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Chair asks for member input


pbjacts

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Is the chairperson allowed to ask members to send her individual complaints regarding student disciplinary issues (this is a teachers association, and our chair is representing our interests regarding difficulties in administering a new disciplinary system for students). Would this happen as part of her General Remarks, does this need to be referred to a Committee, does it happen in New Business?

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Is the chairperson allowed to ask members to send her individual complaints regarding student disciplinary issues (this is a teachers association, and our chair is representing our interests regarding difficulties in administering a new disciplinary system for students). Would this happen as part of her General Remarks, does this need to be referred to a Committee, does it happen in New Business?

I think I don't understand the question adequately, or at least don't understand what it has to do with parliamentary procedure as described in Robert's Rules of Order. Receiving 'individual complaints' isn't part of the parliamentary duties of the chair in running a meeting. Is it a duty described under the rules/bylaws of your organization? And what is meant by 'our chair is representing our interests'?

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Is the chairperson allowed to ask members to send her individual complaints regarding student disciplinary issues (this is a teachers association, and our chair is representing our interests regarding difficulties in administering a new disciplinary system for students). Would this happen as part of her General Remarks, does this need to be referred to a Committee, does it happen in New Business?

There's no reason the chair can't make an announcement just before calling the meeting to order.

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I think I don't understand the question adequately, or at least don't understand what it has to do with parliamentary procedure as described in Robert's Rules of Order. Receiving 'individual complaints' isn't part of the parliamentary duties of the chair in running a meeting. Is it a duty described under the rules/bylaws of your organization? And what is meant by 'our chair is representing our interests'?

Thank you for your reply. I couldn't find anything in RONR about it, so I wondered if I was just not describing it adequately. The chair asked me to look into the proper way to do it, if applicable.

'The chair is representing our interests': Our association president (Chair) is talking to the principal of the school about various problems teachers are having with implementing the new disciplinary system, and wanted to solicit our input to buttress her arguments. She wanted to know if RONR had anything to say about the proper way to do that.

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Is the chairperson allowed to ask members to send her individual complaints regarding student disciplinary issues (this is a teachers association, and our chair is representing our interests regarding difficulties in administering a new disciplinary system for students).

Unclear.

Usually, under RONR, 100% of the disciplinary process is done in executive session, none of it being done in open (i.e., non-secret) session.

So it strikes me as highly irregular that letters and/or emails and/or telephone calls, etc., are being sent to a single party (here, your "chairperson").

Q. Since it is (or since it might be) business of the organization, then why aren't the communications going to a proper body?

That is, what happens next, after Member #A "complains" to your chairperson?

What is the point?

What is the follow-up?

What is going on here? :o

Would this happen as part of her General Remarks, does this need to be referred to a Committee, does it happen in New Business?

Like I said: I have serious doubts that it should occur at all.

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'The chair is representing our interests': Our association president (Chair) is talking to the principal of the school about various problems teachers are having with implementing the new disciplinary system, and wanted to solicit our input to buttress her arguments. She wanted to know if RONR had anything to say about the proper way to do that.

If she is representing the association, the association could give her instructions, which would be offered as motions, which would be debatable and amendable.

If this is a "side thing," that's probably where it should be handled.

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Thank you for your reply. I couldn't find anything in RONR about it, so I wondered if I was just not describing it adequately. The chair asked me to look into the proper way to do it, if applicable.

'The chair is representing our interests': Our association president (Chair) is talking to the principal of the school about various problems teachers are having with implementing the new disciplinary system, and wanted to solicit our input to buttress her arguments. She wanted to know if RONR had anything to say about the proper way to do that.

If she wants the formal voice of the association behind her, the association could adopt a motion (perhaps in the form of a resolution) stating what they would like to see changed in the disciplinary system, perhaps. Or the association could formally give instructions to its president (again, by adopting a motion). Whether the president could make such a motion herself depends on the size, formality, and rules/customs of your assembly.

If the members are having a bunch of different problems (which is what 'various' suggests), it might help to refer the matter to a committee, which could gather information from the teachers, and come up with a report -- the association could direct its president to share the report with the principal. Of course, committees and reports take time, and you all have to judge if this is a useful path in your situation. Sending something to a committee is also done by motion, so, again, it is a decision made by the assembly, not unilaterally by the presiding officer.

Less formally, if the association president (who is also the chair at your meetings, apparently) just wants individual input from the various teachers who are having problems, this could be done outside the formal meeting context, as Mr. Mountcastle and Mr. Wynn suggest.

....

Usually, under RONR, 100% of the disciplinary process is done in executive session, none of it being done in open (i.e., non-secret) session.

So it strikes me as highly irregular that letters and/or emails and/or telephone calls, etc., are being sent to a single party (here, your "chairperson").

....

Mr. Goldsworthy is talking about disciplinary procedures in the world of RONR, i.e. disciplinary process as applied internally to the members of an organization -- I don't think that is what PamelaB is talking about when she mentions the troubles that the teachers are having in using 'the new disciplinary system'.

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