"Postpone" a motion beyond a quarterly time interval

[Guest Peter Deg]

At a recent meeting of a society that meets 3 times a year (every four months) a motion that had been postponed to the end of the meeting was again postponed until the next regular meeting.  Based on RONR 12th ed. 14.6 I take it that this was improper.  The society often makes such motions, ignoring the time limitation in RONR which is its parliamentary authority.  

What would be a proper way to move to postpone for more than a quarterly time interval?  Suspend the rules and postpone until the next meeting?  

Perhaps better would be a special rule of order allowing such a postponement?

Am I missing an easier solution?

[Joshua Katz]

On 8/23/2023 at 2:02 PM, Guest Peter Deg said:

What would be a proper way to move to postpone for more than a quarterly time interval?  Suspend the rules and postpone until the next meeting?  

 

The easier way, although it sounds odd, is to refer the matter to a committee, which then reports it back at the meeting.

Perhaps the easiest way, though, is to just make the motion anew at the new meeting and not bother postponing it to a time certain. 

[J. J.]

On 8/23/2023 at 3:02 PM, Guest Peter Deg said:

At a recent meeting of a society that meets 3 times a year (every four months) a motion that had been postponed to the end of the meeting was again postponed until the next regular meeting.  Based on RONR 12th ed. 14.6 I take it that this was improper.  The society often makes such motions, ignoring the time limitation in RONR which is its parliamentary authority.  

What would be a proper way to move to postpone for more than a quarterly time interval?  Suspend the rules and postpone until the next meeting?  

Perhaps better would be a special rule of order allowing such a postponement?

Am I missing an easier solution?

First, I agree with Mr. Katz.

RONR, IMO sets up a rule about the quarterly time interval that could not be suspended, because it does not have application within a meeting. (The may be additional reasons.)

You could do several things.

1.  Send it to a committee, as Mr Katz suggested.  This could include a committee of one.

2.  Set an adjourned meeting for a few minutes before you next regular meeting.  Postpone it until then.  At that adjourned meeting, you may either finally dispose of it, or you may, when pending, postpone it again to the meeting you will have in a few minutes.

3.  Adopt a special rule permitting postponing for a longer period of time. 

[Rob Elsman]

A motion to refer a main motion to a committee is not in order if the only purpose is to circumvent the rules concerning the permanent disposition of main motions at the end of a session under certain circumstances. The legitimate purposes for referral are given at RONR (12th ed.) 13:1.

While it may be difficult for the chair to detect this misuse at a meeting, what should be said for training purposes is to renew the motion at a later session.

[Josh Martin]

On 8/23/2023 at 2:02 PM, Guest Peter Deg said:

What would be a proper way to move to postpone for more than a quarterly time interval?  Suspend the rules and postpone until the next meeting?  

No, this is not permissible. Rules which have application beyond the current session may not be suspended.

On 8/23/2023 at 2:02 PM, Guest Peter Deg said:

Perhaps better would be a special rule of order allowing such a postponement?

This seems to be the best way and the cleanest option if the assembly wishes to have the ability to postpone items in this manner.

As others have noted there are, in the alternative, some creative workarounds.

I would also note that another option is to simply postpone the motion indefinitely and make the motion again at the next meeting.

[Gary Novosielski]

Before you do anything, make sure you have carefully studied the definition of Quarterly Interval in RONR.  A quarterly interval can be almost four full months.  Depending on the exact dates of your meetings, it's possible that at least some of your meetings may qualify.

9:7
Important rules relating to the continuance of a question from
one session to the next depend on whether no more than a
quarterly time interval intervenes between the two sessions. In
this book, it is understood that no more than a quarterly time
interval intervenes between two sessions if the second session
begins at any time during or before the third calendar month
after the calendar month in which the first session ends. For
example, with reference to a session held in January, no more
than a quarterly time interval has elapsed since the previous
session if that session ended on or after October 1st of the
preceding calendar year; and no more than a quarterly time
interval will elapse before the next session if that session will
begin on or before April 30th of the current year.