Adding an agenda item without public notice

[Guest KBS]

How does someone add an agenda item if the chair won’t add it prior to meeting (per policy)?

[Hieu H. Huynh]

What is meant by "per policy"?

[Rob Elsman]

Why must "public notice" be given?  Is this body required to comply with open meeting laws?

[Richard Brown]

Guest KBS, please answer our questions so that we have the information we need in order to help you. 

1 hour ago, Rob Elsman said:

Why must "public notice" be given?  Is this body required to comply with open meeting laws?

Well, Guest KBS didn't say anything about "public notice" and, in fact, didn't say anything at all about notice.  We don't know if this agenda is made available prior to the meeting or not.  It may be that the chair is just arbitrarily refusing to permit his agenda to be amended once he has prepared it. 

Whatever the case, it is obvious that this organization has some type of "policy" that is not consistent with RONR since RONR provides that the agenda may indeed be amended at the meeting.  If the rules in RONR are controlling, the agenda is not even official or binding until it is adopted by the assembly at the meeting.  I agree that we need more information about this organization's "policy" regarding the agenda.... and whether this "policy" has been officially adopted by the organization or if it is some practice the chair has decided to impose.  (I know that you know all of this: I'm stating it for the benefit of Guest KBS).

[Rob Elsman]

The words, "public notice" were in the title of the post.  I wondered about what the nature of this body was.

[Richard Brown]

28 minutes ago, Rob Elsman said:

The words, "public notice" were in the title of the post.

Ahh, yes, so they are.  I overlooked that.

[Jac]

So do I understand RONR correctly that during the "new business" part of the meeting, anyone can stand, be recognized and bring up a motion on a new business item not listed on the agenda or announced prior to meeting for discussion and vote? Thanks!

[Josh Martin]

5 minutes ago, Jac said:

So do I understand RONR correctly that during the "new business" part of the meeting, anyone can stand, be recognized and bring up a motion on a new business item not listed on the agenda or announced prior to meeting for discussion and vote? Thanks!

Generally, yes.

[Richard Brown]

1 hour ago, Jac said:

So do I understand RONR correctly that during the "new business" part of the meeting, anyone can stand, be recognized and bring up a motion on a new business item not listed on the agenda or announced prior to meeting for discussion and vote? Thanks!

Well, not just anyone, but any member.

[Jac]

Yes. Then is that to mean board members cannot, Richard? Conducting our meetings for our small church is a parliamentarian and a board member. The rest of the four board members sit in the audience as regular members, although because they are also on the board they have specialized knowledge and awareness on issues the rest of the membership does not. Does RONR allow for those four board members to bring up unannounced motions, as regular members? Our bylaws do not address it. Thanks!

[Weldon Merritt]

1 minute ago, Jac said:

Does RONR allow for those four board members to bring up unannounced motions, as regular members? Our bylaws do not address it.

If the board members are also members of the assembly (as I understand to be the case), then yes, they can participate as fully as any other regular member.

[Guest Puzzling]

3 hours ago, Jac said:

rest of the four board members sit in the audience as regular members,

That's right way to do it during general association meetings.

For boardmeetings (where maybe other members are viewers) it is not a good  layout.

(I know the firsthand is somewhere in RONR but I could not find it)