Abandon Meeting

[Guest Gary C]

During a Board meeting one Board member left the table and walked out of the room and did not return. At the same moment another Board member left the table, walked to the door claiming "meeting adjourned" then returned as the Board proceeded with a distracted effort to adjourn the meeting. Would you consider the second Board member to have left the meeting? The same 2 Board members walked out of the previous Board meeting as well.

Thank you Gary C.

[hmtcastle]

During a Board meeting one Board member left the table and walked out of the room and did not return. At the same moment another Board member left the table, walked to the door claiming "meeting adjourned" then returned as the Board proceeded with a distracted effort to adjourn the meeting. Would you consider the second Board member to have left the meeting?

No, I'd say he would have had to have left the room, not just the table. And, with behavior like that, he probably should have stayed home.

[Gary Novosielski]

During a Board meeting one Board member left the table and walked out of the room and did not return. At the same moment another Board member left the table, walked to the door claiming "meeting adjourned" then returned as the Board proceeded with a distracted effort to adjourn the meeting. Would you consider the second Board member to have left the meeting? The same 2 Board members walked out of the previous Board meeting as well.

Thank you Gary C.

Was there a reason the board decided to proceed with a distracted effort to adjourn the meeting? It sounds like you would get a lot more accomplished without those two bozos.

Were you without a quorum after those two left? Even without a quorum, a motion to compel the attendance of absent members could be in order (especially since they were already on-site). And you could discipline them for ignoring it, as well as for their repeated breach of decorum during the times when they are in attendance.

But you'll need to stand up on your hind legs and take action.

[hmtcastle]

a motion to compel the attendance of absent members could be in order

It could?

[Kim Goldsworthy]

During a Board meeting one Board member left the table and walked out of the room and did not return.

Okay.

At the same moment another Board member left the table, walked to the door claiming "meeting adjourned" then returned as the Board proceeded with a distracted effort to adjourn the meeting.

Okay.

Would you consider the second Board member to have left the meeting?

The same 2 Board members walked out of the previous Board meeting as well.

Trick question.

You said:

"[board member] then RETURNED, as the board [meeting] proceeded with [an] ... effort to adjourn the meeting."

So, you admit the meeting has not adjourned yet. Right?

So, the member who "left" the meeting is the same person who "returned". Right?

So, any "leaving" of the meeting was exactly the same as, e.g., (a.) a bathroom break; (b.) a smoke break; (c.) a telephone call break. Right?

So what that he left the meeting?

I agree that one MUST LEAVE THE ROOM for the sake of #a and #b and #c.

So what?

As long as he returned, what difference does it make?

As long as the bathroom break and/or smoke break and/or telephone break was brief enough to allow him to RETURN, what difference does it make?

[Gary Novosielski]

It could?

Measures relating to efforts to obtain a quorum are allowed, even in the absence of a quorum. Depending on the situation, actions up to ordering the arrest of absent members is permitted. I would be surprised if that level of enforcement authority applied here, but if this repeated breach of decorum and absence without leave are impacting the ability of the board to function, it would seem appropriate for the board to direct the absent members to come back, sit down, and behave. I believe that any body has at least that much authority.

If a quorum still exists after their departure, then it would probably be best just to ignore them and proceed as if they were on vacation.

[Tim Wynn]

Would you consider the second Board member to have left the meeting? The same 2 Board members walked out of the previous Board meeting as well.

Thank you Gary C.

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a ...

You haven't indicated any parliamentary relevance to determining the answer to this question, so I fear there is none.

[Tim Wynn]

Measures relating to efforts to obtain a quorum are allowed, even in the absence of a quorum.

Actually, I'd say that's precisely when they're needed.

Depending on the situation, actions up to ordering the arrest of absent members is permitted.

... not in normal societies. See RONR(10th ed.), p. 339, l. 3-9.

I would be surprised if that level of enforcement authority applied here,

Amen.

but if this repeated breach of decorum and absence without leave are impacting the ability of the board to function, it would seem appropriate for the board to direct the absent members to come back, sit down, and behave.

If the board doesn't have the authority to discipline its members, this would be an idle threat, but it's probably a good idea to let them know what's expected of them, and the board could always report back to the general assembly, which might consider these interruptions "misconduct or neglect of duty."

If a quorum still exists after their departure, then it would probably be best just to ignore them and proceed as if they were on vacation.

That's what I would do. I wouldn't even roll my eyes.

[Josh Martin]

Even without a quorum, a motion to compel the attendance of absent members could be in order (especially since they were already on-site). And you could discipline them for ignoring it, as well as for their repeated breach of decorum during the times when they are in attendance.

Measures relating to efforts to obtain a quorum are allowed, even in the absence of a quorum. Depending on the situation, actions up to ordering the arrest of absent members is permitted.

A Call of the House, which is what you seem to be hinting at, is only in order in assemblies which have the legal power to compel the attendance of their members, such as legislative bodies. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 339, lines 3-6) In a regular assembly, "measures relating to efforts to obtain a quorum" typically means something like calling absent members and asking them to pretty please come to the meeting.

but if this repeated breach of decorum and absence without leave are impacting the ability of the board to function, it would seem appropriate for the board to direct the absent members to come back, sit down, and behave. I believe that any body has at least that much authority.

Well, I suppose, but the board would be unlikely to be able to do much about it if they disobeyed, as disciplinary action is generally reserved for the general membership.

[Guest Gary C]

Thanks to everyone for your opinions on this problem. To clarify, a quorum did remain. The actions of 2 Board members has caused a disfunctional division on the Board and threatened the timely success of a significant capital improvement project for our Club. Our president has asked Board members to put aside these and other significant breaches of conduct and duty until the project is completed, hopefully in December. Thanks again Gary C

[Gary Novosielski]

Thanks to everyone for your opinions on this problem. To clarify, a quorum did remain. The actions of 2 Board members has caused a disfunctional division on the Board and threatened the timely success of a significant capital improvement project for our Club. Our president has asked Board members to put aside these and other significant breaches of conduct and duty until the project is completed, hopefully in December. Thanks again Gary C

In that case, your course of action for the next meeting might be to insult them as soon as possible, get them to storm out, and then the rest of you can get down to business that much sooner.

That's called "Win-Win".

[Rob Elsman]

During a Board meeting one Board member left the table and walked out of the room and did not return. At the same moment another Board member left the table, walked to the door claiming "meeting adjourned" then returned as the Board proceeded with a distracted effort to adjourn the meeting. Would you consider the second Board member to have left the meeting? The same 2 Board members walked out of the previous Board meeting as well.

Thank you Gary C.

There seems to be a misperception by the second member that the loss of a quorum automatically adjourns the meeting, but this is not so.

[Tim Wynn]

That's called "Win-Win".

... commonly written as "Wynn-Wynn."