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Subject: [geolang-comment] quorum questions (fwd)


I asked for a professional ruling from a real parliamentarian on the
non-meeting at Montreal, thus:

> >If a committee governed by RRO requests approval of the previous meeting's
> >minutes, and it is pointed out that the previous meeting did not have a
> >quorum (but nobody noticed at the time), is the previous meeting not a
> >legal meeting (and therefore its acts are void), or does the failure of
> >anyone to object at the time retrospectively legalize the meeting?
> >I appreciate your assistance with this issue.

Michael E. Malamut (referred by the American Institute of Parliamentarians)
kindly replied thus:

> Dear Mr. Cowan:
> 
> AIP Headquarters has assigned your parliamentary procedure question to me.
> As a Certified Professional Parliamentarian and Designated Teacher of
> Parliamentary Law credentialed by the American Institute of
> Parliamentarians, I have answered your question pro bono as a public
> service of AIP. This response is my opinion based upon the information
> provided and does not constitute an official opinion of AIP. Since I have
> not read your organization's governing documents, this reply is based
> solely on the information given in your e-mail message, which is copied
> above.
> 
> I am assuming that your reference to RRO is to the current tenth edition
> of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised ("RONR"), published 2000, and
> that RONR is the parliamentary authority used by your organization. Robert
> is used by most organizations throughout the country.
> 
> First, a committee is not required to, and normally does not, take formal
> minutes. Instead, the chair or secretary of the committee typically makes
> a brief memorandum simply for use of the committee. RONR p. 483.
> 
> Second, if there was no quorum, any action taken at the committee meeting
> would be considered null and void, even if no one protested at the time.
> Rules regarding quorum requirements are rules protecting absent members
> and therefore violations of quorum requirements are not waived by a lack
> of protest at the quorumless meeting. RONR pp. 244, 255. See also RONR p.
> 482 (quorum of committee is majority of committee membership). A member of
> the committee can protest the quorumless meeting at any subsequent
> meeting.
> 
> I hope that this answer is helpful. If my answer is unclear, please email
> me directly. If you need further information or assistance, the office of
> the American Institute of Parliamentarians (888-664-0428) can help you
> find a qualified Certified Professional Parliamentarian in your area to
> employ.
> 
> AIP offers many resources for individuals interested in learning more
> about parliamentary procedure. The AIP websitewww.aipparlipro.org provides
> information about correspondence courses and practicums. Practicums are
> 3-4 day workshops/seminars held each year on both coasts. The AIP Annual
> Session also offers interactive training in parliamentary procedure. The
> web site also gives you access to the AIP Bookstore, which offers books,
> charts, pamphlets and other helpful materials. In addition to these
> resources, AIP publishes the Parliamentary Journal, which AIP members
> receive with their membership. The Parliamentary Journal provides helpful
> educational articles about parliamentary procedure.
> 
> I wish you much success with your organization.
> 
> Michael E. Malamut, PRP, CPP-T

I replied briefly, thanking him and noting that we would enact the
non-decisions of the non-meeting at the next actual meeting.

BTW, each committee that doesn't meet at least once a calendar year evaporates,
according to the TC process, so we must make certain that we get at
least one by-the-book meeting in 2002.

-- 
John Cowan  jcowan@reutershealth.com  www.ccil.org/~cowan  www.reutershealth.com
"If I have not seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing
on my shoulders."
        --Hal Abelson


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