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Seconding a Motion


Guest Bill T

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Can the chairman of a 3-Member committee second and vote upon a motion when the 3rd member of that committee refuses or fails to do so?

For example, a meeting needs to be adjourned because the business is complete and there is no introduction of additional items.

A member who is not the chairman makes the motion to adjourn. The other non-chairman member does not 2nd that motion. Can the chairman then 2nd that motion and proceed to call for the vote?

Or, better yeat, is it a requirement to have a motion and second to adjourn or can the Chairman adjourn the meeting on his own, after asking if there is further business to come before the committee?

Thank you

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Can the chairman of a 3-Member committee second and vote upon a motion when the 3rd member of that committee refuses or fails to do so?

For example, a meeting needs to be adjourned because the business is complete and there is no introduction of additional items.

A member who is not the chairman makes the motion to adjourn. The other non-chairman member does not 2nd that motion. Can the chairman then 2nd that motion and proceed to call for the vote?

Or, better yeat, is it a requirement to have a motion and second to adjourn or can the Chairman adjourn the meeting on his own, after asking if there is further business to come before the committee?

Thank you

If there's no further business, the chairman adjourns the meeting. He might ask, for instance, "Is there any further business?" After waiting a brief moment for anyone to respond and no one does, he says "There being no further business, this meeting is adjourned." No motion or vote necessary. If there's nothing else to take care of, what would voting no to a motion to adjourn accomplish? Keep the meeting going? For what purpose?

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If there's no further business, the chairman adjourns the meeting. He might ask, for instance, "Is there any further business?" After waiting a brief moment for anyone to respond and no one does, he says "There being no further business, this meeting is adjourned." No motion or vote necessary. If there's nothing else to take care of, what would voting no to a motion to adjourn accomplish? Keep the meeting going? For what purpose?

This is quite true of standing committees; and, it is also true of special committees when there are to be further meetings. See RONR (10th ed.), p. 233, ll. 11-18. When a special committee has agreed to its report and is ready to go out of business, the proper motion is that the committee "rise", which motion has the effect of an adjournment sine die. RONR (10th ed.), p. 484, ll. 13-19.

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