Absent Committee Chairman

[Eli Zupke]

I'm a member of a committee that meets weekly. This week the committee chair has a schedule conflict with the scheduled committee meeting time, but we want to hold the meeting anyway. If the committee meeting is called to order with a quorum, but the chairman of the committee is not present, then who presides over the committee meeting? If a report is approved by the committee during that meeting, then who signs it, and how?

Our bylaws and special rules of order don't have anything relevant to this situation. 

[Richard Brown]

1 hour ago, Eli Zupke said:

I'm a member of a committee that meets weekly. This week the committee chair has a schedule conflict with the scheduled committee meeting time, but we want to hold the meeting anyway. If the committee meeting is called to order with a quorum, but the chairman of the committee is not present, then who presides over the committee meeting? 

The committee members who are present select a chairman pro tem to preside over the meeting.

1 hour ago, Eli Zupke said:

If a report is approved by the committee during that meeting, then who signs it, and how?

RONR provides in section 51:27 that the committee report should either be signed by the chairman on behalf of the committee or it can be signed by all committee members who agree with it, which might be all of the committee members or only those who agree with the report.  The chairman and any other members who might have been absent may also sign the report if they agree with it.  (RONR 12th Ed. 51:27). 

Edited to add: I would think that the committee could authorize the chairman pro tem who presided over the meeting to sign the report on behalf of the committee, but RONR does not mention that alternative. I am anxious to see what my colleagues have to say about that.
 

 

Edited March 10, 2021 at 02:07 PM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph

[Richard Brown]

Here is the full text of section 51:27:

51:27 If a written committee report is of considerable importance, it should be signed by all the members concurring. Otherwise, the committee can authorize its chairman to sign the report alone, in which case he adds the word Chairman after his signature. By so signing, the committee chairman certifies that the report has been adopted by the committee as explained in 51:2. When all concurring members sign the report, it is customary for the chairman to sign first, but this is not obligatory. In any case, he should not place the word Chairman after his name except when he signs alone on behalf of the entire committee. The use of the words Respectfully submitted preceding the signature(s) on a committee report is unnecessary and no longer customary.

[Josh Martin]

36 minutes ago, Richard Brown said:

RONR provides in section 51:27 that the committee report should either be signed by the chairman on behalf of the committee or it can be signed by all committee members who agree with it, which might be all of the committee members or only those who agree with the report.  The chairman and any other members who might have been absent may also sign the report if they agree with it.  (RONR 12th Ed. 51:27). 

Edited to add: I would think that the committee could authorize the chairman pro tem who presided over the meeting to sign the report on behalf of the committee, but RONR does not mention that alternative. I am anxious to see what my colleagues have to say about that.

I would first note that, in my view, the rule in 51:27 does not require the chairman to be present at the committee meeting in order to sign the report. So it seems to me that generally, the committee chair should still sign it.

If for whatever reason this is not practical (perhaps because it is not practical to obtain the chair's signature in a timely manner, or because the chairman is unwilling to sign the report), I agree that the committee can authorize some other person to sign the report, and the chairman pro tempore seems like a logical choice.

[Eli Zupke]

Alright, seems simple enough. Thanks for your speedy and comprehensive responses!