"Regularly Called Meeting"

[Eli Zupke]

Our organization's national constitution contains the following provisions (emphasis mine):

Quote

6.401 A regularly called meeting of the chapter shall be held at least once each month during the regular academic school year of the college or university where the chapter is located. Meetings may be held more frequently when deemed advisable by the chapter. The exact time of the meeting shall be determined by the chapter.

6.402 Special chapter meetings shall be called as provided by local bylaws.

[...]

6.602 The active and associate members of a chapter shall select its delegates at a regularly called meeting of the chapter.

I'm almost certain that the usage of the phrase "regularly called meeting" here means that we could not hold a special meeting to elect delegates to convention. Is this a correct interpretation?

[Bruce Lages]

I don't see how you arrived at that interpretation. The sections quoted from your constitution don't say anything about the items of business - such as the election of convention delegates - that may be considered at each type of meeting.

[RSW]

20 minutes ago, Bruce Lages said:

The sections quoted from your constitution don't say anything about the items of business - such as the election of convention delegates - that may be considered at each type of meeting

I think he’s arguing that 6.602 explicitly says that the delegates shall be selected at a regularly called meeting. 

 

[Richard Brown]

4 hours ago, Eli Zupke said:

I'm almost certain that the usage of the phrase "regularly called meeting" here means that we could not hold a special meeting to elect delegates to convention. Is this a correct interpretation?

 

16 minutes ago, Bruce Lages said:

I don't see how you arrived at that interpretation. The sections quoted from your constitution don't say anything about the items of business - such as the election of convention delegates - that may be considered at each type of meeting.

Hmmm.   I agree with the interpretation of Mr. Zupke.  The bylaws say in Section 6.602  that "The active and associate members of a chapter shall select its delegates at a regularly called meeting of the chapter.  (Emphasis added).  I interpret that as meaning delegates may be selected ONLY at "a regularly called meeting" and not at a "special chapter meeting".

Perhaps both interpretations are reasonable.  Ultimately, this is a question of bylaws interpretation which it is up to the members of this organization to make.  We cannot do that for them.

[Guest Puzzling]

I do mostly agree with the replies that say that only at a regular meeting such an election may be held.

The only way I think that an election may be held at another meeting is:

A) at an adjourned meeting and the election is postponed till then.

B) at a special meeting if at a regular membership  meeting a motion saying so was adopted. (Not an board decision to do so) 

[RSW]

5 hours ago, Guest Puzzling said:

A) at an adjourned meeting and the election is postponed till then.

 

This comports with RONR 9:18:

Quote

When common expressions such as “regular [or “stated”] meeting,” “special [or “called”] meeting,” and “annual meeting” (see below) are used in the bylaws, rules, or resolutions adopted by an organization, the word meeting is understood to mean session in the parliamentary sense, and therefore covers all adjourned meetings.

With regard to:

5 hours ago, Guest Puzzling said:

at a special meeting if at a regular membership  meeting a motion saying so was adopted. (Not an board decision to do so) 

I feel like that would still be against the corporate charter, *UNLESS* the organization typically schedules their "regular meetings" in this way, suggested in RONR 9:2:

Quote

If, instead, an organization follows the practice of scheduling the day, hour, or place of its regular meetings by resolution, notice (also referred to as the call of the meeting) must be sent to all members a reasonable time in advance of each regular meeting.

In that case it wouldn't be a "special meeting" though in the RONR sense of the term - it would be a regularly-called meeting with the main business item being the selection of delegates.

Alternatively, depending on how the structure works a local bylaw could perhaps clarify / supersede the national constitution - but I think it would have to be a bylaw rather than a typical motion. That would be a question for somebody with a much more detailed knowledge than this forum allows.

Personally, I would have the organization vote *well in advance* for an additional regularly-scheduled meeting to handle the election. Either that, or allow ample additional time for the election at whatever regular meeting would be happening at election time.

[Bruce Lages]

My bad - I missed the 'expand' button under the quoted text. Yes, of course the interpretation is correct.

[Eli Zupke]

4 hours ago, Bruce Lages said:

My bad - I missed the 'expand' button under the quoted text.

That button is fairly easy to miss. Funny how in this case the fully expanded box is actually shorter than the unexpanded box.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 4/12/2021 at 2:21 PM, Eli Zupke said:

That button is fairly easy to miss. Funny how in this case the fully expanded box is actually shorter than the unexpanded box.

Another "feature" that makes the forum less usable.  <sigh>

_____

I'm confused by the phrase "regularly called" which appears to me to be an oxymoron.  

In language I'm familiar with, meetings are referred to as regular meetings or properly called meetings, the latter referring to special meetings which are alternatively referred to as called meetings.  A called meeting is presumably not a regular meeting.

Edited April 20, 2021 at 11:41 PM by Gary Novosielski

[Richard Brown]

2 hours ago, Gary Novosielski said:

I'm confused by the phrase "regularly called" which appears to me to be an oxymoron.  

In language I'm familiar with, meetings are referred to as regular meetings or properly called meetings, the latter referring to special meetings which are alternatively referred to as called meetings.  A called meeting is presumably not a regular meeting.

I agree and I also found it confusing, but that is (unfortunately) the language used in the bylaws.