Adjourned meeting

[Portcullischain]

As I took over the duties of President of my kid's high school band booster club. It became apparent that we were starting our fiscal year without a budget, we didn't even have a Treasurer . At our July 14th Executive Board meeting, I moved, and it was approved, that we form a budget committee to propose a budget for approval. Our next EB meeting being next August 11th, and me not being comfortable running an organization that long without an approved budget, I also moved that "when the meeting adjourns, it stand adjourned to meet at 7pm on July 20th" so we could have in effect a special meeting for the sole purpose of approving our 2010-2011 budget.

I'm unclear if that is the proper way to go about it. Also, we have no rule that states when our regular EB meetings are. Would I at the end of the special board meeting make a similar motion to adjourn for our next regular meeting? Would I need to keep making those motions throughout the year until a standing rule was put in place. Would the minutes for the special meeting on the 20th be added to the minutes of the 14th or would they be separate.

Also, our bylaws state -

Article VII - Section 1: Booster Club Executive Board meetings will be held monthly and will be open to the membership. A session meeting with the general membership will be held twice per year. Dates for this general membership meeting will be determined by the Executive Board at the beginning of the fall semester.

Article VIII - Section 3: Prior to the first meeting of the organization in the fall, the officers and the Director shall prepare a plan of requested financial assistance for the organization for activities for the school year. The treasurer shall be authorized to expend such monies within the budgeted items as are necessary to carry out the purpose of the plan. The financial plan may be amended by a majority vote of those present at a Booster Club Executive Board meeting.

We have not set any dates for the general membership meeting and probably will not be. The EB is thinking about recommending an amendment to the bylaws making all of our meetings general membership meetings to encourage participation. It sounds like currently our EB is responsible, per Article VIII, to approve the budget (financial plan?) but I was under the impression that general membership was supposed to approve a club's yearly budget. I might be misremembering something. Sorry for the long post. I like to do things right and as far as I can tell it hasn't been done right for a very long time.

Musically,

-PC

[Portcullischain]

well it looks like based on p558, since there isn't anything in our bylaws re: special meetings, I probably flubbed that one up

[Robert B Fish]

Even if your bylaws do not allow special meetings, you could still hold an adjourned meeting which would really be an extension of a regular meeting.

-Bob

[STA]

Also, we have no rule that states when our regular EB meetings are. Would I at the end of the special board meeting make a similar motion to adjourn for our next regular meeting? Would I need to keep making those motions throughout the year until a standing rule was put in place. Would the minutes for the special meeting on the 20th be added to the minutes of the 14th or would they be separate.

Also, our bylaws state -

Article VII - Section 1: Booster Club Executive Board meetings will be held monthly and will be open to the membership. A session meeting with the general membership will be held twice per year. Dates for this general membership meeting will be determined by the Executive Board at the beginning of the fall semester.

We have not set any dates for the general membership meeting and probably will not be.

We can't interpret your bylaws here, but when they appear to say "the Executive Board will do this" that's likely what they mean. A reasonable person will follow them as closely as practical.

Your bylaws appear to specify monthly meetings, so provide adequate notice for the "first regular meeting" and adopt a schedule of regular meetings, including the 2 "general sessions", by motion at that meeting. If there are no further meeting specifications in the bylaws your Executive Board can set each meeting individually, or set a convenient day (ie,"second Tuesday").

If you are sure there is no bylaw provision for "special meetings" perhaps you should consider adding one.