Quorum for adjourned AGM

[Guest cira]

The society's rules are:

RULE 1: No business shall be conducted at any general meeting if a quorum of 20 members is not present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business.

RULE 2: If a quorum is not present within 15 minutes from the time appointed for any general meeting, it shall be adjourned to the same day in the following week at the same place and time, and if at the adjourned meeting, a quorum is not present within 15 minutes from the time appointed for the meeting, the members present shall be a quorum and may proceed to business.

RULE 3: The chairperson may with the approval of any meeting at which a quorum is present adjourn the meeting from time to time but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the original meeting from which the adjournment took place.

Events that unfolded are:

The society held its AGM on 8 August where a quorum was present. Due to certain circumstances (too long to narrate here) the members moved and unanimoulsy passed the motion that no business in the Agenda be transacted, instead, that the AGM be adjourned to the following week (same place and time) to enable the polling of the new office-bearers to take place immediately.

QUESTION: At the original AGM held on 8 August, there was a quorum. At this coming adjourned AGM to be held on 15 August, must a quorum of 20 members be present to proceed to the business left unfinished? (Please state which of the 3 RULES above is applicable in this case.)

[hmtcastle]

At the original AGM held on 8 August, there was a quorum. At this coming adjourned AGM to be held on 15 August, must a quorum of 20 members be present to proceed to the business left unfinished? (Please state which of the 3 RULES above is applicable in this case.)

Yes, per Rule 1. But you can adjourn the meeting until August 22 and invoke Rule 2 then.

Not that this forum is the place for interpreting your bylaws. That's up to your organization.

[David A Foulkes]

RULE 2: If a quorum is not present within 15 minutes from the time appointed for any general meeting, it shall be adjourned to the same day in the following week at the same place and time, and if at the adjourned meeting, a quorum is not present within 15 minutes from the time appointed for the meeting, the members present shall be a quorum and may proceed to business.

And of course, if even only a very small, unrepresentative number of members (2 or 3, for example) attend the adjourned meeting (now quorate after fifteen minutes), they can conduct business legitimately, assuming they can muster the votes. Not sure I'm all warm and fuzzy about that.

RULE 3: The chairperson may with the approval of any meeting at which a quorum is present adjourn the meeting from time to time but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the original meeting from which the adjournment took place.

And I think the wording here might warrant a review. But that's just my sense of adjourning "from time to time."