§21: Adjourn

Sigma Chi Sigma Notes

May 6, 2006

Motion to Adjourn (P. 225-234) - Unqualified form:

• No mention of time for adjournment or for meeting again. However, some other
provision exists for the next meeting so that the assembly does not dissolve.

• No time for adjournment of the present meeting has been set in the agenda or
the bylaws.

Privileged – Can interrupt the pending question. Also, is privileged even while no
question is pending. Most be seconded, cannot be debated or amended, requires
majority vote to adopt.

Privileged EXCEPT ..
1. If qualified as to time to adjourn.
2. If time to adjourn has been set by agenda, motion, or bylaws.
3. If adjournment has the effect of dissolving the assembly (convention of
delegates)

Effect of Adjournment on Pending Business (P. 229)

Session not closed (continues with an adjourned meeting or at a convention)
• Business resumes at next meeting at point where it left off, after opening
ceremonies and reading of the minutes.

Session closed and next meeting is less than quarterly away.

• Next meeting has completely new order of business.
• Pending question and General Order issues are taken up under Unfinished
Business. (New business???)
• Special Orders not reached are taken up under Special Orders.

Session closed and next meeting is more than quarterly away.

• Business not finished or reached fall to the ground.
• These can be introduced as new at the next meeting.

Odds: (p. 229-230)

• Adjourn as a main motion dissolves the assembly sine die (SIGNeee DYEee)
• Special Committees and Committee of the Whole do not adjourn. They rise and
report, which is the same as adjourn.
• Boards and Committees typically do not fix a time for adjournment. Adjourn is
typically privileged. If no provision exists for the next meeting, adjournment is to
meet at the “call of the president”.

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 §21: Adjourn
Sigma Chi Sigma Notes
May 6, 2006

Before Adjourning, several tasks can be introduced: (P. 230)

• Informing the assembly what business requires attention before an adjournment
• Any important announcement
• Make (not take up) a motion to reconsider a previous vote
• Make motion to reconsider and enter into the minutes
• Give notice of a motion to be made at the next meeting (if previous notice
required).
• Move to set a time for an adjourned meeting

A meeting can adjourn without the need of a motion to adjourn, if a prescheduled

hour to adjourn has been set by the agenda, motion, or bylaws: (P. 232)
• When the prescheduled hour comes, the chair can declare the meeting
adjourned.
• If before the prescheduled hour comes the assembly wishes to adjourn, it would
take a motion and a majority vote. (p. 233 line 5-7)
• If when the prescheduled hour comes the assembly does not wish to adjourn, the
orders of the day must be set aside with a motion and a 2/3 vote.
• If before the prescheduled hour comes all scheduled business has been taken
care of, the chair can ask, “Is there no further business?” Then, he can declare
the meeting adjourned.

§22: Fix the time TO which to Adjourn (P. 234)

Sets time and place to continue business. Says nothing about when the current meeting
shall adjourn.

Privilege if made while a question is pending; otherwise it is a main motion.

As privilege – must be seconded, cannot be debated, can be amended as to date,

hour, place (but amendments are not debatable), requires majority vote.

Adjourned meeting:
• Does not require a notice as a special meeting does.
• The motion typically followed by motion to postpone business or to adjourn.
• Minutes will be read.
• Business is taken up where it left off.

Note: (p. 237)

• Motion to fix the time TO which to adjourn (Privileged or Main motion)
• Motion to fix the time AT which to adjourn (always Main motion)

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 §21: Adjourn
Sigma Chi Sigma Questions
May 6, 2006

Questions on the Motion to Adjourn

1. I move to adjourn at 2:00 p.m. (Privileged or Main?)

2. Even though the agenda says we will adjourn at 3:00 p.m., I move we adjourn 15
minutes earlier. (Privileged or Main?)

3. I realize that we have not adopted a motion or a bylaw deciding when we will
meet again, nevertheless, I move to adjourn. (Privileged or Main?)

4. I wish to explain why we should not adjourn at this time. (In order or not?)

5. I move to adjourn this educational committee meeting. (In order or not?)

6. During the 10:00 a.m. meeting, a motion was adopted to fix the time to which to
adjourn. The time for the adjourned meeting was fixed to 2:00 p.m. The 10:00
a.m. meeting was adjourned while a motion was being debated. The motion had
been moved immediately after (and related to) the President’s report.

a. At the adjourned meeting, what is the first item of business?

b. At the adjourned meeting, what is the second item of business?

c. Same as #6 except, the motion for an adjourned meeting was defeated.

At the next monthly meeting, do we take up the President’s report
motion? When?

d. Same as #6 except, the motion for an adjourned meeting was defeated.

At the next quarterly meeting, do we take up the President’s report
motion? When?

e. Let us say that we had a Postponed item in General Orders in #6 above.

What will happen to it at the next monthly meeting? What if the next
meeting is a quarterly meeting?

f. Let us say that we had a New Business item in #6 above. What will
happen to it at the next monthly meeting? What if the next meeting is a
quarterly meeting?

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 §21: Adjourn
Sigma Chi Sigma Questions
May 6, 2006

7. Motion to adjourn has been adopted. Which of the following actions are in order?

a. I move to take up the motion to reconsider the vote on the motion to

donate books to the library.

b. I wish to announce that I will not be at the next meeting.

c. I wish to remind the chair that the bylaws require us to appoint a

nominating committee at this is the meeting, and we have not done so.

d. I wish to give the required notice that at our next monthly meeting I shall
move to rescind the motion to spend more than $50 for the party.

8. An adopted agenda schedules adjournment at 3:00 p.m. Which of the following

is in order?

a. At 3:00 p.m. the chair declares the meeting adjourned.

b. Before 3:00 p.m. all scheduled business has been taken care of. The
chair hears a motion to adjourn. After a majority vote, the chair declares
the meeting adjourned.

c. At 3:00 p.m. some members wish to continue debating an issue. The

chair sets aside the orders of the day with a majority vote and continues
the debate.

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