Point of Order/Priviliege for a non-Member?

[Guest James]

To clarify, I do not mean a guest who does not belong to the organization at all.

If a member of the general assembly is attending a Board meeting, but is not himself a member of the Board, does that person have any rights to raise a Point of Order or a Point of Privilege if the Board is doing something incorrectly?  Or does that person simply have to wait for the general meeting to occur and raise a motion to nullify the improper action there (and possibly censure)?

What if the effect of the improper action will take place before, and therefore be irreversible before, the general meeting takes place?

Thanks.

[Gary Novosielski]

Non-members have no rights to raise points of order at a meeting of another body.   

[Rob Elsman]

No, a member of an organization who is not a member of the executive board is just a spectator at meetings of the executive board. He must not disrupt the proceedings to tell the board members that they are doing something "incorrectly"; otherwise, he faces ejection from the meeting room for his disorderly behavior.

[Guest James]

Thanks.  That's what I expected.  I was just making sure I hadn't missed or misinterpreted something.

[Josh Martin]

On 2/12/2024 at 10:58 AM, Guest James said:

If a member of the general assembly is attending a Board meeting, but is not himself a member of the Board, does that person have any rights to raise a Point of Order or a Point of Privilege if the Board is doing something incorrectly?

I concur entirely with my colleagues. I would add, however, that to the extent a member of the board wishes to address these matters, a Point of Order is almost certainly the proper tool to point out that the assembly "is doing something incorrectly." A question of privilege (not point of privilege) serves a different purpose.

"To Raise a Question of Privilege is a device that permits a request or main motion relating to the rights and privileges of the assembly or any of its members to be brought up for possible immediate consideration because of its urgency, while business is pending and the request or motion would otherwise not be in order. (For types and examples of questions of privilege, see 19:7–17.) ...

Questions of privilege are of two types: (1) those relating to the privileges of the assembly as a whole; and (2) questions of personal privilege. If the two come into competition, the former take precedence over the latter. Questions of the privileges of the assembly may relate to its organization or existence; to the comfort of its members with respect to heating, ventilation, lighting, and noise or other disturbance; to the conduct of its officers and employees, or of visitors; to the punishment of its members; or to the accuracy of published reports of its proceedings; etc. A motion to go into executive session (9) is a question of the privileges of the assembly. Questions of personal privilege—which seldom arise in ordinary societies and even more rarely justify interruption of pending business—may relate, for example, to an incorrect record of a member's participation in a meeting contained in minutes approved in his absence, or to charges circulated against a member's character." RONR (12th ed.) 19:1, 19:7

Edited February 12, 2024 at 08:44 PM by Josh Martin