A special called meeting

[Guest brotherdoug]

Who can call a special called meeting? Is there a time frame from announcing the special called meeting until you actually have the meeting?

[George Mervosh]

10 minutes ago, Guest brotherdoug said:

Who can call a special called meeting? Is there a time frame from announcing the special called meeting until you actually have the meeting?

Here is what RONR says -

"Special meetings can properly be called only (a) as authorized in the bylaws (see p. 576); or (b) when authorized by the assembly itself, as part of formal disciplinary procedures, for purposes of conducting a trial and determining a punishment (see footnote, p. 661). A section of the bylaws that authorizes the calling of special meetings should prescribe: 
    1)    by whom such a meeting is to be called—which provision is usually in the form of a statement that the president (or, in large organizations, the president with the approval of the board) can call a special meeting, and that he shall call a special meeting at the written request of a specific number of members; and 
    2)    the number of days' notice required. Unless otherwise provided in the bylaws, the number of days is computed by counting all calendar days (including holidays and weekends), excluding the day of the meeting but including the day the notice is sent. "  RONR (11th ed.), p. 92

[Guest brotherdoug]

So, the president or moderator is the one to call a special meeting at the request of members? 

But, when it comes to a notice of the meeting, that is decided by the organization itself?

[Atul Kapur]

As per Mr. Mervosh's quotation, it depends on what your bylaws say about special meetings. The bylaws should say who is authorized to call them and under what circumstances they are authorized to do so.
The phrase in Mr. Mervosh's quotation just states a common way of specifying it; it isn't a default.

The bylaws should also mention notice. If they don't specify notice for the special meeting, do they specify notice for regular meetings?

If your bylaws don't mention special meetings, you are not authorized to hold them.

[Guest Who's Coming to Dinner]

7 hours ago, Guest brotherdoug said:

So, the president or moderator is the one to call a special meeting at the request of members? 

But, when it comes to a notice of the meeting, that is decided by the organization itself?

Only if the bylaws say that the president or moderator is the one to call a special meeting at the request of the members.

Notice is also specified by the bylaws. If no provision is made, then the notice must be reasonable.

[Richard Brown]

16 hours ago, Guest brotherdoug said:

Who can call a special called meeting? Is there a time frame from announcing the special called meeting until you actually have the meeting?

Pay particular attention to the answers above. You cannot have special meetings at all unless they are authorized in your bylaws and they must be called in the manner prescribed in your bylaws. The answer, or most of it, is in your bylaws.

Edited July 3, 2019 at 01:24 PM by Richard Brown
Edited last sentence as indicated by underlining

[Gary Novosielski]

19 hours ago, Guest brotherdoug said:

So, the president or moderator is the one to call a special meeting at the request of members? 

But, when it comes to a notice of the meeting, that is decided by the organization itself?

If there is a section in your bylaws regarding special meetings, it should tell you the notice requirement.

If there is none, then you cannot have special meetings.  (Except for trials as noted by Mr. Mervosh)

If there is one, but the notice requirement was overlooked, then a "reasonable" amount of time is required.  What "reasonable" means could be, and probably would be, argued among the members, but it could be decided by a majority vote.