Multiple Sessions of a conference

[Tim Higgins]

A main motion came up in a first session of a conference.  This main motion was properly debated and voted on.  Later is a second session of the conference (different segment of the membership), the motion came up and was debated.  The membership meets in two sessions because of the size of the membership.  In the Second session, a motion was made to postpose to a definite time for additional deliberation.  When we have the next session to consider the delayed motion, what are the rights or options of the members in the first session?  During the time between the first two sessions and the postponed session, additional information has come to light that could possibly influence the vote of the original session.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

Your organization would have to decide what happens if there are sessions of different memberships.

[Atul Kapur]

RONR explicitly says that members are meeting in the same place at the same time. You have set things up in a way that breaks that assumption, so your organization will have to figure out how to deal with the situations that arise because of your circumstances.

In the hopes that it helps, you may want to think of the following situation and see if there is any analogy. What if the second session had amended the first motion instead of postponing it? What rights would the members of the first session have that case?

Edited April 28, 2021 at 11:41 AM by Atul Kapur

[Tim Higgins]

As moderator, I would believe it would be in order to go before the first session, and state, 'at the second session, this motion was postponed until today, without objection, we will open this issue for discussion.'  Basically, ignoring the previous vote.  If there is an objection, I could further state, 'i will entertain a motion to reconsider at this time" allowing a member of the prevailing side to bring the issue back before us.  If there is no motion to reconsider, then the vote from the previous session would stand.

 

[Joshua Katz]

I doubt I will have a helpful answer, but maybe some additional information (that I'm also curious about) will help. How does this organization make decisions? Suppose I move to paint the clubhouse red. The first session passes it 90-10. Does it need to pass the second session also, or does it suffice that the total votes in favor are more than the total votes against? I.e. if the vote in the second session is 49-51 against, what happens?

[Tim Higgins]

The majority of decisions are made by a separate board.  Only large decisions are made by the membership as a whole, spending over a certain threshold, loans, etc.  

If we wanted to paint the clubhouse red, and it was 90-10 in the first session and 49-51 in the second.  It would pass the membership my majority vote, 139-61.

 

[Dan Honemann]

1 hour ago, Tim Higgins said:

As moderator, I would believe it would be in order to go before the first session, and state, 'at the second session, this motion was postponed until today, without objection, we will open this issue for discussion.'  Basically, ignoring the previous vote.  If there is an objection, I could further state, 'i will entertain a motion to reconsider at this time" allowing a member of the prevailing side to bring the issue back before us.  If there is no motion to reconsider, then the vote from the previous session would stand.

 

Looks like a plan to me.  🙂