Accepting a report

[Tomm]

If a committee submits a report of suggestions and recommendations to the Board and the Board accepts the report, are they actually accepting the suggestions and recommendations or are they simply accepting, (i.e. acknowledging) the receipt of the report?

[Rob Elsman]

"Accept" a report is considered synonymous with "adopt" a report. It seems the board has adopted the whole report and everything in it. This is clearly more than "receive" a report.

Could I talk you all out of "accept" and "agree" in order to avoid confusion?

[Tomm]

Would it be appropriate to make a motion to "Recieve the report for future consideration without adoption?"

Would that allow acceptance with no commitment?

[Rob Elsman]

Ordinarily, no motion is necessary at all. At the time assigned in the order of business, the chair calls on the reporting member to present the report. After finishing, the reporting member makes the appropriate motion that the recommendations in the report be adopted and the chair states the first motion.

Subsidiary motions can be used to postpone consideration.

[jstackpo]

1 hour ago, Tomm said:

Would it be appropriate to make a motion to "Recieve the report for future consideration without adoption?"

Would that allow acceptance with no commitment?

Why go to the bother?  After the report (requiring no immediate action) has been presented, the chair can say "Thank you" and hand it to the secretary for safe keeping.  Nothing more is necessary.

[Josh Martin]

11 hours ago, Tomm said:

If a committee submits a report of suggestions and recommendations to the Board and the Board accepts the report, are they actually accepting the suggestions and recommendations or are they simply accepting, (i.e. acknowledging) the receipt of the report?

 

10 hours ago, Tomm said:

Would it be appropriate to make a motion to "Recieve the report for future consideration without adoption?"

Would that allow acceptance with no commitment?

If a report has just been presented for information only, the chair simply announces that the report is placed on file and moves on. No motion is necessary or appropriate. To “accept” the report creates the impression that the report has been adopted, and to “receive” a report means to hear it, which has already been done.

“A common error is to move that a report "be received" after it has been read apparently on the supposition that such a motion is necessary in order for the report to be taken under consideration or to be recorded as having been made. In fact, this motion is meaningless, since the report has already been received. Even before a report has been read, a motion to receive it is unnecessary if the time for its reception is established by the order of business, or if no member objects (see also below).

Another error—less common, but dangerous—is to move, after the report has been read (or even before the reading), that it "be accepted," when the actual intent is that of the mistaken motion to receive, as just explained, or of a legitimate motion to receive made before the report is read. If a motion "to accept" made under any of these circumstances is adopted and is given its proper interpretation, it implies that the assembly has endorsed the complete report.” (RONR, 11th ed., pg. 507)

“Even if a report contains only an account of work done or a statement of fact or opinion for the assembly's information, it should be in writing. Apart from filing such a report, however, no action on it is necessary and usually none should be taken.” (RONR, 11th ed., pg. 525)

If the report does contain recommendations and it is desired to adopt them, one or more motions are made (usually by the reporting member) to implement those recommendations. The report itself should be adopted only if it is intended to endorse the report in its entirety. This might be done if, for instance, the report is to be published in the society’s name.