Re: [chairs] Re: Quorum required for good standing

[Jon Bosak <Jon.Bosak@sun.com>]

| To summarize, I do not believe that "Not responding" members
| should be counted as present for quorum puposes on an email vote.

The concept of a vote and the concept of a quorum are two
completely separate and distinct ideas.  The illustration in the
current version of Robert's makes this quite clear (p. 398):

   Assume, for example, that at a meeting of a society with a
   total membership of 150 and a quorum of 10, there are 30
   members present, of whom 25 participate in a given counted
   vote (taken by rising, by show of hands, by roll call, or by
   ballot).  Then, with respect to that vote:

   A majority is .......................................  13

   A majority of the members present is ................  16

   A majority of the entire membership is ..............  76

   A two-thirds vote is ................................  17

   A vote of two thirds of the members present is ......  20

   A vote of two thirds of the entire membership is .... 100

Note that none of these criteria has the slightest relationship to
the number needed for a quorum, which in this example is 10.  A
quorum is the number that has to be present before you can conduct
business; it has nothing to do with counting the votes.

In mail votes the concept of a quorum is meaningless, because in
mail everyone is always present.  This also has nothing to do with
counting the votes.

Jon