Meeting Location

[Josh Martin]

On 12/31/2022 at 11:33 AM, Gary Novosielski said:

Well, I think that...

...comes mighty close.  Still, I don't think any of it is a bad idea, and I see nothing that would prevent ratifying such an action later, since the assembly could certainly have authorized it in advance, had it been sufficiently clairvoyant.

The member has not, in fact, been "appointed in advance" to serve as Chair Pro Tempore. He is elected by the assembly to serve as Chair Pro Tempore, which is an action that can be completed in the absence of a quorum. I don't see that anything needs to be ratified.

I suppose the member has been "appointed" to be a person who shows up at the original meeting location, but since any member can do this in any event, I don't think this constitutes an action which needs to be ratified.

[Atul Kapur]

On 12/31/2022 at 11:43 AM, Josh Martin said:

"The regular presiding officer, knowing that he will be absent from a future meeting, cannot in advance authorize another member to preside in his place" 47:11

On 12/31/2022 at 11:43 AM, Josh Martin said:

I do not see anything which prevents arranging a person who is able and willing to serve as Chairman Pro Tempore in advance of a meeting

There is a significant difference between arranging for something to happen and authorizing it in advance.

Yes, the person who has been arranged to be Chair pro tem needs to be formally placed in the chair after the meeting has been called to order. But no rule is  violated or even had its feelings hurt. 

 

HNY! btw

[Shmuel Gerber]

On 12/30/2022 at 7:32 AM, Josh Martin said:

 

If I were the member who was attending a meeting in the circumstances described, I would proceed as follows. The following example assumes I am neither the regular presiding officer nor the regular secretary - the details can be modified as needed. I would pause much less than I normally would, since I would be quite certain that the member present has no intention of objecting.

"The meeting will be in order. Neither the regular presiding officer nor the regular secretary are present. Without objection, Josh Martin is elected as Chair and as Secretary. The chair notes that a quorum is not present. Without objection, the meeting is adjourned to meet at (location) at (time)."

I don't think I would do any of that. If I could be persuaded that showing up at the original location was useful and necessary, I think I would probably take a look around, see that nobody else showed up, think "OK, it looks like everybody must have gotten the news of the new location," post the sign with the new time and location of the adjourned meeting, and then get out of there (hopefully without having to swim). Then I'd go to the new location and inform the president of what happened and then, after the meeting was called to order, report it to the assembly, maybe even in a form suitable to be approved as minutes of the first "meeting".

[Gary Novosielski]

That's quite true, and nothing wrong with it.  What is wrong with this picture is the president being absent without good cause.

[Alicia Percell, PRP]

...and elect himself secretary pro tem as well so that someone will have the duty of contributing content for the minutes and the record can be complete...

[Richard Brown]

On 12/31/2022 at 8:08 PM, Gary Novosielski said:

That's quite true, and nothing wrong with it.  What is wrong with this picture is the president being absent without good cause.

I don’t see it that way. I look at it as the president being where he needs to be, namely, at the place where the meeting is actually taking place