Extension of meeting

[Alexander George]

At a meeting of my organization, which was (as per distributed Agenda) scheduled to end at a particular time, someone moved to extend the meeting past that time.  I said that this motion required a 2/3 majority because I took the motion (to extend the meeting time past the agenda-announced time) to be a motion to change the orders of the day - is that correct?  (I am leaning here on p. 223 of RRoR, 11th edition - I trust this is the germane discussion.)  I just want to make sure that my advice was correct.  (And I presume the same would apply if it had been the chair who had proposed this extension of the meeting.)  Thanks for your thoughts.

Edited April 6, 2022 at 01:54 AM by Alexander George

[Atul Kapur]

Was the agenda formally adopted by the meeting?

If so, how exactly was the end-time specified? Did it, for example have an item called adjournment with a specified time?

[Alexander George]

The agenda isn't formally adopted.  It's sent out to all members by an executive committee and governs our faculty meetings.  These meetings are always scheduled to last 2 hours.  At close to the 2-hour mark, someone moved to extend the meeting. 

[Atul Kapur]

Well, if the agenda isn't formally adopted, then what authority do you have to say that an order of the day was created?

RONR (12th ed.) 41:63 says

Quote

"Unless a precirculated agenda is formally adopted at the session to which it applies, it is not binding as to detail or order of consideration..."

This will also be found in the 11th edition in Section 41 (about 7 paragraphs from the end).

[Dan Honemann]

On 4/5/2022 at 10:35 PM, Alexander George said:

The agenda isn't formally adopted.  It's sent out to all members by an executive committee and governs our faculty meetings.  These meetings are always scheduled to last 2 hours.  At close to the 2-hour mark, someone moved to extend the meeting. 

If there is something in your governing documents (constitution, bylaws, whatever) that gives this executive committee the power to set the agenda for your meetings, then you will need to look there for the answer to your questions. 

 

 

[Gary Novosielski]

There may be some Special Rule of Order or bylaws provision, independent of the agenda, that requires meetings to be limited to two hours, but of course nothing in RONR.  You'd have to check your own rules.

If this is the case, then a motion to delay the time of adjournment would be in order.  With a rule in place, this would amount to a motion to Suspend the Rules.

  I would say that even if there is no rule, but merely a custom that meetings take no more than two hours, a motion to extend the time would be harmless at worst.

[Alexander George]

Thanks, Gary.  I'm not concerned that the motion to delay time of adjournment is out of order.  I'm wondering whether, given that our custom and explicit statements declare that meetings be two hours long, such a motion to delay adjournment would require a 2/3 majority. 

Edited April 7, 2022 at 01:36 PM by Alexander George

[Dan Honemann]

In your initial post, you say that your meeting was scheduled to end at a particular time according to the distributed Agenda, which agenda, you later say, "is sent out to all members by an executive committee and governs our faculty meetings."

Is there something in your governing documents (constitution, bylaws, whatever) that gives this executive committee the power to set the agenda for your meetings? If so, then you will need to look there for the answer to your questions. If not, this unadopted agenda setting the time for adjournment has no force or effect.