No Quorum or"Ghost " Meeting

[Guest SAA]

An  AGM is required according to the bylaws . Prior to Notice of the AGM going out   ,the President contacts all   146 members   by email and  and inquires as to preference for a meeting in 2020 . The members are unanimous  ,they do not want to attend any in-person meeting  ( Covid  - 19 concerns ) ,nor do they wish to have  an electronic  ( virtual ) meeting .

The President  subsequently arranges for a proper  Notice of Meeting to go out to each member . She then sends our a further email  to members  and advises that members  can attend  if they wish to do so , but all members  are  encouraged  not to attend the AGM on the date and time as stipulated  in the Notice of Meeting . 

The President and some  staff  attend on the date and time scheduled  in the Notice of Meeting . The President ( at the time stated  in the Notice  of Meeting )   addresses  those present ( management /no members  ) and advises that quorum is not present  . She then calls the meeting  to order  and announces that no business can be conducted in the absence of quorum. The meeting  is then directed to stand at  ease  and a search is made in the corridor for any members . None are found - 15 minutes goes  by . The chair then calls  the meeting back to order ,and  just after  ,declares the meeting adjourned, there being no quorum . 

This is , of course , a contrived  process to hold the AGM  . 

Would it be  to  sufficient nevertheless  to  satisfy  bylaws  that state  only that  "an Annual  general meeting must be held' ?

Thank - you for any responses  to this inquiry. 

SAA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Josh Martin]

15 minutes ago, Guest SAA said:

Would it be  to  sufficient nevertheless  to  satisfy  bylaws  that state  only that  "an Annual  general meeting must be held' ?

Yes.

"But if a quorum fails to appear at a regular or properly called meeting, the inability to transact business does not detract from the fact that the society's rules requiring the meeting to be held were complied with and the meeting was convened—even though it had to adjourn immediately." (RONR, 11th ed., pg. 347)

[J. J.]

Yes, and you can find an example described here:  https://www.academia.edu/42254288/RONR_versus_Blizzards

I have never heard it called a "ghost meeting," but I rather like the label.