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emergency board mtg notification


Guest mike wilkinson

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Guest mike wilkinson

Our bylaws speak to notification to the membership for a regular meeting (72 hours), but does not offer a notification minimum for an emergency meeting. The bylaws state board meetings may be called, "at other times, with proper notice, upon call of the Chair..." The bylaws go on to state that "an agenda for each regularly scheduled board meeting shall be made at least 72 hours before the meeting." In the absense of a separate notification period for an emergency meeting, is there a 72-hour notification requirement (it's definitely not a "regularly scheduled brd meeeting)... And does it make a difference that two years ago an emergency board meeting of the same body was called and held without objection with 45 hours notice?

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Our bylaws speak to notification to the membership for a regular meeting (72 hours), but does not offer a notification minimum for an emergency meeting. The bylaws state board meetings may be called, "at other times, with proper notice, upon call of the Chair..." The bylaws go on to state that "an agenda for each regularly scheduled board meeting shall be made at least 72 hours before the meeting." In the absense of a separate notification period for an emergency meeting, is there a 72-hour notification requirement (it's definitely not a "regularly scheduled brd meeeting)... And does it make a difference that two years ago an emergency board meeting of the same body was called and held without objection with 45 hours notice?

Do the bylaws provide for calling an Emergency Meeting? If they don't you can't have them (RONR p. 89).

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Our bylaws speak to notification to the membership for a regular meeting (72 hours), but does not offer a notification minimum for an emergency meeting. The bylaws state board meetings may be called, "at other times, with proper notice, upon call of the Chair..." The bylaws go on to state that "an agenda for each regularly scheduled board meeting shall be made at least 72 hours before the meeting." In the absense of a separate notification period for an emergency meeting, is there a 72-hour notification requirement (it's definitely not a "regularly scheduled brd meeeting)... And does it make a difference that two years ago an emergency board meeting of the same body was called and held without objection with 45 hours notice?

Your organization must interpret the meaning of its bylaws. The operative word seems to be "proper notice." You are questioning whether proper means 72 hrs in view of the requirement for a regular meeting.

If the requirements of the bylaws are not met for calling a special meeting, then all business at said meeting is null and void, although it could be ratified at a future, properly called, regular or special meeting.

Raise a point of order. The chairman will rule on your point of order. If you feel the ruling was in error, you can appeal the ruling and the assembly will decide. Then, amend the bylaws to make them clearer.

-Bob

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If the By-laws allow for Special Meetings, then the specific By-law should also state, in plain English, what the requirements are including the notice period for the Special Meeting.

Good point. However, the organization has the set of bylaws that they have. Failure to state the requirements in a totally unambiguous fashion would not nullify those rules. If, for example, the rules state that notice must be "reasonable," then a point of order could be raised if a member felt the notice was not reasonable and the assembly would have to decide the the point of order was appealed.

On the other hand, if the bylaws said that 72 hours notice was required and only 69 hours notice were given, IMO, the chairman should not allow an appeal that the requirements for notice were met.

-Bob

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