Meeting Procedures - ...what to expect and what is expected

Introduction
The prospect of finding yourself in the unfamiliar surrounds of a meeting in progress can be quite daunting. Fear of the unknown and the lack of knowledge in correct meeting procedures has literally stopped people from taking on roles or positions on decision-making bodies. Obtaining an understanding of these procedures will allow you to break through this barrier and make a contribution to various organisations and decision-making bodies.

The Meeting
Meetings occur when groups of people gather to discuss, and try to resolve matters which are of a mutual concern. Recommendations are made, directions given and courses of action decided. For a meeting to effectively achieve these goals, a structure needs to be in place. If a meeting has little or no structure, the results are unproductive and dissatisfying for all concerned.

The Agenda
Prior to the meeting, an agenda is prepared and circulated to all members. This agenda forms the structure of the meeting. It states where and when the meeting will take place and what matters will be discussed. A draft copy of the minutes of the previous meeting, along with any other relevant material that the members should read prior to the meeting, are distributed at the same time as the agenda. 

The Meeting Structure 

Opening the Meeting... the meeting begins after the Chairperson  declares the meeting opened.

 The meeting is unable to begin until the Chairperson declares a quorum. This means that there are enough people in attendance to allow debates to be conducted and decisions to be voted upon. If a quorum cannot be declared within 30 minutes of the meetings designated starting time, the meeting should be called again for a similar time and place a week later. If no more members attend the reconvened meeting, the Chairperson may be allowed by the standing orders to conduct the business with those who arrived.
If a Chairperson has not taken the chair 15 minutes after the meeting was due to begin, the meeting should elect another Chairperson from among the members present to act temporarily.

Apologies...those unable to attend.

The Chairperson states the names of those members who formally notified that they were unable to attend the meeting.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting ... the Chairperson moves that the minutes of the previous meeting be accepted or adopted.

The Chairperson tables the minutes of the previous meeting making them open as a topic of discussion. At this point the Chairperson will ask the members to adopt the minutes. If the members do not agree that the draft minutes are accurate, changes may be suggested. The Chairperson should ask the meeting to vote on those corrections. If there are only a few minor corrections, the Chairperson may ask the members to accept the minutes with the corrections. The vote to adopt the minutes can then go ahead on that basis.
Once the Minutes have been adopted the Chairperson should sign every page of the minutes and hand them to the meeting secretary for filing.
It is not appropriate at this time, to indulge in debates on decisions which were made at the previous meeting. Anyone who wishes to change a motion should wait until the same subject arises in the general business of the current meeting or raise it in the part called "Any Other Business".
The most important advice about the minutes of a previous meeting is to make sure you read them.

Business arising from Minutes of the Previous Meeting ...

Often the issues for Business arising from the Minutes of the Previous Meeting are listed in the agenda. Any reports, pieces of information or other matters of substance that were requested at the previous meeting are debated and a vote is taken on the appropriate action to take.

Correspondence ... letters that have been sent to the meeting are tabled and debated, if the meeting wishes to do so.

Any letters, facsimiles and the like, which have been received by the committee are discussed here. The Chairperson should summarise correspondence which cover similar issues, or express similar opinions and discuss them as a single issue.
The Chairperson presents a piece of correspondence to the meeting by putting a motion that the meeting "receive the correspondence". This is an acknowledgment by the meeting that the correspondence as been formally received and that it may now be discussed and acted upon, if necessary.
If correspondence sent to the meeting is considered offensive, the meeting can vote on a motion, "not to receive" it. Alternatively, the meeting can decide that the correspondence should be "received and lie on the table". This means it will not really be dealt with. It is effectively in limbo until such time in the future that it is "taken from the table" and discussed.

Reports ...reports written for the meeting are tabled and debated, if the meeting wishes to do so.

Reports and submissions that have been written for the meeting or include information relevant to the work of the meeting are tabled and discussed. A motion is required to be put that a report be received. This means that the report exists, as far as the meeting is concerned, and a discussion or debate may now take placed on the contents, interpretation and recommendations of the report. Motions are able to be put for or against the recommendations of the report or ask the author to consider further issues or reconsider issues on the basis of particular information.
A member of a meeting can even put forward a motion to change the wording of a report or submission.

General Business ...items so listed in the agenda are debated. The debate usually begins with the Chairperson calling on someone to move a motion.

General business items are announced singly by the Chairperson and a discussion or debate follows each one. Motions that suggest methods of resolving issues are put forward and to a vote. Once the motions receive a simple majority, or a majority as defined in the standing orders, they become resolutions. Sometimes amendments to a motion are put forward. Only after the amendments are debated and voted upon can the revised substantive motion be brought to the vote.
In the case of more formal meetings, general business consists of motions that are moved and seconded by participants of the meetings. A seconder is someone who agrees that a motion should be debated. In most meetings however, the need for a member to support a motion is ignored.

Any other Business ...when all items on the agenda have been debated, the Chairperson may call for items not listed in General Business.

It is at this point in time, that the members are able to raise issues they feel are important. These include any items which were not listed on the agenda. No extremely important or complex issues should be raised unannounced during this part of the meeting. If an urgent matter must be dealt with by the meeting, the Chairperson should be informed before the meeting begins. A revised agenda can then be drawn up in the time that remains before the meeting is due to begin. If the Chairperson feels that any of the issues brought up for discussion are too complex or troublesome, he may call for another meeting to discuss the issue or alternatively, put it on the agenda for the next scheduled meeting.

Close of Meeting

Once all the issues have been put forward and discussed, the Chairperson advises members of the date and time of the next meeting. The meeting is now officially closed.

What can you do?
To be active and effective member of meeting, you must:

 There are four steps to good listening.

 Reference: Walsh, F., The Meeting Manual, AGPS, Canberra, 1995.
 

Standing orders for meetings (typical)

1. Timing
There shall be at least (number) ordinary general meetings and an annual general meeting in each year.

2. Notice
Notice shall be sent out to all members at least 14 days in advance of an annual general meeting and 10 days in advance of an ordinary general meeting.

3. Members
Members of the meeting must be those members who have paid the annual subscription.

4. Agenda
 (a) The agenda for the annual general meeting must include:

(b) The agenda for an ordinary general meeting must include:

(c) In addition, the agenda for any general meeting may include:

5. Motions
(a) The deadline for the submission of motions shall be no less than two days before the general meeting. A member can submit up to three motions, all on different subjects. 
(b) Motions containing more than five hundred words shall be ruled out of order by the Secretary, unless the motion is an amendment to these standing orders, or the constitution.
(c) The Secretary shall make sure that a sufficient number of copies are available for the members to read before and during the general meeting.
(d) Amendments to those motions shall be submitted in writing during the general meeting.
(e) Amendments containing more than three hundred words shall be ruled out of order by the Secretary.

6. Chair
 The chair of the annual general meeting shall be taken by the chairperson elected by the meeting from the members present. The chair shall not exercise his/her vote except in the instance of a casting vote.

The chairperson shall ensure that the meeting is in order, that remarks are relevant to the question under debate, that members of the meeting do not intimidate speakers and that members of the meeting makes no defamatory remarks concerning another.

7. Procedure
 Points of order my be raised to ask for a Chair's ruling or interpretation or to address any other question relating to the procedure of the meeting, to the Chair.

Points of order have precedence over all other business, but they may not be raised during a speech or a vote, unless relating to the conduct of that vote.
Points of order shall have priority in the following order:

Procedural motions have precedence over all over business except point of order and may not be raised during a speech or the course of a vote, unless relating to the conduct of that vote. There shall be the following procedural motions, which are listed in order of priority:

All procedural motions shall require the support of ten percent of the membership or ten members whichever is the smaller, before being discussed. All procedural motions shall be voted on after at least one speech in favour and one against.

The chair shall be entitled to make the final speech in any motion of no confidence in the chair or any challenge to the chair's ruling.

A procedural motion to suspend a standing order shall require a two-thirds majority. All other procedural motions shall require a simple majority. Only one motion or amendment to it may be debated at any one time.

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: