Motion to adjourn/postpone a special meeting

[Guest NStoker]

Our President called a special executive board meeting about a non-emergency topic. I was told that someone wants to immediately make a motion to adjourn the minute the meeting opened. Is this allowed?  They also discussed making a motion to postpone the discussion until the next regularly scheduled meeting.  Is this allowed?

(I am new to the Parliamentarian position and NOT an expert on Robert's Rules at all.  In the Feb meeting the co-chair agreed to postpone the discussion until March, but other co-chair - who was absent in Feb - apparently wants to discuss sooner.)

Thanks for all advice.

[Joshua Katz]

On 2/28/2024 at 7:59 AM, Guest NStoker said:

Our President called a special executive board meeting about a non-emergency topic. I was told that someone wants to immediately make a motion to adjourn the minute the meeting opened. Is this allowed?  They also discussed making a motion to postpone the discussion until the next regularly scheduled meeting.  Is this allowed?

 

Yes and yes. The body controls its deliberations, not the president. If it doesn't want to meet any longer, it can adjourn.

[Josh Martin]

On 2/28/2024 at 8:59 AM, Guest NStoker said:

I was told that someone wants to immediately make a motion to adjourn the minute the meeting opened. Is this allowed?

Yes.

On 2/28/2024 at 8:59 AM, Guest NStoker said:

They also discussed making a motion to postpone the discussion until the next regularly scheduled meeting.  Is this allowed?

Also yes, although I'm not sure this is necessary, since it seems that your assembly may have already postponed this matter to the next regularly scheduled meeting - see below.

On 2/28/2024 at 8:59 AM, Guest NStoker said:

(In the Feb meeting the co-chair agreed to postpone the discussion until March, but other co-chair - who was absent in Feb - apparently wants to discuss sooner.)

I would note that RONR strongly advises against "co-chairs," and it seems your assembly is starting to learn why.

"The anomalous title “co-chairman” should be avoided, as it causes impossible dilemmas in attempts to share the functions of a single position." RONR (12th ed.) 13:17

Further, if I understand correctly that this matter was pending at the regular meeting in February and the assembly postponed it to the March meeting, it would require a motion to Suspend the Rules to even take it up prior to the March meeting. Such a motion requires a 2/3 vote for adoption.

Edited February 28, 2024 at 04:45 PM by Josh Martin

[Gary Novosielski]

On 2/28/2024 at 9:59 AM, Guest NStoker said:

Our President called a special executive board meeting about a non-emergency topic. I was told that someone wants to immediately make a motion to adjourn the minute the meeting opened. Is this allowed?  They also discussed making a motion to postpone the discussion until the next regularly scheduled meeting.  Is this allowed?

(I am new to the Parliamentarian position and NOT an expert on Robert's Rules at all.  In the Feb meeting the co-chair agreed to postpone the discussion until March, but other co-chair - who was absent in Feb - apparently wants to discuss sooner.)

Thanks for all advice.

Yes a motion to adjourn is almost always in order, even if it's at the start of the meeting.  If the motion is seconded, and if a majority agree, then they will vote to adjourn.  If not, then they won't.