Adjourn without a vote to avoid further debate on a topic

[Jen Morningstar]

Near the end of the meeting, a director was commenting and another director interrupted with a motion to adjourn. The chair adjourned the meeting without a second, although technically she could argue she seconded. There was no vote to adjourn.

I would not classify the adjournment as an emergency, only to prevent further comments that were not desireable.

Now other members are questioning the validity of adjournment and I don't know how to answer them.

[Josh Martin]

Just now, Jen Morningstar said:

Near the end of the meeting, a director was commenting and another director interrupted with a motion to adjourn. The chair adjourned the meeting without a second, although technically she could argue she seconded. There was no vote to adjourn.

I would not classify the adjournment as an emergency, only to prevent further comments that were not desireable.

Now other members are questioning the validity of adjournment and I don't know how to answer them.

The adjournment was not valid. An adjournment may only be adjourned without a vote in the following circumstances:

• The time for adjournment has been previously set by the assembly and that time has arrived.
• The assembly has completed its entire order of business and no member seeks to introduce new business.
• There is an emergency which immediately threatens the members’ safety, such as a fire.

In all other cases, a motion to adjourn requires a second and a majority vote for adoption. Additionally, a motion to adjourn cannot interrupt a speaker.

It should also be noted, however, that a Point of Order must generally be raised at the time of the violation. So the meeting is certainly adjourned now, even although it was improper.

[Jen Morningstar]

Thank you, that helps.

[jstackpo]

1 hour ago, Jen Morningstar said:

only to prevent further comments that were not desireable.

And that tactic wouldn't work anyway.  A pending motion -- there was, I trust, a motion pending that the director was "commenting" on -- will come up automatically under "Unfinished Business" in the next meeting.  So you are not done with it.

[Jen Morningstar]

21 minutes ago, jstackpo said:

And that tactic wouldn't work anyway.  A pending motion -- there was, I trust, a motion pending that the director was "commenting" on -- will come up automatically under "Unfinished Business" in the next meeting.  So you are not done with it.

 

Sorry, not the clearest post.
We were at the end of the meeting where members of the organization are allowed to speak their opinions. There was a subject being commented on by several people. The chair responded to one of the comments, so a second director insisted upon commenting as well.

While the second director was speaking, director 3 declared "I move to adjourn" and the chair adjourned the meeting.

[Guest Zev]

On occasion general comments about the work of a society is grouped under a heading called "Good Of The Order" or some such title. Nevertheless, the clarification does not change the fact that the interruption of the member's speech and move to adjourn is still improper.

[Jen Morningstar]

Thanks for the input. Now I have to figure out how to annotate the improper adjournment in the minutes. 
 

Would something like this work? Chair announced adjournment of meeting without proper motion or vote. 

[Richard Brown]

23 hours ago, Josh Martin said:

The adjournment was not valid.

 

23 hours ago, Josh Martin said:

It should also be noted, however, that a Point of Order must generally be raised at the time of the violation. So the meeting is certainly adjourned now, even although it was improper.

Josh, just being a bit nit-picky here, since everyone apparently left the meeting and went home, wouldn't it be more appropriate to say "the adjournment was not proper rather than that it "was not valid"?   I think we all agree, as even you acknowledge by the second comment I quoted, that the meeting most definitely is adjourned.  To say that the adjournment "was not valid" implies that it is still not adjourned and is still in session, just without a quorum at the moment.

[Guest Who's Coming to Dinner]

1 hour ago, Jen Morningstar said:

Thanks for the input. Now I have to figure out how to annotate the improper adjournment in the minutes. 
 

Would something like this work? Chair announced adjournment of meeting without proper motion or vote. 

It is the job of the Secretary to record, not to rule. I would write that Member X moved to adjourn and meeting adjourned without objection at XX o'clock.

[Guest Zev]

1 hour ago, Guest Who's Coming to Dinner said:

It is the job of the Secretary to record, not to rule. I would write that Member X moved to adjourn and meeting adjourned without objection at XX o'clock.

I think so too. If the assembly wishes to insert their feelings then it is up to them to do it, not the secretary.

[Josh Martin]

2 hours ago, Jen Morningstar said:

Thanks for the input. Now I have to figure out how to annotate the improper adjournment in the minutes. 
 

Would something like this work? Chair announced adjournment of meeting without proper motion or vote. 

This is unnecessary. The minutes should simply note the time of adjournment.

2 hours ago, Richard Brown said:

Josh, just being a bit nit-picky here, since everyone apparently left the meeting and went home, wouldn't it be more appropriate to say "the adjournment was not proper rather than that it "was not valid"?   I think we all agree, as even you acknowledge by the second comment I quoted, that the meeting most definitely is adjourned.  To say that the adjournment "was not valid" implies that it is still not adjourned and is still in session, just without a quorum at the moment.

If you feel that “not proper” more clearly communicates that the meeting is now adjourned, even although the process was in error, I have no objection to this.

1 hour ago, Guest Who's Coming to Dinner said:

It is the job of the Secretary to record, not to rule. I would write that Member X moved to adjourn and meeting adjourned without objection at XX o'clock.

Based on the rules in RONR and the sample minutes, it appears that the minutes should simply state that the meeting adjourned at XX o’clock.