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CHAPTER 2: WHAT HAPPENS AT A MEETING?

A. The Roles of the Presiding Officer and the Secretary

  • Presiding Officer:
      - A person chosen to preside over meetings, also known as the chairman or chair.
      - Responsible for enforcing rules and designating speakers.
      - Can be elected for specific meetings or for an extended term (e.g., president).

  • Secretary:
      - Elected to make written records of the meeting proceedings, known as minutes.

      1. The presiding officer is referred to as "the chair" during the meeting.
      2. Roles are crucial for maintaining order and clarity in meeting proceedings.
      3. The office of the secretary and the presiding officer are the minimum essential officers for conducting meetings.

B. Quorum

  • Definition of Quorum:
      - A minimum number of members required to be present for a meeting to conduct substantive business.

  • Purpose of Quorum:
      - Protects against decisions made by a small, unrepresentative number of members.

  • Majority Rule:
      - If a quorum requirement is not specified in an organization's bylaws, the quorum is typically defined as a majority of members present at the meeting.
      - "Majority" here refers to more than half of the members.

  • Consequences of No Quorum:
      - If no quorum is present, the meeting can only conduct limited tasks (e.g., scheduling another meeting).
      - Any substantive actions taken without a quorum are invalid.
      - If quorum is lost during the meeting (e.g., members leave), substantive business cannot continue until a quorum is restored.

C. A Standard Order of Business

  • Commencement of Meeting:
      - The meeting is initiated by the presiding officer calling it to order.
      - The presiding officer usually states, "The meeting will come to order," potentially followed by opening ceremonies (e.g., Pledge of Allegiance).

  • Simplified Standard Order of Business Includes:
      1. Reading and Approval of Minutes
      2. Reports
      3. Unfinished Business
      4. New Business

      - The standard order of business can be adapted to meet the specific needs of the organization.
      - Full details on procedures can be referenced in the RONR (Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised) document.

1. Reading and Approval of Minutes

  • The chair instructs the secretary to read the minutes of the previous meeting.

  • After reading, the chair asks for any corrections.
      - Normally, corrections are made without objection, but if disputed, debate and a vote may occur on corrections.

  • Minutes only become the official record upon approval by the members.

  • Draft minutes may be sent to members prior to a meeting to expedite approval processes.

2. Reports

  • Reports from officers, boards, and committees are presented.
      - Examples of chair's prompts might include inquiries for reports from the Treasurer or Membership Committee.

  • These reports primarily serve to provide information, but may also contain actionable recommendations which are debated and voted on as needed.

3. Unfinished Business

  • The chair brings up items left unfinished from previous meetings for consideration.

  • Properly conducted meetings only address unfinished business, avoiding the incorrect categorization of items as "old business."
      - Unfinished business includes:
        1. Items in process of being deliberated during the last meeting.
        2. Any scheduled items not reached before adjournment.

  • The flow of business under this category must follow the order they were intended to be addressed.

4. New Business

  • New items are introduced by members upon the chair's prompt, using formal motion-making procedures explained in subsequent chapters.

D. Agenda: An Alternative to Following a Standard Order of Business

  • Organizations may opt to adopt an agenda that provides the specific order of business instead of following the standard order.

  • Adoption of the agenda requires a vote by the group, usually right after the meeting begins; modifications can be made during this process.

Example of an Agenda:

  1. Opening Ceremonies
       A. Invocation
       B. Pledge of Allegiance

  2. Adoption of Agenda

  3. Reading and Approval of Minutes

  4. Reports of Officers
       A. President
       B. Vice-President
       C. Secretary
       D. Treasurer

  5. Report of Board of Directors

  6. Reports of Committees
       A. Membership Committee
       B. Education Committee

  7. Recess for Lunch

  8. Program: Speaker

  9. Reconvene

  10. Consideration of Purchasing New Headquarters

  11. New Business

  12. Adjourn

E. Adjournment, Recess, and Standing at Ease

  • Adjournment:
      - The meeting concludes with the chair stating that no further business remains, followed by the declaration, "the meeting is adjourned."
      - A majority vote may decide to adjourn even if business is pending.

  • Recess:
      - A proposal to recess must also be voted on by a majority and can set a specific duration for the recess or leave it to the chair's discretion.

  • Standing at Ease:
      - If no member objects, the chair may call for a brief pause (while maintaining members in their seats) until the meeting is called back to order.

  

  • Notes and references to RONR provide deeper insights into additional procedural details and rules.