adjourning meeting

[ttraider88]

At our last booster meeting, a member mentioned that is the members who adjourn the meetings not the President.  Is there a specific rule about who closes meetings?  I did see in 6:12(4) that a member can close the meeting by moving to adjourn even with business pending.  Our assembly has fixed, regular monthly meeting dates that are announced at the beginning of the school year.  What reason would a member want to close a meeting with business pending?  I'm trying to understand why that was even brought up.  The President has always adjourned the meetings.

[J. J.]

The presiding officer declares the meeting adjourned, but, except in cases of emergency, does so with the consent of the assembly.

[Shmuel Gerber]

On 3/13/2023 at 9:42 PM, ttraider88 said:

At our last booster meeting, a member mentioned that is the members who adjourn the meetings not the President.  Is there a specific rule about who closes meetings?  I did see in 6:12(4) that a member can close the meeting by moving to adjourn even with business pending.  Our assembly has fixed, regular monthly meeting dates that are announced at the beginning of the school year.  What reason would a member want to close a meeting with business pending?  I'm trying to understand why that was even brought up.  The President has always adjourned the meetings.

The presiding officer exclusively has the duty of declaring the meeting adjourned, but has the authority to do so only when the business of the meeting has ended or a motion to adjourn has been adopted (or, as J. J. mentioned, in case of an extreme emergency).

[ttraider88]

Is there a specific rule that can be cited to the member asking?

[Weldon Merritt]

On 3/13/2023 at 7:50 PM, Shmuel Gerber said:

The presiding officer exclusively has the duty of declaring the meeting adjourned, but has the authority to do so only when the business of the meeting has ended or a motion to adjourn has been adopted (or, as J. J. mentioned, in case of an extreme emergency).

Or when the assembly has previously adopted a specified time to adjourn and that time has been reached. In that instance, however, the assembly may decide not to adjourn by adopting a motion to extend the time of the meeting, by a two-thirds vote.

[Weldon Merritt]

On 3/13/2023 at 8:28 PM, ttraider88 said:

Is there a specific rule that can be cited to the member asking?

RONR 21:12. "Regardless or the type of motion by which it is voted to adjourn, the meeting is not closed until the chair has declared that the meeting 'is adjourned' (or 'stands adjourned') ....l"

[Shmuel Gerber]

On 3/13/2023 at 10:28 PM, ttraider88 said:

Is there a specific rule that can be cited to the member asking?

See RONR (12th ed.) 8:9-10, 21:12, 21:14-15, and 47:7(11).

[Shmuel Gerber]

On 3/13/2023 at 10:30 PM, Weldon Merritt said:

Or when the assembly has previously adopted a specified time to adjourn and that time has been reached. In that instance, however, the assembly may decide not to adjourn by adopting a motion to extend the time of the meeting, by a two-thirds vote.

True, although we can imagine that was included when I said "or a motion to adjourn has been adopted". 🙂

[Dan Honemann]

On 3/13/2023 at 10:30 PM, Weldon Merritt said:

Or when the assembly has previously adopted a specified time to adjourn and that time has been reached. In that instance, however, the assembly may decide not to adjourn by adopting a motion to extend the time of the meeting, by a two-thirds vote.

 

On 3/13/2023 at 10:43 PM, Shmuel Gerber said:

True, although we can imagine that was included when I said "or a motion to adjourn has been adopted". 🙂

But only if we are willing to overlook the very substantial differences between them.  🙂

[Shmuel Gerber]

On 3/14/2023 at 6:21 AM, Dan Honemann said:

 

But only if we are willing to overlook the very substantial differences between them.  🙂

Isn't it true that "when the assembly has previously adopted a specified time to adjourn and that time has been reached," it is necessarily the case that "a motion to adjourn has been adopted"? In the context of the original question of this thread, I think my original answer is correct (enough), although it does not specify the additional details mentioned by Mr. Merritt. 

[Dan Honemann]

On 3/14/2023 at 11:39 AM, Shmuel Gerber said:

Isn't it true that "when the assembly has previously adopted a specified time to adjourn and that time has been reached," it is necessarily the case that "a motion to adjourn has been adopted"? In the context of the original question of this thread, I think my original answer is correct (enough), although it does not specify the additional details mentioned by Mr. Merritt. 

I think the technical answer to your question is "no", because there is a great deal of difference between a motion to adjourn and a motion to fix the time to adjourn.

[Josh Martin]

On 3/13/2023 at 8:42 PM, ttraider88 said:

At our last booster meeting, a member mentioned that is the members who adjourn the meetings not the President.  Is there a specific rule about who closes meetings?

The chair may declare a meeting adjourned unilaterally in the following circumstances:

• The assembly has previously set a time for adjournment, and that time has arrived.
• The assembly has gone through its complete order of business and, after asking whether there is any further business, no member responds.
• There is an emergency (such as a fire) and it would endanger the members to take the time to go through the formal procedures for adjournment.

In other circumstances, adjournment would require a motion adopted by majority vote. The assembly may do this, even if the order of business has not been completed. See RONR (12th ed.) 8:9-10, 21:6, 21:14-15.

On 3/13/2023 at 8:42 PM, ttraider88 said:

What reason would a member want to close a meeting with business pending?

There are conceivably any number of reasons a member may wish to do this, but the most common reason, in my experience, is that the member believes the meeting has gone on too long, and that the remaining business can wait until the next meeting.

[Richard Brown]

On 3/13/2023 at 8:42 PM, ttraider88 said:

What reason would a member want to close a meeting with business pending? 

Agreeing with the previous answer by Josh Martin, it is quite common for members to want to adjourn a meeting with business pending when the meeting is going on for a long time and members are getting tired and are ready to go home.