HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM CSAP
Greetings from Gail E. Lover, PRP, CSAP Parliamentarian 2020-2022
We Want to be Your 2021 Parliamentary Resource!

Do you find yourself wondering …?

In 2021, What Happens to Business Left Unresolved in 2020?

The New Year is here! What happens now to the business that was still pending in a board, committee, club, chapter, unit, association and organization meeting held last year? RONR Newly Revised provides that, “The assembly can adjourn even while business is pending, provided that the time for the next meeting is established by a rule of the society or has been set by the assembly.” § 6:12(4)

But what if, with Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised as its parliamentary authority, your group adjourned in 2020 with no time set for the next business meeting by rule or motion? Then what happens to the business left pending?

What if your adopted parliamentary authority is RONR Newly Revised and the next business meeting won’t happen within the first quarter of 2021? In partial pertinent part RONR says:

“When the adjournment closes a session in a body that will not have another regular session within a quarterly time interval …: Matters temporarily but not finally disposed of, except those that remain in the hands of a committee to which they have been referred, fall to the ground. They can, however, be introduced at the next session, the same as if they had never before been brought up.” § 21:7(c) Bold added.

What if a motion to reconsider an earlier vote is pending when the session is adjourned? Well … “The effect of making the motion to Reconsider is the suspension of all action that depends on the result of the result of the vote proposed to be reconsidered. This suspending effect [of the motion to reconsider] lasts until [] (c) it falls to ground without having been voted on … under conditions stated in § 21:7(c).” § 37:11(c) Bold added.

What about § 49:22, “Effect of Periodic Partial Change in Board Membership”?
“When the outgoing portion of the board vacates membership, all matters temporarily but not finally disposed of, except those that remain in the hands of a committee…, fall to the ground under provision.” § 21:7(c)

One more: see also § 50:30 –
“A special committee … continues to exist until the duty assigned to it is accomplished, unless discharged sooner.” An annual meeting “does not discharge a special committee.”

Become a Member of NAP/CSAP This Year!

Brought to you by Gail E. Lover, PRP and CSAP,
a division of the National Association of Parliamentarians, https://www.parliamentarians.org/

Categories: General

CSAP Webmaster

CSAP Webmaster

CSAP Webmaster. Currently: Alex Wang