Meeting (parliamentary procedure)

{{See also|Legislative session}}

A session is a meeting or series of connected meetings devoted to a single order of business, program, agenda, or announced purpose.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 82}}See dictionary definition of "session" at [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/session thefreedictionary.com]. An organization's bylaws may define a specific meaning of the term "session." In most organizations, each session consists of only a single meeting (i.e. "session" and "meeting" are equivalent terms in this case).

The significance of a session is that one session generally cannot make decisions that bind a group at a future session. A session has implications for the renewability of motions. The same or substantially the same question cannot be brought up twice in the same session except by means of the motions that bring a question again before the assembly.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 88}}

A quarterly time interval represents a time limitation on the taking or postponement of certain actions. No more than a quarterly time interval between two sessions exists when "the second session begins at any time during or before the third calendar month after the calendar month in which the first session ends."{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|pp = 89–90}} For example, if a meeting takes place in January, the other meeting is within a quarterly time interval when the previous meeting is on or after 1 October of the preceding calendar year or when the next meeting occurs on or before 30 April of the current year.

A motion may not be postponed to the next meeting if that meeting is scheduled for more than a quarterly time interval away.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 183}} If a body's next meeting is more than a quarterly time interval away, it is customary to appoint a board or committee to approve the minutes of the current meeting.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|pp = 474–475}} A motion which has been laid on the table at a meeting and not taken from the table before the end of the meeting will die if the next meeting is more than a quarterly time interval away, whereas if the next meeting is within a quarterly time interval, the motion may be taken from the table at that meeting.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 214}}

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised describes the following types of meetings:

• Regular meeting – a meeting normally scheduled by the organization at set intervals.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 89}} For example, it could be a weekly or monthly meeting of the organization.
• Special meeting – a meeting scheduled separately from a regular meeting, as the need arises.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 91}}
• Adjourned meeting – a meeting that is continued from a regular meeting or a special meeting (also called a "continued meeting").{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 93}} This meeting is scheduled by a motion to do so.
• Annual meeting – a meeting held every year.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 94}} This meeting may be different from the regular meetings in that there may be elections or annual reports from officers that only take place at such a meeting.
• Executive session – a meeting in which the proceedings are secret, or confidential.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 95}}{{Cite web|url = https://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/ANowDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=570513|title = The Who, When, and Why of Board Executive Sessions|date = February 2014|access-date = 17 January 2016|website = The Center for Association Leadership|publisher = American Society of Association Executive (ASAE)|last1 = Cordes|first1 = Anne|last2 = Engle|first2 = Mark}}
• Public session – a meeting, usually of a governmental body, that is open to the general public.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 96}}{{Cite web|title = FAQ – Open Meetings Law (OML)|url = http://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/openmeetinglawfaq.html|website = www.dos.ny.gov|access-date = 19 January 2016|publisher = New York State, Department of State, Committee on Open Government}}{{Cite web|title = Attorney General's Open Meeting Law Guide|url = http://www.mass.gov/ago/government-resources/open-meeting-law/attorney-generals-open-meeting-law-guide.html|website = Attorney General of Massachusetts|access-date = 19 January 2016}} For government bodies, such meetings may be required to be open to the public due to open meeting laws.{{Cite web|title = Common Misconceptions about the Sunshine Act|url = http://panewsmedia.org/legal/openmeetings/sunshineactmisconceptions|website = panewsmedia.org|access-date = 31 January 2016}}
• Electronic meetings – a meeting held by electronic means, such as the internet.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 97}} Any of the above types of meetings could also be held as an "electronic" meeting.

Groups may also gather at conventions which may have several meetings over a day or a week or more.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 7}} The conventions may be held in connection with the organization's annual meeting.

A "call" of the meeting is a notice of the time and place which is sent in advance to inform the members.{{Cite book|title = Meeting Procedures: Parliamentary Law and Rules of Order for the 21st Century|last = Lochrie|first = James|publisher = Scarecrow Press|year = 2003|isbn = 0-8108-4423-0|location = Lanham, Maryland|pages = [https://archive.org/details/meetingprocedure00jame/page/6 6]|url = https://archive.org/details/meetingprocedure00jame|url-access = registration|quote = meeting procedures lochrie.}}See dictionary definition of "call a meeting" at [http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/call+a+meeting thefreedictionary.com].{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 4}} Usually the secretary of the organization is responsible for sending out the call.{{Cite web|title = What's involved in calling a board meeting? {{!}} Corporate governance {{!}} Small Business Update {{!}} ICAEW|url = http://www.icaew.com/en/archive/library/subject-gateways/business-management/smes/small-business-update/2014-06/whats-involved-in-calling-a-board-meeting|website = www.icaew.com|access-date = 17 January 2016}}{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 124}} The call may also include an agenda or a listing of items of business to come up at the meeting. Organizations may have a requirement of how much notice is needed for the call. For example, a call may be required to be sent at least 30 days in advance of the meeting.{{Cite web|title = Title 23, §2151: Call of meeting; notices|url = http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/23/title23sec2151.html|website = www.mainelegislature.org|access-date = 19 January 2016}}

This sense of a "call" of the meeting is distinct from "calling the meeting to order", which means that the meeting is beginning.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 25}}

{{Main|Agenda (meeting)}}An agenda is a list of meeting activities in the order in which they are to be taken up, beginning with the call to order and ending with adjournment.{{Cite web|title = The Board Meeting – Agenda Development {{!}} Idaho Commission for Libraries|url = http://libraries.idaho.gov/page/board-meeting-%25E2%2580%2593-agenda-development|website = libraries.idaho.gov|access-date = 17 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150915040153/http://libraries.idaho.gov/page/board-meeting-%E2%80%93-agenda-development|archive-date = 15 September 2015|url-status = dead}} It usually includes one or more specific items of business to be acted upon. It may, but is not required to, include specific times for one or more activities.

{{Main|Parliamentary procedure}}Organizations have their own rules on conducting meetings. Most organizations in the United States use Robert's Rules of Order as a supplemental guide to their rules.{{Cite book|title = Notes and Comments on Robert's Rules|last1 = Slaughter|first1 = Jim|publisher = Southern Illinois University Press|year = 2012|isbn = 978-0-8093-3215-1|location = Carbondale and Edwardsville|pages = 160|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=5THFbCnDdbIC&pg=PA160|last2 = Ragsdale|first2 = Gaut|last3 = Ericson|first3 = Jon L.|edition = Fourth}} Outside of the United States, organizations may follow rules that are similar to those in Parliament.{{Cite book|title = The Australian Guide to Chairing Meetings|last = Puregger|first = Marjorie|publisher = University of Queensland Press|year = 1998|isbn = 0-7022-3010-3|location = Queensland, Australia|pages = 8|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=n-1xNhCQvMoC&pg=PA8}}

{{Main|Minutes}}Minutes, also known as protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a statement of the issues considered by the participants, and related responses or decisions for the issues.

• Deliberative assembly
• Legislative session

{{Reflist}}

{{Parliamentary procedure}}

Category:Parliamentary procedure