Informal agenda

[Calion]

“In some organizations, it is customary to send each member, in advance of a meeting, an order of business or agenda, with some indication of the matters to be considered under each heading. Such an agenda is often provided for information only, with no intention or practice of submitting it for adoption. Unless a precirculated agenda is formally adopted at the session to which it applies, it is not binding as to detail or order of consideration, other than as it lists preexisting orders of the day (pp. 364ff.) or conforms to the standard order of business (pp. 25–26, 353ff.) or an order of business prescribed by the rules of the organization (pp. 16, 25).” (RONR, 11th ed., pg. 372)

Can I take this to mean that the chair can hand out agendas before or at the start of a meeting which list items that members have communicated to him that they intend to raise, or, in a small board, that he himself intends to begin discussion on, under "New Business"?

Edited January 29, 2020 at 04:57 AM by Calion

[Josh Martin]

5 hours ago, Calion said:

Can I take this to mean that the chair can hand out agendas before or at the start of a meeting which list items that members have communicated to him that they intend to raise, or, in a small board, that he himself intends to begin discussion on, under "New Business"?

If it is intended to adopt the agenda, they should be listed under General Orders.

[Calion]

Right, but "Such an agenda is often provided for information only, with no intention or practice of submitting it for adoption."

[Gary Novosielski]

If it's not adopted, then as far as RONR is concerned it's just a random piece of paper with non-binding stuff written on it.  The assembly would follow the standard order of business.

[Josh Martin]

2 hours ago, Calion said:

Right, but "Such an agenda is often provided for information only, with no intention or practice of submitting it for adoption."

If it is not intended to be adopted, then it would be appropriate to list the items under New Business, although in such a case the order that the items are listed on the agenda has no bearing on the order in which the items will be considered.

[Rob Elsman]

Notwithstanding the poster's use of the word "agenda", which is being used in a common, colloquial sense, what seem to be passed out are copies of the president's memorandum mentioned in RONR (11th ed.), pp. 353, 354. Provided the society has authorized the expenditure of funds for printing the copies, there is nothing improper about members having them; and, in some cases, it may assist members to know the hours assigned for some special orders, the order in which the orders of the day are to be taken up, and other information contained in the memorandum.

[Calion]

26 minutes ago, Rob Elsman said:

Notwithstanding the poster's use of the word "agenda", which is being used in a common, colloquial sense, what seem to be passed out are copies of the president's memorandum mentioned in RONR (11th ed.), pp. 353, 354.

Nope. Reread what I quoted in the OP. RONR calls what I'm talking about an "agenda" or "order of business."

(My "President's memorandum" has more detail, and includes things like "call to order," which is not appropriate on the agenda.)

Edited January 29, 2020 at 07:27 PM by Calion

[Calion]

3 hours ago, Josh Martin said:

If it is not intended to be adopted, then it would be appropriate to list the items under New Business, although in such a case the order that the items are listed on the agenda has no bearing on the order in which the items will be considered.

 

Thanks, that's exactly what I wanted to know. Members might go along with the order on the informal agenda, especially in a body using the small board rules where the chair might bring them up for discussion himself, but they are not bound to, and can bring up new business in any order, or that is not on the list. But even in a large body, getting your item on the agenda in "new business" might make it more likely that you'll have a chance to raise it. 

Edited January 29, 2020 at 07:29 PM by Calion

[Rob Elsman]

In the strict sense, an agenda is a list of items of business that are to be orders of the day for the meeting. Those items that are assigned to a particular hour are special orders; those items that are not assigned to a particular hour are general orders. The adoption of an agenda has no other effect on the established order of business.

It is true, however, that the president's memorandum can be called an agenda in a colloquial sense. The assembly would take no action on this memorandum; it is for information only.