Meeting Adjourned with a motion on the floor

[Guest MFP]

What happens if a meeting was adjourned while a motion was being discussed on the floor? Quorum had been lost as the meeting ran about an hour past its expected end time. A motion to postpone or lay on the table was not made prior to the adjournment. What happens to that motion?

[Richard Brown]

8 minutes ago, Guest MFP said:

What happens if a meeting was adjourned while a motion was being discussed on the floor? Quorum had been lost as the meeting ran about an hour past its expected end time. A motion to postpone or lay on the table was not made prior to the adjournment. What happens to that motion?

The motion automatically comes back up as "unfinished business" in the standard of order of business for the next meeting.  The chair should call it up automatically when the assembly reaches "unfinished business and general orders" at the next meeting. RONR (12th ed.) 41:21, 41:23 (a) and 41:24.

Edited April 12, 2021 at 03:55 AM by Richard Brown
typographical correction in citation

[RSW]

10 hours ago, Guest MFP said:

A motion to postpone or lay on the table was not made prior to the adjournment.

Incidentally, by my understanding a motion to "postpone definitely" or to "lay on the table" *couldn't have been made*, as it would have been out of order. RONR 40:7 seems to cover the list of things that can be done without a quorum:

Quote

Even in the absence of a quorum, the assembly may fix the time to which to adjourn, adjourn, recess, or take measures to obtain a quorum. Subsidiary and incidental motions, questions of privilege, motions to Raise a Question of Privilege or Call for the Orders of the Day, and other motions may also be considered if they are related to these motions or to the conduct of the meeting while it remains without a quorum.

At the point where a meeting is adjourned to a fixed time, adjourned, recessed, etc. the motion is moved into the future automatically as Mr. Brown indicates. Even if the motion were ruled "in order" as it was narrowly construed to do the exact same thing that would be done automatically by adjourning, recessing, etc. (and thus arguably able to be considered without a quorum), it would be dilatory to debate / vote on something that's going to happen no matter what you do.

 

[Dan Honemann]

50 minutes ago, RSW said:

Incidentally, by my understanding a motion to "postpone definitely" or to "lay on the table" *couldn't have been made*, as it would have been out of order. RONR 40:7 seems to cover the list of things that can be done without a quorum:

At the point where a meeting is adjourned to a fixed time, adjourned, recessed, etc. the motion is moved into the future automatically as Mr. Brown indicates. Even if the motion were ruled "in order" as it was narrowly construed to do the exact same thing that would be done automatically by adjourning, recessing, etc. (and thus arguably able to be considered without a quorum), it would be dilatory to debate / vote on something that's going to happen no matter what you do.

 

I do not think that what is said in the second paragraph is accurate. 

[Josh Martin]

54 minutes ago, RSW said:

At the point where a meeting is adjourned to a fixed time, adjourned, recessed, etc. the motion is moved into the future automatically as Mr. Brown indicates. Even if the motion were ruled "in order" as it was narrowly construed to do the exact same thing that would be done automatically by adjourning, recessing, etc. (and thus arguably able to be considered without a quorum), it would be dilatory to debate / vote on something that's going to happen no matter what you do.

It actually may well make a difference in the precise time at which the question is taken up at the next meeting, if there are any other items of unfinished business or general orders for that meeting. I suggest reviewing 41:23, which discusses the order in which different types of unfinished business and general orders are taken up.

In any event, this motion is not in order if a quorum is not present.

[Richard Brown]

Guest MFP, in case you don’t know what it is, the standard order of business is copied below, from section 41:5 of the 12th edition of RONR. The motion which was being deliberated at the time the meeting adjourned should be taken up automatically by the chair in the category “unfinished business and general orders“.

“Usual Order of Business in Ordinary Societies

41:5 Basic Headings Covering Business Proper. The customary or “standard” order of business comprises the following subdivisions: 1) Reading and Approval of Minutes 2) Reports of Officers, Boards, and Standing Committees 3) Reports of Special (Select or Ad Hoc) Committees 4) Special Orders 5) Unfinished Business and General Orders 6) New Business”

[Guest MFP]

Thank you all!