Putting the Question

[Tomm]

For reasons I prefer not to get into; are there any restrictions within RONR that would prevent or disallow the chair of a board meeting from asking another director to read and put the question?

Citation please. 

[Dan Honemann]

On 1/18/2024 at 4:06 PM, Tomm said:

For reasons I prefer not to get into; are there any restrictions within RONR that would prevent or disallow the chair of a board meeting from asking another director to read and put the question?

Citation please. 

Have you read 47:11?

[Tomm]

Thank you, I will.

[Tomm]

To be clear, both the chair and vice chair will be in attendance. Let's just say that for medical reasons it's preferable to allow one other director, not necessarily the vice, to read the motion that will be put to the board.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 1/18/2024 at 4:49 PM, Tomm said:

To be clear, both the chair and vice chair will be in attendance. Let's just say that for medical reasons it's preferable to allow one other director, not necessarily the vice, to read the motion that will be put to the board.

Just make sure you follow 47:13.

[Josh Martin]

On 1/18/2024 at 3:06 PM, Tomm said:

For reasons I prefer not to get into; are there any restrictions within RONR that would prevent or disallow the chair of a board meeting from asking another director to read and put the question?

Citation please. 

On 1/18/2024 at 3:49 PM, Tomm said:

To be clear, both the chair and vice chair will be in attendance. Let's just say that for medical reasons it's preferable to allow one other director, not necessarily the vice, to read the motion that will be put to the board.

I'm somewhat unclear on what exactly the chair wants this other person to do, but the answer to your question is "yes" in any event. You say at one point that the chair would be "asking another director to read and put the question," which seems to suggest the other director would be taking over as presiding officer. You say at another point that it would be preferable to have another person "read the motion that will be put to the board," which seems to suggest the chair would still be presiding, and the chair is just delegating the task of reading the motion.

The presiding officer certainly may direct another person to read aloud the text of a motion. Often, this task is assigned to the Secretary. It would still be the chair that states the question and puts the question, but the reading of the motion itself may be delegated. Under this circumstance, the chair is still presiding.

"If the chair, in stating the question on a written resolution or motion, wishes the secretary to read it, he may state the question as follows: “It is moved and seconded to adopt the resolution which the Secretary will now read.” The secretary reads the resolution, after which the chair continues: “The question is on the adoption of the resolution just read.”" RONR (12th ed.) 4:15

Turning this process over to another board member in its entirety is also permissible, in which event the other board member is serving as Chair Pro Tempore. The chair, the vice chair, and the assembly must agree to the person serving as Chair Pro Tempore.

"In certain instances in an ordinary society—for example, if an adjourned meeting or a special meeting (9) must deal with a problem that has intensely divided the organization—it may be that such a meeting can accomplish more under the chairmanship of an invited nonmember who is skilled in presiding. (Sometimes this may be a professional presiding officer.) If the president and vice-president(s) do not object, the assembly, by majority vote, can adopt an incidental main motion to effect such an arrangement for all or part of a session. This motion is a question of privilege affecting the assembly (19). Alternatively, the rules may be suspended to authorize this type of temporary appointment, even over the objection of the president or a vice-president. Cf. 62:13–14." RONR (12th ed.) 47:13

"An appointed chairman pro tem. If the president vacates the chair during a meeting and no vice-president is available, he can, subject to the approval of the assembly, as explained in 43:29(b), appoint a temporary chairman who is called the chairman pro tempore, or chairman pro tem. The return of the president, the arrival of a vice-president, or the first adjournment puts an end to this appointment, and the assembly can terminate it even earlier by the adoption of a motion to “declare the chair vacant and proceed to elect a new chairman” (see 62:11). 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." RONR (12th ed.) 47:11

"On certain occasions—which should be extremely rare—the presiding officer may believe that a crucial factor relating to such a question has been overlooked and that his obligation as a member to call attention to the point outweighs his duty to preside at that time. To participate in debate, he must relinquish the chair; and in such a case he turns the chair over:
a) to the highest-ranking vice-president present who has not spoken on the question and does not decline on the grounds of wishing to speak on it; or
b) if no such vice-president is in the room, to some other member qualified as in (a), whom the chair designates (and who is assumed to receive the assembly's approval by unanimous consent unless member(s) then nominate other person(s), in which case the presiding officer's choice is also treated as a nominee and the matter is decided by vote)." RONR (12th ed.) 43:29