Rescinding the chair

[JuliaM]

In a meeting following Robert’s Rules, does there need to be a motion made in order for the presiding officer to rescind the chair and then subsequently resume it? If not, what wording needs to be recorded in the minutes?

[Josh Martin]

31 minutes ago, JuliaM said:

In a meeting following Robert’s Rules, does there need to be a motion made in order for the presiding officer to rescind the chair and then subsequently resume it?

If you mean for the chair to step aside while some other person presides, then the word you are looking for is "relinquish," not "rescind."

Assuming the chair does this voluntarily (which appears to be the case), no motion is necessary.

32 minutes ago, JuliaM said:

If not, what wording needs to be recorded in the minutes?

I don't think anything needs to be recorded in the minutes regarding this matter.

[JuliaM]

Thanks very much for helping me clarify the matter. Yes, it is voluntary, in order to facilitate the chair being able to make a motion.

[Guest Zev]

As Mr. Martin has indicated, if the presiding officer is leaving the chair in order to make a motion no motion is necessary, however, the fact that another person is in the chair should be recorded in the minutes. And do not forget to record the fact that the regular presiding officer has returned to the chair whenever he does so.

[Josh Martin]

2 hours ago, Guest Zev said:

As Mr. Martin has indicated, if the presiding officer is leaving the chair in order to make a motion no motion is necessary, however, the fact that another person is in the chair should be recorded in the minutes. And do not forget to record the fact that the regular presiding officer has returned to the chair whenever he does so.

What is this based on? RONR notes that the opening paragraph of the minutes should record the fact that the regular presiding officer is present or, if not, the name of the person serving in this role. I do not see anything which suggests, however, that it is necessary to record the fact that the regular presiding officer temporarily relinquishes the chair during the meeting or the name of the person presiding during that time.

I grant that there may occasionally be reasons why it would be desirable to record this information in the minutes, and certainly the assembly is free to order that this information be recorded in a particular instance.

[Richard Brown]

I don’t know if it is required or recommended that the minutes reflect whenever someone other than the regular chair is presiding, but it is certainly a custom in many organizations. I agree that the rule in RONR is silent on that point (or at least open to interpretation).

Edited June 1, 2021 at 01:40 PM by Richard Brown
Added “ or at least open to interpretation“ at the end

[Guest Zev]

Quote

The regular monthly meeting of the L.M. Society was held on Thursday, January 4, 20___, at 8:30 P.M., at the Society's building, the President being in the chair and the Secretary being present. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved as corrected.

RONR 12th edition, 48:8, page 449.

If such information is not important I would feel slightly more sympathetic to the gentlemen's argument if we could perhaps have the bolded part of 48:8 eliminated in a future edition. I would not feel so good as a member of a society at which a meeting was opened by a temporary presiding officer and the regular presiding officer took the chair at some point and the entire transaction was somehow a secret that should be hidden and not recorded. But I do admit that that is me.
 

[Josh Martin]

48 minutes ago, Guest Zev said:

RONR 12th edition, 48:8, page 449.

If such information is not important I would feel slightly more sympathetic to the gentlemen's argument if we could perhaps have the bolded part of 48:8 eliminated in a future edition. I would not feel so good as a member of a society at which a meeting was opened by a temporary presiding officer and the regular presiding officer took the chair at some point and the entire transaction was somehow a secret that should be hidden and not recorded. But I do admit that that is me.

The relevant rule provides:

"The first paragraph of the minutes should contain the following information...

4) the fact that the regular chairman and secretary were present or, in their absence, the names of the persons who substituted for them" RONR (12th ed.) 48:4

RONR provides no further guidance on how this rule is to be applied in an instance where the regular chairman is absent only for a portion of the meeting (or as in the case here, temporarily relinquishes the chair in order to fully participate in the proceedings as a member). As a result, it will ultimately be up to the assembly's judgment whether and how to record such information in particular circumstances.

[Gary Novosielski]

If it is important to note the identities of the president and secretary in the first paragraph, the it stands to reason that future archeologists unearthing the minutes could assume that these persons held those roles for the entire meeting unless otherwise noted.

Assuming that rule in RONR is there for a reason, failing to note changes when they occur would seem to render the rule absurd.

[JuliaM]

Thanks, everyone, for sharing your thoughts on the matter. The information is most helpful.

 

Edited June 7, 2021 at 05:21 PM by JuliaM