Rules for the agenda

[Guest Tracey]

thanks for taking the time for my question. 

Are there parliamentarian rules for this, or is it an internal rule?   - once an item has been accepted onto an agenda, is it required to stay on the agenda until it's complete or dealt with? Or does each meeting agenda stand alone?

Stated another way, if the board adds 'write a policy on widgets' to the agenda, does that item need to stay on upcoming agendas until the policy on widgets is completed? Or can it be added to meeting agendas when there is something new to add to the conversation about that policy?

Hope that makes sense!

Tracey

[Rob Elsman]

Executive boards usually meet frequently enough that an agenda is not necessary, since the assembly already has an established order of business if the organization has adopted Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised as its parliamentary authority. See RONR (12th ed.) §41.

[Josh Martin]

On 4/26/2024 at 12:19 PM, Guest Tracey said:

Are there parliamentarian rules for this, or is it an internal rule?   - once an item has been accepted onto an agenda, is it required to stay on the agenda until it's complete or dealt with? Or does each meeting agenda stand alone?

Stated another way, if the board adds 'write a policy on widgets' to the agenda, does that item need to stay on upcoming agendas until the policy on widgets is completed? Or can it be added to meeting agendas when there is something new to add to the conversation about that policy?

It depends on what the assembly does with the item. Depending on what action is (or is not) taken on this item, it may well come up at the next regular meeting (or not). We would need more specifics on what is done in regard to this item.

Speaking generally, see RONR (12th ed.) 41:21-26.

Or perhaps another way of asking this question is - what do you want to happen with this item? If we know that, we can point you to the appropriate tools to accomplish that objective.

[Guest Tracey]

The question really is - once it's on the agenda, does it HAVE TO remain there, by parliamentarian rules, until it's dealt with and completed. Or can it appear once, have discussion or whatever, then not appear again until action is ready to be taken. 

As an example - an agenda item might be added 'job description for the executive director to be revised'. It would be agreed that action would be taken, investigation and research to be done to make this happen, but it might be months before the revised job description would be ready for a motion to approve. Does that item need to stay on the agenda every month until it's ready for a motion, or can it be happening behind the scenes and not be on the agenda in the meantime? 

I WANT to be able to leave the item off the agenda until there is new information to add to the conversation/discussion, until we're ready for a motion on the item. 

[Josh Martin]

On 5/1/2024 at 2:16 PM, Guest Tracey said:

The question really is - once it's on the agenda, does it HAVE TO remain there, by parliamentarian rules, until it's dealt with and completed. Or can it appear once, have discussion or whatever, then not appear again until action is ready to be taken. 

There is no "one size fits all" answer to this question.

I will say that the item does not "have to" remain on the agenda. Whether the item will, in a particular case, remain on the agenda depends on the particular facts and circumstances of a given situation.

On 5/1/2024 at 2:16 PM, Guest Tracey said:

As an example - an agenda item might be added 'job description for the executive director to be revised'. It would be agreed that action would be taken, investigation and research to be done to make this happen, but it might be months before the revised job description would be ready for a motion to approve. Does that item need to stay on the agenda every month until it's ready for a motion, or can it be happening behind the scenes and not be on the agenda in the meantime? 

I WANT to be able to leave the item off the agenda until there is new information to add to the conversation/discussion, until we're ready for a motion on the item. 

From the facts presented, it would seem to me that the matter should be referred to a committee to conduct the "investigation and research" on this matter. If this is done, the item will indeed be handled "behind the scenes" until the committee is prepared to report.

[Dan Honemann]

On 5/1/2024 at 3:16 PM, Guest Tracey said:

I WANT to be able to leave the item off the agenda until there is new information to add to the conversation/discussion, until we're ready for a motion on the item. 

Then leave it off.  The agenda for a meeting is whatever the assembly adopts as the agenda.

[Richard Brown]

I agree with Mr. Martin and Mr. honemann. Once the item is initially dealt with by, for example, referring it to a committee, there is no need to put it back on the agenda until the committee makes its report and recommends some particular action. Even then, it might not appear on the agenda as a separately listed item, but might be Reported as a recommendation by the committee chairman during committee reports earlier in the meeting before you get to new business.  So, it might only appear on the agenda once, when it first comes up and is referred to a committee. There is no need to list it on every agenda until it is finally disposed of. In fact, it should not be. Once is generally enough unless it is something that requires repeated follow up action by the assembly.