Councilors to observe executive committee meetings

[JeannetteBrown]

I was just told that it is in the bylaws that councilors cannot observe executive committee meetings of committee that they are not a member of.  I have been a councilor for almost 30 years and I remember been encouraged to attend the executive committee meetings, and that they were open to councilors.  Some meetings such as N & E have always been closed, but I remember getting a list of executive committee meetings and an invitation for coucilors to attend.  I was told in new councilor orientation that that was the way to be considered as a member of that commitee and that is how I became a member of the Project SEED commitee, Women Chemists committee, Minority Affairs Committee and eventually Soc ED.  I am going to look up the bylaw, but if it exsists, it has never been enforced at least for me until the Salt Lake Committee meeting.  Since I had discrimination if this is going to be enforced from now on then I hope it is enforced equally for all councilors.

[JeannetteBrown]

I was told the rules for committee meeting attendance is on p 66 of the Program.

Here is the quote from p 66:

Executive: Attendance  and participation is limited to Committee Personnel (officially  appointed/elected committee members, associates, advisers, consultants, staff  liaisons).

Liaisons from other groups and ex officio and  elected councilors may attend: participation by these groups would be at the  invitation of the chair. Only committee members may vote.

To me this means that  --- "ex officio and elected  councilors may attend"  but not participate.  Be a fly on the wall.

I said I would just attend but not say  anything.

Is that interpretation wrong?  Then if so tell  me.

Jeannette

[JeannetteBrown]

I attended the open meeting of the Committee on Commmittees, the committee that made the rule.  I remaind a fly on the wall until they asked the two visitors if they had anything to say.  I made my comment about Councilors visiting executive committee meetings.  The chair apologized to me for my experience with a certain committee.  There is a question if the meeting was open or closed.  If it were a closed meeting then people could only be in the room at the chair's invitation.  I did not go to the room to see if there were a closed meeting sign.  Most closed meetings are so noted in the ACS list of executive meetings.  For example after I made my statement the ConC meeting was closed!

There seems to be another problem with the duties of liasons.  After the fact, I remembered that I had been a lisaon from CMA to that committee.  I was so shocked that they did not want me to come, that I forgot that fact until later in the week.

The Chair of CMA said he would get back to me about this.

I see that a lot of people are viewing this, but no one is commenting so I guess it is not an issuse to most councilors.

Jeannette Brown