“Adopted” versus “Approved”

[Wright Stuff]

I’m still not 100% confident in my use of “adopted” versus “approved” with regard to motions, committee reports, and such. I’m asking in the context of chairing an annual convention. Can some clear it up for me?

[Dan Honemann]

On 3/17/2024 at 8:42 AM, Wright Stuff said:

I’m still not 100% confident in my use of “adopted” versus “approved” with regard to motions, committee reports, and such. I’m asking in the context of chairing an annual convention. Can some clear it up for me?

You should announce (when appropriate) that motions and resolutions are "adopted" (or “agreed to” or “carried”).  You should announce (when appropriate) that minutes are "approved".   That's about it.

[Atul Kapur]

You do not, normally adopt or approve committee reports. The committee makes its report, members may have questions for the reporting member (through a Request for Information), then you thank the reporting member and move to the next item of business.

And, for certainty, there is no motion to "receive" the report.

If the committee has recommendations in its report, then they should be made as motions, which are processed as any other motion (except that a second is not required).

[Josh Martin]

On 3/17/2024 at 7:42 AM, Wright Stuff said:

I’m still not 100% confident in my use of “adopted” versus “approved” with regard to motions, committee reports, and such. I’m asking in the context of chairing an annual convention. Can some clear it up for me?

First, and most importantly, don't do either of these things for committee reports, except in some rare circumstances. Generally, you should either be adopting motions to implement the recommendations contained in the report, or if the report is for information only, you don't need to do anything. In the rare circumstances where you would adopt a committee report in its entirety, use "adopted." See RONR (12th ed.) 51:11, 51:13-16, 51:53.

It's also "adopted" for motions.

"In general (that is, as applying to main motions and other types of motions explained in later chapters), the chair's announcement of the result of the vote includes the following:

1) Report of the voting itself, stating which side “has it”—that is, which side is more numerous—or, in the case of a motion requiring a two-thirds vote for adoption, whether there are two thirds in the affirmative. If the vote has been counted, the chair first gives the count before announcing the prevailing side.

2) Declaration that the motion is adopted or lost." RONR (12th ed.) 4:43

And it's "approved" for minutes.

"The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved as corrected." RONR (12th ed.) 48:8

I don't know what "and such" refers to, but it's most likely "adopted" for that as well. Minutes are the odd one out.

There's also the question of whether an annual convention should be approving minutes.

"Exceptions to the rule that minutes are approved at the next regular meeting (or at the next meeting within the session) arise when the next meeting will not be held within a quarterly time interval, when the term of a specified portion of the membership will expire before the start of the next meeting, or when, as at the final meeting of a convention, the assembly will be dissolved at the close of the present meeting. In any of these cases, minutes that have not been approved previously should be approved before final adjournment, or the assembly should authorize the executive board or a special committee to approve the minutes. The fact that the minutes are not read for approval at the next meeting does not prevent a member from having a relevant excerpt read for information; nor does it prevent the assembly in such a case from making additional corrections, treating the minutes as having been previously approved (see 48:15)." RONR (12th ed.) 48:12

Edited March 17, 2024 at 05:34 PM by Josh Martin

[Atul Kapur]

On 3/17/2024 at 1:32 PM, Josh Martin said:

First, and most importantly

Actually, you're second on that point, Gary Josh 😉

Edited March 17, 2024 at 07:18 PM by Atul Kapur