Understanding Motions

Understanding Motions

There is a protocol that determines priority of meeting procedures.

Motion	Description	Action
Call for a Quorum	Takes priority over all other business and can be raised at any time during the meeting.	Order a count of voting members present, then give your ruling. No vote required. (The association's Standing Orders states the number voting members required to form a quorum)
Point of Order	Has priority over all other business except a Call for a Quorum. Must state that the Standing Orders are not being followed.	Ask mover to explain PO, then give your ruling and implement it if necessary. No vote is required. Never ignore a point of order, but make sure it is really a PO.
Dissent from a Chairperson's ruling	Can be moved by anyone present, but must be moved immediately after the ruling has been given.	Ask mover to explain reasons for dissent. Explain your ruling. Call for a seconder. If none, suggest vote will be lost. If seconded, allow brief debate followed by vote. IF CARRIED : Reverse ruling IF LOST: Continue as before.

Motions and How to Handle Them

The Chairperson will be required to deal with two kinds of motions - Substantive and Procedural, and also Amendments to Motions.

Definition

Requirements

A Substantive Motion is a formal proposal put before the meeting for the purpose of eliciting a decision. It is worded by the mover to achieve its purpose in each case, but the chairperson must ensure that the wording is clear before accepting the motion.

Once accepted by the chairperson and seconded, a substantive motion becomes the property of the meeting and can only be altered by a formal vote to amend it.

Must begin " Mr/Ms chairperson, I move ………………."
Must be clearly and unambiguously worded.
Must propose a specific course of action.
The action proposed must be within the jurisdiction of the Club.
Must be handed to the Secretary in writing.
Decide if you will accept - never accept a motion you don’t understand.
Allow mover to explain.
Call for Seconder. If none, motion lapses. If seconded, seconder must speak or reserve the right.
Call for speaker against motion. If none, put motion.
Alternate speakers. For and against. ( No one can Speak twice)
At the end of the debate the mover has ‘A Right of Reply " but no new material.
Have the motion read and take vote. Both ‘For" and "Against".
( If votes are equal, the motion is lost)

An Amendment

Once a substantive motion has been accepted by the chairperson and seconded, it becomes the "property of the meeting" and can only be altered by a formal amendment.

Definition

Requirement

An amendment is a change to the detail of a motion. It must never negate the motion. Anyone can move an amendment, except the mover and seconder of the original motion, but everyone can speak to the amendment. The mover of an amendment has no right of reply

Decide if you will accept.
Allow mover to explain.
Call for seconder. If none amendment lapses. If seconded, seconder must speak
Call for speaker against. If none, put amendment.
Otherwise as in normal debate. Make sure discussion is focussed on the amendment and not on the original motion, and remember the mover of an amendment has no ‘right of reply"
Put amendment to vote, after explaining its effect on the motion.
After vote resume discussion on motion – amended or not.

Procedural Motions

These are working motions that help the processing of substantive motions through the meeting. They have fixed wording and are subject to strict conditions about who can move them and when. The are used to facilitate the business of the meeting. When dealing with them it is important to remember that, as presented, they are only motions and have no validity until a vote has been taken.

A Procedural Motion cannot be moved or seconded by anyone who has moved, seconded or spoken to the substantive motion or amendment which is "the Question before the Chair", so when confronted with a Procedural Motion, ask yourself is this person eligible to move this motion ?

There are many Procedural Motions, here are some commonly used ones:

Motion	Action	Result
"That the question be put"	Can be moved at any time during a debate, but not by anyone who has moved, seconded or spoken to the motion.No seconder required and no debate permitted. Put vote immediately.	IF CARRIED : Put vote on substantive motion , after giving mover " Right of Reply"
		IF LOST : Proceed with debate.
"That the speaker be no longer heard"	Can be moved at any time by anybody who has not spoken to the motion. If you think motion is reasonable, call for a seconder. If none, motion lapses. If seconded, allow brief debate and put vote.	IF CARRIED: Speaker can take no further part in "Question before the Chair"
		IF LOST: Debate continues.
"That the motion lie on the table"	Can be moved at any time by anyone who has not taken part in the debate, but not interrupting speaker. No seconder required and no debate permitted. Put vote immediately.	IF CARRIED: Debate ceases and motion "Lies on Table" until raised by a subsequent motion.
		IF LOST : Debate continues.
"That the motion be raised from the table"	Cannot be moved by anyone who has moved, seconded or spoken to the substantive motion. No seconder required and no debate permitted. Put vote immediately.	IF CARRIED: Debate on original motion continues from exactly where it was suspended, i.e. No one who has spoken previously can speak again.
		IF LOST: Motion remains on table.
"That Standing Orders be suspended"	When this motion is carried these rules are temporarily suspended and the meeting is dissolved into an open discussion. Decisions made during this period are not binding on the Club. If moved before the debate has begun, can be moved by anyone. If not, rules apply. Call for seconder. If seconded, put vote. No debate.	IF CARRIED: Meeting is dissolved into an "open discussion"
		IF LOST: Standing Orders continue to apply.
"That Standing Orders be resumed"	Can be moved by anyone and must be carried before the meeting can revert to normal procedure. Handle as for previous motion.

Reference: "Towards Better Meetings" and "Take the Chair" 2000, Rostrum Club.