How does a meeting convene?

[Guest Mitchel Cohen]

A Board meeting is duly noticed. A quorum is reached.

Before the Chair announces that the meeting has convened, a member of the Board objects to it being convened, and the Chair doesn't know what to do.

The argument begins and a super majority votes in straw poll to convene. The objecting member says that there can be no votes until the meeting actually begins. (You can't vote to convene a meeting before the meeting is convened.)

The Chair doesn't know what to do.

The question is: When does a meeting become official? Is it when the Chair convenes it, or when a quorum is present for a duly noticed meeting regardless of whether the Chair convenes it?

[Chris Harrison]

The meeting starts when the Chair calls the meeting to order (or another member can call the meeting to order if the Chair isn't there or fails to do so).  What was the member's objection to the meeting being called to order?

[Atul Kapur]

2 hours ago, Guest Mitchel Cohen said:

Before the Chair announces that the meeting has convened, a member of the Board objects to it being convened, and the Chair doesn't know what to do.

The argument begins and a super majority votes in straw poll to convene. The objecting member says that there can be no votes until the meeting actually begins. (You can't vote to convene a meeting before the meeting is convened.)

What's good for the goose is good for the gander: If no votes can be held until the meeting actually begins, then no objections can be heard (or decide upon) until the meeting actually begins, either.

[Josh Martin]

3 hours ago, Guest Mitchel Cohen said:

The question is: When does a meeting become official? Is it when the Chair convenes it, or when a quorum is present for a duly noticed meeting regardless of whether the Chair convenes it?

The meeting begins when the chair convenes it, which he is required to do at the scheduled time or promptly thereafter. If the chair fails to do so, someone else can (and should). A meeting is ultimately convened even if a quorum is not present, although it is permissible to wait for a bit in such cases.

What the chair should have done was to ignore the objection and call the meeting to order anyway. It is correct that votes cannot be taken before a meeting is convened, but Points of Order can’t be raised before the meeting is convened either.

After the meeting was convened, the member could have them raised his Point of Order, followed by an Appeal if necessary.

[J. J.]

IMO, a member could raise a point of order on the ground that there is some problem with the meeting, e.g. the meeting was not properly called.  

[Josh Martin]

Just now, J. J. said:

IMO, a member could raise a point of order on the ground that there is some problem with the meeting, e.g. the meeting was not properly called.  

Yes, but the member would have to wait until the meeting started in order to do so.

[J. J.]

1 minute ago, Josh Martin said:

Yes, but the member would have to wait until the meeting started in order to do so.

Agreed, the point of order has to be raised when the meeting is called to order, but it may be raised immediately.  I would ask the member if he is raising a point of order.