Parliamentary Procedure

Transcription

1 Parliamentary Procedure Table of Contents Rules of Debate Summary: How to Hold Effective Meetings Parliamentary Procedure Basics Parliamentary Procedure Subsidiary Motions Order of Business Note that these tips on Parliamentary Procedure were handouts from Lu Russell s presentation at an Austin Parks and Recreation Department workshop on 1/18/03.

2 Some Rules of Debate (Discussion) 1. All Main Motions are debatable. 2. Debate begins AFTER the motion is made. 3. Debate should be limited to the motion before the assembly. 4. Proposer of the motion may speak to it first. 5. Proposer of the motion may not speak against his/her motion, but may vote against it. 6. Address remarks through the presiding officer; do not speak directly to other members during debate. 7. Avoid personalities. The MOTION is under discussion, not the proposer. 8. Presiding officer should not enter into debate and cannot close debate. LU RUSSELL, PRP (512) Notes from workshop 1/18/03: The Texas State Association of Parliamentarians publishes a STUDY GUIDE that is available for $10. It is based on Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10 th Edition. The TSAP Austin Unit #1 meets the second Wednesday of each month at the Anderson at Burnet Library and welcomes anyone to bring their parliamentary procedure questions and problems for resolution to their meetings.

3 Summary: How to Hold Effective Meetings The effectiveness of a meeting is often more a function of the thoroughness of planning before the meeting than anything else. The Agenda is the plan for the meeting. It contains the items of business in the sequence they are to be taken up. Once an Agenda is adopted, it becomes the Orders of the Day. The reports of officers, boards, and committees should be written and a copy provided the secretary and the presiding officer. Reports are ordinarily for information only and require no action and therefore no vote to accept or adopt. They may, however, include recommendations for action. Motions may be made to implement these recommendations. Debate and voting are on these motions rather than on the reports. The final step in planning for a meeting is to plan the setup of the room or hall in which the meeting is to be held. The seating may be classroom style for a larger group or around a table for a small board or committee. Microphones may be required in a large meeting. In a very large meeting there may be one for those in favor, one for those opposed, and a third for privileged motions in addition to that at a lectern for the speaker. Responsibility for conducting the meeting is shared by the following members: The presiding officer or moderator is responsible that members are treated fairly and that order is maintained. His/her duty is to moderate the meeting and to be impartial. He/she should take no part in debate unless he relinquishes the chair and does not return to it until the voting is concluded on the question. The Secretary keeps a true record of action taken without comments or judgments. The Secretary should not record debate or comments, only action taken. Reports should be given to the Secretary so that important points may be included in the minutes. Committee Chairs should write their reports and the motions to implement their recommendations before coming to meeting. Reports on important matters should be signed by all concurring members but routine reports may be signed by the chair if there is no objection. The members are the most important part of the meeting because they have the authority. Their votes determine the action taken and are what are recorded in the official record. It is the duty of members to be informed, to listen attentively to debate, and to decide questions on their merits.

4 Parliamentary Procedure Basics PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE is the accepted system of rules for conducting business in deliberative bodies. It provides a means of arriving at the opinion of those present in an accurate and impartial manner, in the least amount of time. It is based on the principles of: Rights of the majority to prevail. Rights of the minority to be heard. Rights of the absentee member to be protected. General Rules derived from these principles: Courtesy Justice Equality Law and Order One Thing at a Time PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE IS NOT A BURDEN IT IS A GREAT HELP and... assures accuracy order impartiality time savings. Sample Agenda Call to Order Eight Steps to a Motion: Rise and address the chair Opening Exercises Receive recognition Devotion Roll Call State the motion Welcome/Introductions (I move that... ) Minutes Officer's Reports Committee Reports (Standing) (Special) Unfinished Business New Business Announcements Adjourn A second is required Chair states the motion Discussion (also called debate) (Are you ready for the question?) Take the vote Announce result of the vote Forms of Amendment 1. Insert or add words 2. Strike out (words or paragraphs) 3. Strike out and insert 4. Substitute Notes from workshop 1/18/03: There is no such thing as a friendly amendment. All amendments must be voted upon.

5 Parliamentary Procedure PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE is the accepted system of rules for conducting business in deliberative bodies. It provides a means of arriving at the opinion of those present in an accurate and impartial manner, in the least amount of time. It is based on the right of the majority to prevail, the right of the minority to be heard, and the protection of the rights of absentees. MAIN MOTION - A main motion is a motion that introduces a new subject. It is the lowest ranking motion. There are eight steps to a motion: 1. Rise and address the chair 2. Receive recognition 3. State the motion (I move that ) 4. A second is required unless the motion comes from committee 5. Chair states the motion 6. Discussion (also called debate) 7. Take the vote 8. Announce result of the vote SUBSIDIARY MOTION - a subsidiary motion assists the assembly in treating or disposing of a main motion; it assists in perfecting the motion. PRIVILEGED MOTION - A privileged motion does not relate to the pending business, but has to do with special matters of immediate and overriding importance, which, without debate, should be allowed to interrupt the consideration of anything else. Call for Orders of the Day Raise a Question of Privilege Recess Adjourn Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn INCIDENTAL MOTIONS - Incidental motions are those (1) which arise out of a pending question; (2) which arise out of a question that has just been pending; or (3) which relate to the business of the assembly. Incidental motions have no ranking as they come in order as the business to which they pertain comes in order: Appeal Consider by Paragraph Division of the Assembly Division of the Question Object to Consideration Parliamentary Inquiry Point of Order Suspend the Rules Reconsider Take From the Table QUORUM - The quorum is the least number that must be present for an organization to carry on business or to take any action that obligates the group. The quorum should be as large a number of members as can reasonably be depended on to be present at any meeting, but it should never be set so high that it is difficult to have the required number in attendance.

6 Subsidiary Motions This motion requires > 7. Lay on the Table. S M The motion laid on the table must come back at this meeting or the next meeting, or it dies. (A motion to Reconsider brings it back.) 6. Previous Question S 2/3 5. Limit or Extend Limits of Debate S A 2/3 4. Postpone to a Definite (Certain) Time S D A M I move to refer this motion to a committee of three, to be appointed by the president, to investigate the matter and report back to the membership at the next meeting. 3. Commit (Refer to a Committee) S D A M 2. Amend S D A M I move to amend the amendment by inserting after "held" the words "at 7:00" I move to amend by adding at the end "to be held on the first Thursday." Only two amendments can be pending at the same time. 1. Postpone Indefinitely S D M Second Debatable Amendable Majority MAIN MOTION S* D A M I move that the club sponsor a monthly class on parliamentary procedure. *A motion that comes from committee does not need a second.

7 Order of Business 1. CALL TO ORDER Presiding officer stands, raps gavel once. "The meeting will come to order." Notes from workshop1/18/03: Presider needs a gavel, a stopwatch, and a copy of the 10 th edition of Roberts Rules of Order. 2. OPENING CEREMONIES (optional) Devotion. Welcome to guests, introductions, etc. 3. MINUTES "The secretary will read the minutes of the previous meeting." "Are there any corrections?" "The minutes are approved as read (or corrected)." Notes from workshop1/18/03: There is no need for a motion to approve. The minutes are not to be voted upon by the group. 4. REPORT OF OFFICERS "The next business in order is hearing reports of officers. Notes from workshop1/18/03: Do not call for acceptance, correction, or revision of reports. Reports may be clarified if there are questions. The Treasurer s report is filed for audit. 5. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES (may include the Board and/or Executive Committee) "The next business in order is reports of the Board (or Executive Committee) and Standing Committees." Note: The chairman or reporting member of a Standing Committee moves the adoption of any resolutions within the report. Standing Committees are called upon in the order in which they are listed in the Bylaws; however, call only on those who have reports. Notes from workshop1/18/03: Do NOT adopt or approve a committee report: RECEIVE or ACCEPT it. A motion from committee does not require a second. Motion from committee should be: therefore, on behalf of the committee, I move that All business should be discussed under a motion, not before a motion is made. Do not allow conversation between individuals; all comments are made to the presiding officer. 6. REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES and TASK FORCES "The next business in order is hearing reports of Special Committees and Task Forces." "The Committee or Task Force will report." 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS "The next business in order is the unfinished business of postponed from the previous meeting." Note: The item "Unfinished Business" should not appear on the agenda if there is no unfinished business to be heard.

8 Notes from workshop 1/18/03: Do not ask for further unfinished business. All unfinished business is known before the meeting and must be on the agenda. 8. NEW BUSINESS "The next business in order is new business. Is there any new business?" "Is there further new business?" 9. ADJOURN "If there is no further business to come before this assembly (pause) the meeting is adjourned. Note: The meeting may also be adjourned by the motion to adjourn, which must be seconded and requires a majority vote. Notes from workshop 1/18/03: If meetings tend to be longer than acceptable, limit remarks to 5 minutes by saying: If there is no objection, we will limit remarks on each topic to 5 minutes unless otherwise noted. Always distribute; NEVER pass out. Never turn over a meeting; if presiding officer must leave the chair, he/she relinquishes the gavel by saying: If there is no objection, the chair will relinquish the gavel to the President Elect. The President does not enter into discussion. In bodies of 15 or more, the chair must be impartial. A tie vote loses. Also, the chair can vote no to create a tie, which makes it lose. For example: Chair There are 26 votes in the affirmative and 25 votes in the negative, the chair casts its vote (or, the chair votes ) in the negative. There is a tie vote. There being less than a majority in the affirmative, the motion is lost. The chair can break a tie to create an affirmative vote. For example: Chair There are 26 votes in the affirmative and 26 votes in the negative. The chair votes in the affirmative. There being a majority in the affirmative, the motion is adopted. The chair votes in a tie ONLY if he/she wants to make an affirmative vote. All remarks must go through the presiding officer.