2004 District 12 Leadership Conference Hotel Westminster – Nice (France) Parliamentary Procedure...

2004 District 12 Leadership Conference

Hotel Westminster – Nice (France)

Parliamentary ProcedureJohn E. Medcalf

Emerson Process Management MD

ISA Section Delegate

Spain

District 12 Leadership Conference, Nice 7th. May, 2004; Slide 2

Parliamentary Procedure

Groups of people engaging in deliberative meetings or discussions

need a way to efficiently move through a decision making process in a way

that ensures equal participation by all and prevents domination by any

special interest group.


What is it?B. Parliamentary procedure, also called

Rules of Order, consist of the generally accepted rules, precedents, and practices commonly employed in the government of deliberative assemblies.

C. Such rules are intended to maintain decorum, to ascertain the will of the majority, to preserve the rights of the minority, and to facilitate the orderly transaction of the business of an assembly.


Where does it come from?

Rules of order had their origin in the early English Parliaments. Sir Thomas Smith wrote (1562-66) an early

formal statement of procedures in the House of Commons: De Republica Anglorum (published 1583).

Lex Parliamentaria (1689) was a pocket manual for members of Parliament; it includes many precedents that are now familiar to all of us.


A bit of history ..

In British America, colonists depended heavily on procedures developed in Parliament and gained experience in governing under written documents. Thomas Jefferson's “A Manual of

Parliamentary Practice” (1801) was the first to interpret and define parliamentary principles for the new U.S. democracy.


Who was Robert?

Henry Martyn Robert was an engineering officer in the regular Army. Without warning he was asked to preside over a church meeting and realised that he did not know how. He tried and his embarrassment was supreme. This event left him determined never to attend another meeting until he knew something of parliamentary law.


Robert’s Rules of Order

During his military career he was frequently transferred to different places in the U.S. where he found virtual parliamentary anarchy since each member from a different part of the country had differing ideas of correct procedure. To bring order out of chaos, and after reading the few books available at the time, he decided to write Robert's Rules of Order, firstly published in 19th. February 1876


What is a deliberative assembly?

An independent or autonomous group convened to determine in free discussion "courses of action to be taken in the name of the entire group” the "group is of such size (usually any number of

persons more than a dozen) that a degree of formality is necessary in its proceeding";

members are free to act; each member's vote has equal weight; and members present act for the entire membership "subject only to such limitations as may be established by the body's governing rules."


The process:

Present motions Second motions Amend motions Request information Debate motions Vote on motions Complain against disturbances Protest breach of rules or conduct


What is a motion?

The word "motion" refers to a formal proposal by a member, in a meeting, that the assembly take a stand or take action on a certain issue. They can be classified as main and secondary.

Main motions are the most frequently used and the device by which matters are presented to the meeting for possible action. They cannot be made when another motion is before the assembly.


Secondary motions Subsidiary motions:

assist the meeting in treating or disposing of main motions. Their adoption changes the status of the main motions in some way. I.e: motion to amend. They are voted on before the main motion.

Privileged Motions they do not relate to the pending business

(unlike subsidiary or incidental motions) but have to do with special, important matters which should be allowed to interrupt the consideration of anything else.


Secondary motions - II Incidental Motions

With few exceptions, incidental motions are related to the main question in such a way that they must be decided immediately, before business can proceed (i.e. questions of procedure)

Other: Motions that bring a question again before the

meeting, allowing to reopen a completed question during the same session


Order of precedence of motions

Debatable

Usually Privileged

Not always privileged

Can be ammended

Require 2/3 vote

- X 1 X - Fix the time to which to adjourn - X 2 - - Adjourn - X 3 X - Take a recess - X - - - Raise a question of privilege - X - - - Call for the orders of the day - - - - - Lay on the table - - - - X Previous question - - - - X Limit or extend limits of debateX - - X - Postpone to a certain timeX - - X - Commit or referX - - X - AmendX - - - - Postpone indefinitelyX - - X - A main motion

1 Privileged only when made while another question is pending and in an assembly that has made no provision for another meeting on the same day or the next day

2 Loses its privileged character and is a main motionif in any way qualified, or if its effect, if adopted is to dissolve the assembly without any provision for itsmeeting again.

3 Privileged only when made while other business is pending.


How are motions presented? Obtain the floor

Wait until the last speaker has finished. Rise and address the Chairman by saying, "Mr.

Chairman, or Mr. President." Wait until the Chairman recognizes you Give your name

Make Your Motion Speak in a clear and concise manner. Always state a motion affirmatively. Say, "I move

that we ...." rather than, "I move that we do not ...".

Avoid personalities and stay on your subject


Presenting motions ...

Wait for Someone to Second Your Motion Another member will second your motion or

the Chairman will call for a second. If there is no second to your motion it is lost.

The chairman states your motion "it has been moved and seconded that we...” The motion then becomes "assembly

property", and cannot be changed by you without the consent of the members.


Expand on your motion ... The time for you to speak in favor of your

motion is at this point in time, rather than at the time you present it. The mover is always allowed to speak first. All comments and debate must be directed to

the chairman. Keep to the time limit for speaking that has

been established. The mover may speak again only after other

speakers are finished, unless called upon by the Chairman.


Debate

The motion is then debated by the assembly (or may move directly to

a vote)


The question is presented to the assembly, and voted...

The Chairman asks, "Are you ready to vote on the question?"

If there is no more discussion, a vote is taken.

The chair anounces the result


Voting methods

By General Consent When a motion is not likely to be opposed,

the Chairman says, "if there is no objection ..." The membership shows agreement by their silence, however if one member says, "I object," the item must be put to a vote.

By Voice The Chairman asks those in favour to say,

"aye", those opposed to say "no". Any member may move for a exact count.


Voting methods - II By Roll Call

Each member answers "yes" or "no" as his name is called. This method is used when a record of each person's vote is required.

By Division Slight variation of a voice vote. Does not

require a count unless the chairman so desires. Members raise their hands or stand.

By Ballot Members write their vote on a slip of paper,

this method is used when secrecy is desired.


Notes No member can speak twice to the same issue until

everyone else wishing to speak has spoken to it once.

Most motions require only a majority vote, except when they concern the rights of the assembly or its members, in which case they need a 2/3 vote to be adopted.

Only one main motion can be pending at a time

The speaker may be interrupted if there is a motion of extraordinary importance.

Some motions can be reconsidered and revoted, but the motion must come from the winning side.


Abbreviated procedure

INTERRUPT

SECOND

DEBATABLE

AMENDABLE

VOTE RQD.

RECONSIDERED?

You may say ..To achieve this ..- X - - M - Adjourn meeting I move that we adjourn

- X - X M - Call intermission I move that we recess for..

X - - - - - Complain about disturbances I raise to a question of privilege

- X - - M - Temporariliy suspend consideration I move to table the motion

- X - - 2/3 X End debate & amendments I move the previous question

- X X X M X Postpone discussion for a given time I move to postpone the question until..

- X X X M X Give closer study I move to refer the matter to committee

- X X X M X Amend a motion I move to amend the motion by ..

- X X X M X Introduce business I move that ...

X - - - - - Protest braech of rules I rise to a point of order

X X X - M X Vote on a ruling of the chair I appeal from the chair's decision

- X - - 2/3 - Suspend rules temporarily I move to suspend the rules so ....

X - - - 2/3 X Avoid considering a matter I object to consideration of this motion

X - - - - - Verify a voice vote by standing I call for a division

X - - - - - Request informatiob Point of information

- X - - M - Recovering a matter tabled I move to table ..or to take from the table ..

X X X - M - Reconsider a hasty action I move to reconsider the vote of ..


Lay on the table Enables the assembly to lay aside the

pending question so that its consideration may be resumed easily at the will of the assembly as if it were a new question, and in preference to other new questions. may be applied to any main motion, question

of privilege, or order of the day. It is undebatable, cannot have any subsidiary motion attached to it, and should be attained instantly by majority vote.


Take from the table

Not in order unless some business has been transacted since the question was laid on the table.

Has preference over main motions if made during the session when the question was laid on the table, while no other question is pending and during the next session.

if not taken from the table the question is suppressed

In bodies with regular and frequent sessions questions laid on the table remain there until the close of the next regular session,


End debate and ammendments

... “I move the previous question” Takes precedence of all subsidiary motions

except to lay on the table, and yields to privileged and incidental motions, and to the motion to lay on the table. It is undebatable, cannot be amended or have any other subsidiary motion applied to it. Requires a second and 2/3 vote.


Thank you for your attention

2004 District 12 Leadership Conference Hotel Westminster – Nice (France) Parliamentary Procedure...

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