Boards & Committees

[AFS1970]

We have several groups of members, some called boards and some called committees. The boards are mostly ex-officio, in that they are made up of those who are elected to various offices. The committees are mostly appointed and may or may not include officers. There are a couple of committees that are made up of the members of certain boards, and one board has both officers and three members elected as board members. 

Do boards and committees essentially function the same? We had a board member request funding for a project that is under their authority. This is usually done with a motion. The chair asked for a second but was "reminded" by someone else that committees making motions do not need a second. Since this group is called a board, do they still fall under such a committee rule?

[Bruce Lages]

According to RONR, boards and committees are very different animals, and, for the most part they do not function in the same way. I would refer you to RONR's chapter on boards and committees, starting on p. 481, to read in detail about the differences.

As to seconds for motions, a second is not needed for a motion arising out of a committee report to the the parent assembly, as long as the committee was made up of more than one member. For most committees - and for many boards - the relaxed procedural rules described on p. 487-488 include a provision that seconds are not needed. These rules apply to most committees and can be adopted by boards of not more than about a dozen members. 

[Atul Kapur]

Whether you call it a board or a committee is not as important as the body's function and authority. There are many groups called committees which function as boards and therefore RONR's provisions on boards apply. An example is an Executive Committee (RONR 11th ed., p. 485, lines 14-17). Although less common (in my experience) there are bodies which are titled "boards" but which RONR would call a committee.

Motions in a committee do not require a second (p. 500, lines 9-13).

Motions in small boards ("a board meeting where there are not more than about a dozen members
present") also do not require a second. (p. 487, lines 26-28 and p. 488, line 1).

[Guest Cecilia]

If a committee has several motions on say 10 polices, can the policies be presented in bulk or do they have to be presented individually? 

[Richard Brown]

8 hours ago, Guest Cecilia said:

If a committee has several motions on say 10 polices, can the policies be presented in bulk or do they have to be presented individually? 

Guest Cecilia, since your question is on a slightly different subject, please ask it by starting a new topic. 

Edited March 22, 2020 at 02:03 PM by Richard Brown
Typographical correction

[Richard Brown]

On 3/20/2020 at 1:35 PM, AFS1970 said:

We had a board member request funding for a project that is under their authority. This is usually done with a motion. The chair asked for a second but was "reminded" by someone else that committees making motions do not need a second. Since this group is called a board, do they still fall under such a committee rule?

Yes. Per page 507 at lines 4 - 19, The same rules apply and no second is necessary if the reporting member makes the motion on behalf of the board or committee.  See particularly lines 17-19.