Cancelling a monthly meeting

[RealityCheck]

We just received notice from the Chair that the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of our Council is canceled this month due to COVID being on the increase and no suitable meeting room being found that will allow sufficient social distancing.   Keep in mind this is a 9 member volunteer Council that advocates for the members of the complex where we live and is not any type of business entity.  Within minutes of receiving the email notice of cancelation another member of the Council called me and she expressed the same reaction that I had.   

• We expect the Chair made little or no effort to find a safe place to meet.   We believe there is a large room that would be available. 
• We believe the Chair was looking for an excuse to not meet as a stall tactic as he (and the Vice Chair) do not want to discuss a certain topic and are afraid the full Council will not decide in the way the two of them want things decided.  We think they hope by stalling they will discourage us or make it too late for us to take effective action.
• Today is Friday and the meeting is Tuesday.   We expect the timing of the notice (late Friday afternoon) was on purpose to allow little time to react and because the staff that might schedule a meeting room are not in on the weekend.  

I bought the 12th edition of Robert's Rules but can't seem to figure out how to find the topic of cancelation of a monthly meeting.   Our constitution and by-laws were done by volunteers in 2017 and are not very comprehensive.   I could not find any reference to cancelation or postponement of a meeting.   The quote below is the thing I found regarding this monthly  meeting.  

1. Who has the right to cancel this recurring meeting?   Can the Chair do that on his own initiative without consulting other members of the Council?
2. What if a majority of the Council would still like to meet and would have a quorum?   Do they have the right to meet regardless of the notice from the Chair?  How far in advance would we need to determine that a majority want to meet and who can make that decision or initiate that?  

 

Quote

ARTICLE VI COUNCIL MEETING
SECTION 1. The Council will meet once per calendar month on a regular basis, from
July 1 through June 30, on the second Tuesday of the month, at a time and
place to be announced at each meeting for the subsequent meeting.

Thanks for your help!  

 

[J. J.]

No one has a right to cancel a meeting, unless the bylaws grant that right.

You should follow your bylaws.  If the place of the meeting cannot be used, I would suggest that you meet there (or as close as possible) and schedule an adjourned meeting.  See Section 22.