Meetings
6.1 Schedule
The Section Council traditionally meets for a full day at the beginning of the annual MLA meeting.
6.2 Agenda
The Chair shares a preliminary agenda with Council representatives prior to the annual meeting to request additional items and recommendations for the final agenda. The Agenda is distributed before the Council’s annual meeting. The agenda will include approval of minutes, the Chair’s report, committee reports, petitions, motions, resolutions, elections, and other items of interest to the Sections. Also included on the agenda are remarks by the MLA Executive Director and other invited MLA leaders who will be addressing the Council.
6.3 Procedures
Council meetings are conducted according to rules in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised where they are applicable and consistent with MLA Bylaws and any special rules of order adopted by MLA. See excerpts from Robert’s. A parliamentarian may be appointed by the Chair from Council membership, and the Chair may consult with the MLA parliamentarian for clarification on voting and procedural matters and on special rules of MLA.
6.4 Proxy Vote
When a Section’s voting representative (Past Chair) is unable to attend the meeting, the Section’s Chair may serve as the Section’s official voting representative to Section Council.
When neither the Section Past Chair or Section Chair are able to attend the Section Council’s meeting a Section may appoint an officer as the proxy who will represent the Section’s interests during discussions and may vote on Council issues. The proxy may also present motions to the Council on behalf of the Section.
Appointment of a proxy must comply with the following guidelines:
1. The proxy is appointed by the Section Chair.
2. The proxy must be a current member and officer of the Section.
3. The Section Council Chair is notified by the Section Chair of the proxy’s name, e-mail address, and other contact information. Notification may be by e-mail, fax, or letter.
4. Notification will be accepted by the Council Chair up to the official starting time of each Section Council meeting.
5. The proxy must be willing to become familiar with all motions and issues being considered by Council before the Annual meeting and to discuss them with the appropriate Section officers to gain the Sections’ opinion on the issues.
6. The proxy should review information in the Council’s procedures manual describing the responsibilities of representatives and the process for handling Council business.
7. The Section representative should share all Council mailings and files with the proxy before the annual meeting and update the proxy on special areas of concern to the Section.
Any Section member may attend the Council meetings for observation, but only the representative or an approved proxy may officially represent the Section at the Council or vote on Council issues.
6.5 Disputes
To resolve disputes which may arise among Sections, the Council Chair shall request a position statement on the matter from the officers of the Sections concerned to be delivered within six months of the date of the request. The Chair will then appoint an ad hoc committee of three members of the Section Council who represent non-affected and disinterested Sections to prepare a recommendation for resolution of the dispute. This recommendation is to be delivered at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council, where it will be discussed and voted upon.