Carry over requirements from a dissolved committee to a newly constituted committee

[Guest Doc T]

Every two years the leadership committee is dissolved, and a new one is formed at a mass meeting. Before the old one dissolved, they passed a motion requiring the new committee to take a certain action. Does the action of a dissolved committee place a requirement on the new committee to act in a way that the new committee does not wish to act? Regardless of the answer to that question, where in Robert's Rules can that answer be found?

[Josh Martin]

On 4/1/2024 at 2:31 PM, Guest Doc T said:

Every two years the leadership committee is dissolved, and a new one is formed at a mass meeting.

Are you certain you mean a "mass meeting," and not, perhaps, a meeting of the society's membership?

"A mass meeting, as understood in parliamentary law, is a meeting of an unorganized group, which—in a publicized or selectively distributed notice known as the call of the meeting—has been announced:
• as called to take appropriate action on a particular problem or toward a particular purpose stated by the meeting's sponsors, and
• as open to everyone interested in the stated problem or purpose (or to everyone within a specified sector of the population thus interested)." RONR (12th ed.) 53:1

Since this seems to be a permanent organization with continuing existence, I am not certain the phrase "mass meeting" is applicable.

On 4/1/2024 at 2:31 PM, Guest Doc T said:

Does the action of a dissolved committee place a requirement on the new committee to act in a way that the new committee does not wish to act?

I'm not entirely certain about the structure of this organization.

But until that is clarified, I'll look at something I'm more familiar with, and which is roughly analogous to the situation you describe. Suppose a society has a board where the board's members serve two year terms, which are not staggered, and the board is elected at meetings of the society's membership. In such a case, a portion of (and perhaps the entirety of) the board will be replaced. Notwithstanding this, the board is still the same board, even although it may no longer share any members in common with the previous board.

As such, motions adopted by the board continue to be binding upon the board, even although some or all of the board's members may have changed.

However, if the board no longer wishes to carry out a particular requirement, the board is free to adopt a motion to Rescind or to Amend Something Previously Adopted. This motion requires for its adoption a 2/3 vote, a majority vote with previous notice, or a vote of a majority of the entire membership (of the board).

The structure described above is how most organizations work. I cannot say with certainty it is how this organization works, because the description of "Every two years the leadership committee is dissolved, and a new one is formed at a mass meeting." is somewhat unusual. But at this time, it's not clear to me whether this actually reflects a difference in the organization's rules and structure, or if it is simply an issue of nomenclature.

On 4/1/2024 at 2:31 PM, Guest Doc T said:

Regardless of the answer to that question, where in Robert's Rules can that answer be found?

For the question concerning the continuity of adopted motions, I suppose I would refer you to 49:22, which discusses "Effect of Periodic Partial Change in Board Membership." While there are certain effects in regard to matters which have not yet been finally disposed of and in regard to officers and committees, there is nothing suggesting that adopted motions no longer have force and effect.

For the motion to Rescind or Amend Something Previously Adopted, see RONR (12th ed.) Section 35.

Edited April 1, 2024 at 09:09 PM by Josh Martin

[Drake Savory]

On 4/1/2024 at 1:31 PM, Guest Doc T said:

Every two years the leadership committee is dissolved

How?  By appointing new members or through a formal motion to discharge the committee?

Edited April 2, 2024 at 12:35 AM by Drake Savory

[Josh Martin]

On 4/1/2024 at 7:35 PM, Drake Savory said:

How?  By appointing new members or through a formal motion to discharge the committee?

Interesting. I had not even considered the possibility that the "Leadership Committee" would be a special committee rather than a board (or perhaps a standing committee), but I suppose anything is possible. To the extent this is correct, then yes, I suppose discharging the committee would have the effect of dissolving it.

[Guest Doc T]

On 4/1/2024 at 8:35 PM, Drake Savory said:

How?  By appointing new members or through a formal motion to discharge the committee?

The committee sunsets every two years. A new leadership committee is then elected at a mass meeting.

[Josh Martin]

On 4/2/2024 at 11:37 PM, Guest Doc T said:

The committee sunsets every two years. A new leadership committee is then elected at a mass meeting.

You're just repeating what you said in the original post. I have no further clarity on this matter then I did before, so I have nothing to add to my previous response.

Please describe in greater detail the nature of this organization, its structure, its membership, the nature of this "mass meeting," and the nature of this "Leadership Committee." Exact quotations from the organization's bylaws on these matters would be desirable.

Edited April 3, 2024 at 04:40 PM by Josh Martin

[Drake Savory]

On 4/2/2024 at 10:37 PM, Guest Doc T said:

The committee sunsets every two years. A new leadership committee is then elected at a mass meeting.

Again, how?  Is it discharged or is it just that the terms of the previous members expire?