Are Agendas ‘Required?’

[Brouwer]

In a recent special meeting of our township, the Supervisor stated that agendas were not required. Since our township has adopted RONR, I have the understanding that agendas are a required cornerstone of any meeting, special, regular, or otherwise. Could someone confirm the requirement of agendas under RONR?

Edited February 7, 2024 at 03:30 PM by Shmuel Gerber
Edited the topic title

[J. J.]

If you meet at least quarterly, RONR does not require an adopted agenda (41:6). 

 

As a township, you are governed by statute, which will supersede RONR.

[Bruce Lages]

RONR does not require an agenda in the sense of a detailed listing of all topics that are expected to come before the meeting, but it does prescribe a standard order of business that can, and should, be used by most ordinary societies that meet at least on a quarterly schedule. See RONR, 12th ed. §41;5-36 for a  detailed explanation of the standard order of business and its individual components.

But since you refer to a meeting of your township, you are very likely not considered an 'ordinary society' in the sense RONR uses that term, and are very likely subject to local and state statutes that govern how your meetings are to be held. Those requirements may well include whether an agenda is or is not necessary for your meetings, and whether such an agenda, if necessary, needs to be publicized in advance of each meeting. You should check with your town attorney and/or your secretary of state for any applicable legal requirements.

Edited February 5, 2024 at 04:27 AM by Bruce Lages
correted punctuation

[Josh Martin]

On 2/4/2024 at 9:06 PM, Brouwer said:

In a recent special meeting of our township, the Supervisor stated that agendas were not required. Since our township has adopted RONR, I have the understanding that agendas are a required cornerstone of any meeting, special, regular, or otherwise. Could someone confirm the requirement of agendas under RONR?

There is no such requirement, and your understanding is mistaken. (Although you're in good company. This is a common misconception about RONR.) In fact, not only does RONR not require agendas, RONR recommends that most assemblies should not use agendas. Rather, RONR provides that many regular meetings should use the standard order of business in RONR, or a special order of business adopted by the society.

"In organizations that have adopted this book as parliamentary authority and that have not adopted a special order of business, this series of headings is the prescribed order of business for regular meetings, unless the periods intervening between consecutive regular meetings are usually more than a quarterly time interval (see 9:7). This standard order of business prescribes only the sequence of the headings, not the time to be allotted to each—which may vary with every meeting." RONR (12th ed.) 41:6

RONR does recommend (although I would not quite say require) the adoption of an agenda in some circumstances.

"It is customary to adopt an agenda or program for each session in organizations that do not hold frequent regular meetings, and at conventions and other sessions that may last for several days (see 59). This is also frequently done when, for any reason, neither the standard order of business nor a special order of business established by rule of the organization is practical or applicable." RONR (12th ed.) 41:60

In the case of a special meeting, RONR requires that all items of business to be considered at the meeting must be included in the "call" of the meeting. RONR does not, however, require an agenda for a special meeting. A special meeting can only consider the business included in the call, and quite often a special meeting is called to consider a single item of business. The purpose of the agenda is to establish the order in which business is considered. If there's only one item of business, the order is pretty obvious. Conceivably, however, an agenda might be desirable (albeit not required) if a special meeting is called to handle numerous items.

"A special meeting (or called meeting) is a separate session of a society held at a time different from that of any regular meeting, and convened only to consider one or more items of business specified in the call of the meeting. Notice of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting, clearly and specifically describing the subject matter of the motions or items of business to be brought up, must be sent to all members a reasonable number of days in advance. The reason for special meetings is to deal with matters that may arise between regular meetings and that require action by the society before the next regular meeting, or to dedicate an entire session to one or more particular matters." RONR (12th ed.) 9:13

With all of that said, however, it may well be that there is a requirement for your township board to use agendas. But such a requirement, if it exists, would be found in your township's rules or applicable law, not RONR.

Edited February 5, 2024 at 12:51 PM by Josh Martin

[Gary Novosielski]

The Standard Order of Business comprises the following headings:

 

     1) Reading and Approval of Minutes

     2) Reports of Officers, Boards, and Standing Committees

     3) Reports of Special (Select or Ad Hoc) Committees

     4) Special Orders

     5) Unfinished Business and General Orders

     6) New Business

 

In organizations that have adopted RONR as their parliamentary authority, that hold their regular meetings as frequently as quarterly, and have not adopted a special order of business, this series of headings is their prescribed order of business.

[see RONR (12th ed.) 41:5 ff.]

 

[Rob Elsman]

A special meeting should not adopt an agenda, since there is no order of business for a special meeting.  The assembly simply handles the business included in the call of the meeting.

[Atul Kapur]

On 2/6/2024 at 8:36 AM, Rob Elsman said:

The assembly simply handles the business included in the call of the meeting.

but, as Josh said

On 2/5/2024 at 7:47 AM, Josh Martin said:

an agenda might be desirable (albeit not required) if a special meeting is called to handle numerous items

 

[Rob Elsman]

Again, there is no order of business in a special meeting.

[Brouwer]

Thank you all for your help and insights!

[Atul Kapur]

On 2/6/2024 at 9:02 PM, Rob Elsman said:

Again, there is no order of business in a special meeting.

You say this as if it precludes the adoption of an agenda as part of a special meeting. 

As noted, while it may be unlikely that an agenda would be helpful, on those occasions when it would be, it may be adopted.

[Rob Elsman]

An agenda is not helpful for a meeting that does not have an order of business.

[Atul Kapur]

Like a convention, for example?

[Rob Elsman]

A convention is not a special meeting.

[Dan Honemann]

On 2/6/2024 at 10:22 PM, Rob Elsman said:

An agenda is not helpful for a meeting that does not have an order of business.

Mr. Elsman, I have always understood your aversion to the adoption of an agenda at the outset of a regular meeting of an assembly which holds its regular meetings at least as often as quarterly and has adopted RONR as its parliamentary authority, but I can't understand why you think that adoption of an agenda might not prove helpful at the outset of a special meeting called to consider a number of differing items of business.

[Atul Kapur]

On 2/6/2024 at 10:22 PM, Rob Elsman said:

An agenda is not helpful for a meeting that does not have an order of business.

On 2/6/2024 at 10:33 PM, Atul Kapur said:

Like a convention, for example?

On 2/6/2024 at 10:38 PM, Rob Elsman said:

A convention is not a special meeting.

I was trying to understand how broadly you intended your statement to apply. It appeared that you meant it to be generally applicable. Many conversations on this forum expand beyond the details in the OP.

Specifically, the first comment that I've quoted above appeared to be more generalized than just about special meetings; "a meeting that does not have an order of business" includes conventions, hence my attempt to clarify. 

[Rob Elsman]

Mr. Honemann, to put it as briefly as I can, the presence of so many items of business in the call of a special meeting that one might think an order of business (either the standard order of business or an adopted agenda) might be helpful indicates to me that the special meeting is being misused when a regular meeting (either more frequently scheduled regular meetings or the proper use of the adjourned meeting to finish the work of a session) is really more appropriate See RONR (12th ed.) 9:13.  When a special meeting is not being improperly substituted for a regular meeting, the number of items of business will be few enough that the order of transacting them will be of little practical consequence or interest.

I might say in passing that I am certainly not adverse to the infrequent adoption of an agenda that conflicts with the established order of business when there is a reasonable basis to judge that the established order of business is not practical for a particular, regularly scheduled session.  As with many other rules of order, there may be occasions where it is prudent to suspend the interfering rules and do something differently.

The authors cannot but have noticed the number of topics on this forum that have an agenda (often coupled with a misuse of authority) at the root of the question.  An unnecessary agenda is misused, one way or another, by some officer or small faction, to establish a "gatekeeper" over what business the assembly can consider, to the exclusion of other business not favored by the "gatekeeper".  Much of this misuse can be dispelled if only the frequently meeting assembly will just drop the custom of the agenda and use the organization's established order of business.

Edited February 7, 2024 at 05:25 PM by Rob Elsman