were sent out in time, the meeting can occur, with the Vice Chair presiding. I don't think we know enough yet to say that. For example, we don't know whether a meeting of this board / committee was actually called, who called it, and who the bylaws authorize to call such a meeting. And that's just for openers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sylvia Posted June 12, 2018 at 05:55 PM Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 at 05:55 PM The Vice Chair asked for the meeting since the Chair had called no meeting to address the issue. All Board members were included in the email and the date, time and place of the meeting was provided. The Chair does not call Board meetings. The by laws do not address the issue of calling Board meetings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted June 12, 2018 at 05:59 PM Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 at 05:59 PM (edited) 12 minutes ago, Guest Sylvia said: The Vice Chair asked for the meeting since the Chair had called no meeting to address the issue. All Board members were included in the email and the date, time and place of the meeting was provided. The Chair does not call Board meetings. The by laws do not address the issue of calling Board meetings. Guest Sylvia, I ask you again: What, exactly, do your bylaws say about calling meetings (special or otherwise) of this board/committee? Who is authorized to call them? What kind of notice is required? Please quote verbatim. Edited to add: Your vice president has no authority to call a special meeting of your board unless authorized by the bylaws. If this is a committee and not a board, other rules apply. You aren't giving us the information we need in order to properly help you. One more question: Do your bylaws actually say that this executive board is also your "rules committee"? Or is the rules committee set up separately? Or is it even specifically mentioned in your bylaws? Edited June 12, 2018 at 06:08 PM by Richard Brown Added last two paragraphs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted June 12, 2018 at 06:09 PM Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 at 06:09 PM There seems to be a good deal of ambiguity about whether the Board handles matters involving rules, or whether there is actually a Rules Committee which happens to have as its members the members of the Board. There are different rules covering boards vs. committees. If the chair does not call board meetings, and the bylaws do tell us who does, how do board meetings get held? And what, if anything does this have to do with meetings of the Rules Committee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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