adjourning a meeting

[Guest George]

Who can adjourn a meeting? Can a person leaving the meeting say "This meeting is adjourned" if they are only a member and not the chair of the committee? Does the meeting need to be adjourned by the chair of the committee?

[J. J.]

Who can adjourn a meeting? Can a person leaving the meeting say "This meeting is adjourned" if they are only a member and not the chair of the committee? Does the meeting need to be adjourned by the chair of the committee?

Except in extreme cases (like a fire or a riot), the meeting can only be adjourned with the consent of the majority.

[Gary Novosielski]

Who can adjourn a meeting? Can a person leaving the meeting say "This meeting is adjourned" if they are only a member and not the chair of the committee? Does the meeting need to be adjourned by the chair of the committee?

Anyone can move to adjourn, but it takes the agreement of a majority to actually do so. When the motion passes, the chair declares the meeting to be adjourned. If someone just yells "The moon is made of green cheese!" and runs out, that does not affect the composition of the moon. But it does mean that person can't vote any more because they're now absent.

In committees, the rules are more relaxed, but it's still true that one person cannot end the meeting if the others wish to continue. The only exception would be if the person, by leaving, causes a quorum not to be present. In that case the meeting is still not automatically adjourned, but it is no longer possible to conduct business, unless a quorum can be reëstablished.

[Josh Martin]

Who can adjourn a meeting?

Generally speaking, the assembly, by majority vote.

Can a person leaving the meeting say "This meeting is adjourned" if they are only a member and not the chair of the committee?

No.

Does the meeting need to be adjourned by the chair of the committee?

Generally, not even the chair has the power to unilaterally declare a meeting adjourned, however, there are a few cases in which the chair may declare the meeting adjourned without a motion:

• If the assembly has set a prescheduled time for adjournment, either through an agenda or program or by adopting a motion setting the time, the chair may declare the meeting adjourned when this time is reached. The assembly may, however, choose to continue the meeting by setting aside the orders of the day (2/3 vote).
• If the assembly has completed its full order of business and it appears there is no further business, the chair may ask if there is any further business. After waiting a few moments and receiving no response, the chair may declare the meeting adjourned.
• In the event of a fire, riot, or other extreme emergency, if the chair believes taking the time to vote on the motion to adjourn would put those present in danger, he may declare the meeting adjourned to another time and place (if possible) or to meet at the call of the chair.

In all other cases, only the assembly has the power to adopt a motion to adjourn.

[Weldon Merritt]

Can a person leaving the meeting say "This meeting is adjourned" if they are only a member and not the chair of the committee?

Of course they can say it; the statement just has no effect. As others have noted, excedpt in rare cases, the meeting can be adjourned only with the consent of teh majority.