Petition for Special Meeting

[Guest Jerry]

I would like to know that if a petition is signed by the required number of members in a club to hold a Special general membership meeting, can the petition state more then one purpose? I understand that only what the Special meeting is called for can be discussed and no other business can be done. This has to do with policies and Procedures in which the Board made a decision change after 40 yrs on the books and they had a right to do this without asking for the memebrships opinion. However, the membership feels taken advantage of by the Board for making a change to something that has stood for so many years and wants to call this Special meeting to put their decision on hold and then request a ballot be sent out to the entire membership (members located all over the United States)to vote on keeping the policy that was changed to what it was. Our Standing rules state that the membership can change anything the Board approves, but my concern is that we can do the 2 orders of business at the Special meeting. The general membership only meets once a year and it will not be til next October that the general meeting is held, and that is why we want a Special meeting called.

[Dan Honemann]

I would like to know that if a petition is signed by the required number of members in a club to hold a Special general membership meeting, can the petition state more then one purpose? I understand that only what the Special meeting is called for can be discussed and no other business can be done. This has to do with policies and Procedures in which the Board made a decision change after 40 yrs on the books and they had a right to do this without asking for the memebrships opinion. However, the membership feels taken advantage of by the Board for making a change to something that has stood for so many years and wants to call this Special meeting to put their decision on hold and then request a ballot be sent out to the entire membership (members located all over the United States)to vote on keeping the policy that was changed to what it was. Our Standing rules state that the membership can change anything the Board approves, but my concern is that we can do the 2 orders of business at the Special meeting. The general membership only meets once a year and it will not be til next October that the general meeting is held, and that is why we want a Special meeting called.

Yes.

[Chris Harrison]

I would like to know that if a petition is signed by the required number of members in a club to hold a Special general membership meeting, can the petition state more then one purpose? I understand that only what the Special meeting is called for can be discussed and no other business can be done. This has to do with policies and Procedures in which the Board made a decision change after 40 yrs on the books and they had a right to do this without asking for the memebrships opinion. However, the membership feels taken advantage of by the Board for making a change to something that has stood for so many years and wants to call this Special meeting to put their decision on hold and then request a ballot be sent out to the entire membership (members located all over the United States)to vote on keeping the policy that was changed to what it was. Our Standing rules state that the membership can change anything the Board approves, but my concern is that we can do the 2 orders of business at the Special meeting. The general membership only meets once a year and it will not be til next October that the general meeting is held, and that is why we want a Special meeting called.

You would need to follow the procedures in the bylaws for calling a Special Meeting (and if they don't provide for Special Meetings you can't hold one). A Special Meeting can conduct any business as long as the body is authorized to conduct that business and it is listed in the Call of the Special Meeting.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

It is possible, even though it is rare, for a special meeting to be called with more than one item of business to be transacted.

• the single member (who invokes the proper calling procedures for special meetings) might have 2 or 3 pet projects he wishes to implement.

• a second member, upon hearing an early leak of a special meeting about to be invoked, might likewise meet the proper deadline, and file the proper papers, and thus add his pet project to the list of items of business.

Rare. But, given the customized procedures of some organizations, nonetheless possible.

[Gary Novosielski]

It is possible, even though it is rare, for a special meeting to be called with more than one item of business to be transacted.

• the single member (who invokes the proper calling procedures for special meetings) might have 2 or 3 pet projects he wishes to implement.

• a second member, upon hearing an early leak of a special meeting about to be invoked, might likewise meet the proper deadline, and file the proper papers, and thus add his pet project to the list of items of business.

Rare. But, given the customized procedures of some organizations, nonetheless possible.

Well, what would have been wrong with the first member calling a special meeting to deal with all three of his pet projects, even adding member 2's pet projects to the bargain?

[Kim Goldsworthy]

Well, what would have been wrong with the first member calling a special meeting to deal with all three of his pet projects, even adding member 2's pet projects to the bargain?

Nothing "wrong" with it.

But you would a time machine (or a silver De Lorean with a flux capacitor) for the first member to know ahead of time what spontaneous idea the second member will have, AFTER Member #2 hears the leak regarding Member #1's filing of papers.

[Weldon Merritt]

Kim, are you saying (as I think you are) that after Member #1 isssues a notice of a special meeting, Member #2 may issue a separate notice adding an item to the agenda for the meeting already called by Member #1? And if so, can you point to anything specific in RONR that supports your position, or are you just using logic. At this point, I am neither agreeeing nor disagreeing ( franky I am unsure at this point); I am just trying to understand you correctly.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

Kim, are you saying (as I think you are) that after Member #1 isssues a notice of a special meeting, Member #2 may issue a separate notice adding an item to the agenda for the meeting already called by Member #1?

And if so, can you point to anything specific in RONR that supports your position, or are you just using logic.

At this point, I am neither agreeeing nor disagreeing ( franky I am unsure at this point); I am just trying to understand you correctly.

Special meetings are not allowed, per RONR.

Now, the logic.

If there are to be special meetings at all, then those rules MUST be customized.

If the rules are customized, then it is possible that the rules allow any member to call any special meeting at any time at any location.

If two such people call for IDENTICAL special meetings (time, location), then the secretary and the president will be powerless to suppress or alter the calling of those special meetings.

If a notice is sent out, then the notice will include all data relevant to that/those special meeting(s). -- Certainly, no secretary, no president, can add or subtract agendized items, short of a (customized) rule saying otherwise.

On the day of the special meeting, at H-Hour, the chair will ask the secretary to read the business which has been given proper notice for the special meeting. The secretary, in theory, might read from any number of papers submitted by any number of members, all of whom specified this special meeting's time and place, whether it be by wild coincidence, or by in-cahoots conspiracy.

Certainly, Caller #1 cannot suppress or amend Caller #2's agenda, nor vice versa.

Likewise for Caller #3, Caller #4, ..., Caller #N.

And, to repeat, no special meetings are allowed under the default rules of Robert's Rules of Order.

If there are to be special meetings, the bylaws must allow for special meetings, and thus must specify the W's (who, what, when ... etc.).

[Guest Jerry]

Special meetings are not allowed, per RONR.

Now, the logic.

If there are to be special meetings at all, then those rules MUST be customized.

If the rules are customized, then it is possible that the rules allow any member to call any special meeting at any time at any location.

If two such people call for IDENTICAL special meetings (time, location), then the secretary and the president will be powerless to suppress or alter the calling of those special meetings.

If a notice is sent out, then the notice will include all data relevant to that/those special meeting(s). -- Certainly, no secretary, no president, can add or subtract agendized items, short of a (customized) rule saying otherwise.

On the day of the special meeting, at H-Hour, the chair will ask the secretary to read the business which has been given proper notice for the special meeting. The secretary, in theory, might read from any number of papers submitted by any number of members, all of whom specified this special meeting's time and place, whether it be by wild coincidence, or by in-cahoots conspiracy.

Certainly, Caller #1 cannot suppress or amend Caller #2's agenda, nor vice versa.

Likewise for Caller #3, Caller #4, ..., Caller #N.

And, to repeat, no special meetings are allowed under the default rules of Robert's Rules of Order.

If there are to be special meetings, the bylaws must allow for special meetings, and thus must specify the W's (who, what, when ... etc.).

The Special meeting for our club requires a Petition be signed by 10% of the memebers to call for it and once sent to the Corresponding Secretary the meeting is scheduled. The actual point for the meeting is one item, but it has 2 subjects. One is to Overturn the decision the Board made concerning Policies and the second action is to require the Board to do a ballot for the entire membership to vote on if they want to keep the old policy or go with the new policy. The Board can not change a decision made by the membership, but the membership can change any action by the Board. The Policy the Board changed with no notification to the membership was a Policy for 40 years, and the Board voted 5-4 with 3 absent Board members.The club has 400 members and this means the Boards decision was made by 5 people instead of bringing it before the 400 members.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

The Special meeting for our club requires a Petition be signed by 10% of the members to call for it and once sent to the Corresponding Secretary the meeting is scheduled.

The actual point for the meeting is one item, but it has 2 subjects.

• One is to Overturn the decision the Board made concerning Policies.

• The second action is to require the Board to do a ballot for the entire membership to vote on if they want to keep the old policy or go with the new policy.

The Board can not change a decision made by the membership, but the membership can change any action by the Board.

The Policy the Board changed with no notification to the membership was a Policy for 40 years, and the Board voted 5-4 with 3 absent Board members.

The club has 400 members and this means the Boards decision was made by 5 people instead of bringing it before the 400 members.

Assuming your petition, and you all in general, follow your customized rule for calling special meetings, what you are describing violates no rule within Robert's Rules of Order.

The caller is free to add an infinite number of items of business, as far as Robert's Rules goes, since there is no limit within Robert's Rules. Your "limit" is your own bylaws' procedure.