14 Postpone

[Tomm]

“Rules limiting the time to which a question can be Postponed…” (RONR pg. 183)

From what I can determine, there are basically 3 limits, a) not beyond the end of a present session b) not beyond the next regular business session (meeting), c) sometime in between a & b at an adjourned meeting.

RONR defines Postpone as “the motion by which action on a pending question can be put off, within limits, to a definite day, meeting, or hour, or until after a certain event.”

Now…, I can understand how the “day”, “meeting” or “hour” can be related to and correspond to the 3 limits listed above, but the term “or until a certain event” has me puzzled!

Scenario:

Suppose our Club holds regular meetings once a month:

Member A: I move we make a $500 donation to Charity X”. (Second)

Member B: I move to postpone the donation until after our Clubs fund raising event (which is three months away.)

Question:

Is the motion simply out of order, because it’s not “within limits” or can the motion to Postpone be deferred until after the fund raising event?

 

[George Mervosh]

When a society meets monthly, the motion to postpone the main motion for a donation in your example can be postponed until - 1) Later in the same meeting  2) The next monthly meeting.  Not beyond that.  If the society wanted to set up an adjourned meeting in between this month an next month, and does so, the motion could be postponed to that adjourned meeting.

See if this helps out a bit.  http://www.robertsrules.com/interp_list.html#2006_8

 

[Guest Zev]

Quote

FREEDOM OF EACH NEW SESSION. As a general rule, one session cannot place a question beyond the reach of a majority at a later session except through the process of adopting a special rule of order or an amendment to the bylaws (either of which requires more than a majority vote; see immediately below). It is improper, for example, to postpone anything beyond the next regular session -- which would be an attempt to prevent that session from considering the question. The principle stated applies in qualified form to cases in which a majority rescinds or amends something adopted at an earlier session, or discharges a committee from further consideration of a question referred to it at an earlier session -- which a majority can do provided that previous notice was given. (See p. 306, l. 24 to p. 307, l. 12 and p. 312, ll. 3-15 for the vote required for these actions without previous notice.)

RONR 11th edition, page 87.