Parliamentary Procedure!

Friend or Foe?Underlying principles of Parliamentary Procedure for Deliberative Assemblies:

of the majority,

of the minority ,especially a strong minority--greater than one third.

of individual members,

of absentees, and

of all these together.

Henry Martyn Robert (1837-1923) was an engineering officer in the regular Army. Without warning he was asked to preside over a church meeting and realized that he did not know how. He tried anyway and his embarrassment was supreme. This event, which may seem familiar to many readers, left him determined never to attend another meeting until he knew something of parliamentary law.

Ultimately, he discovered and studied the few books then available on the subject. From time to time, due to his military duties, he was transferred to various parts of the United States 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 he decided to write Robert's Rules of Order (RROO) as it came to be called. The tenth, current, edition has been brought about through a process of keeping the book up to date with the growth of parliamentary procedure.

All editions of the work issued after the death of the original author have been the work of persons who either knew and worked with the original author or knew and worked with persons who did. Several other Parliamentary authorities are in publication but RROO is by far the most widely used.

A Short History of “Robert’s Rules”

Typical Parliamentary Authority of a Local

“This Constitution and By-Laws shall stand as the supreme authority of the Local. Rules contained in the current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised” shall govern the Local in all cases in which they are applicable and which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-Laws.”

National Presidents’ Conference Constitution & By-Laws

AUTHORITY: The Chair’s ruling shall be final on parliamentary questions. Robert’s rules of Order shall be followed; however, no parliamentarian will be used.

• A Deliberative Assembly – Such as the NPC is governed by its Constitution & By-Laws.

• Constitution & By-Laws are generally one and the same and no purpose is served by

separating them unless there is reason to make the Constitution more difficult to amend.

• Your Constitution/By-Laws are the supreme authority of your local (assembly) but are “trumped” by Federal Law, State Law, Statues and your International Union (International issues your Charter).

• These are usually incorporated into your Constitution.

Sample Order of Business for a meeting:

Call to Order

Roll Call

Approval of Minutes from preceding meeting

Reading of Minutes of the Executive Board

Membership Activity Report

Treasurer’s Report

Chief Trustee’s Report

Committee Reports

Announcements

Unfinished Business

New Business

Adjournment

Types of Motions

• Privileged

Fix time to adjourn

Adjourn

Recess

Raise question of Privilege

Call for Orders of the Day• Subsidiary

Lay on the table

Limit or extend limits on debate

Postpone to a certain time

Commit (refer to a committee)

Amend

Postpone indefinitely

Main Motion

• Incidental Motions

Appeal

Close nominations or the polls

Consider by Paragraph or Seriatim

Create a blank

Division of a question

Division of the assembly

Objection to the consideration of a question

Suspend the rules

Objection to consideration of a question

Parliamentary inquiry

Point of order

Reopen nominations or the polls

Request permission to withdraw a motion

Suspend the rules• Motions that bring a question back to the assemblyTake from the table

Rescind or amend something previously adopted

Discharge a committee

Reconsider

Privileged Motions Interrupt

Second

Debatable Amendable Vote

Fix Time to adjourn

Adjourn No Yes No No Majority

Recess No YesSometime

sYes Majority

Question of Privilege Yes No No No Chair

Orders of the Day No No No No Chair

Subsidiary MotionsLay on the table No Yes No No Majority

Previous Question No Yes No No 2/3

Limit or extend debate No Yes No Yes 2/3

Postpone to a certain time No Yes Yes Yes Majority

Refer to committee No Yes Yes Yes Majority

Amend No YesIf motion is

Yes Majority

Postpone Indefinitely No Yes Yes No Majority

Main Motion No Yes Yes Yes Majority

RANKING MOTIONS IN ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

1) Parliamentary procedure exists to facilitate the transaction of business and to promote cooperation and harmony.

2) All members have equal rights, privileges, and obligations. The majority has the right to decide. The minority has rights which must be protected.

3) A quorum must be present for the group to act.

4) Full and free discussion of every motion considered is a basic right.

5) Only one question at a time can be considered at any given time.

6) Members have the right to know at all times what the immediately pending question is, and to have it restated before a vote is taken.

7) No member can speak until recognized by the chair.

8) No one can speak a second time on the same question as long as another wants to speak a first time.

9) The chair should be strictly impartial.

BASIC PRINCIPLES

1) Become familiar with main motions and their amendments. These are the most widely used motions in successfully conducting business in the meetings of this era.

2) Learn the three basic groups of motions (Privileged – Subsidiary – Incidental) and how they all work with one another in the meeting process.

3) Make sure the minority has a voice but the will of the majority is served.

4) Control the meeting but make sure to impart a sense of “ownership” to the assembly. Always keep the assembly informed.

5) Keep the meeting moving. Remember the term “If there are no objections.”

6) Do not speak of debate from the chair to influence the vote.

7) Do not change the order of business without motion or consent of the assembly.

8) Allow for full discussion never attempt to close debate prematurely.

Do’s and Don’ts of the Chair

HOW TO MAKE A MOTION

• Member requests recognition by the chair.

• Chair recognizes the member.

• Member makes the motion.

• Another member seconds the motion.

• Chair repeats the motion as stated.

• Discussion occurs on the motion.

• Chair restates the motion and calls for a vote.

• Chair announces the result.

• Voting may be by voice vote, show of hands, by rising or by secret ballot.

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDUREQUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

True or False?

1) ___ The purpose of Parliamentary Procedure is to protect the rights of the majority. (PT)

2) ___ A member has the right to stand up and speak at a union meeting on any subject at any time.

3) ___ The maker of the motion must be given the opportunity to speak first.

4) ___ If there is no further discussion, the chair has the right to close debate on a motion. (Page 42 – 20)

5) ___ The chair can debate an issue while chairing the meeting.

6) ___ Robert’s Rules of Order always prevails at a union meeting.

7) ___ A member must be allowed to speak once on a motion before another is allowed the opportunity to speak a second time.

8) ___ When a member is in doubt of the outcome of the vote, they may call for a “division” and their request must be granted. (page 272 15) (page 45 10 show of hands)

9) ___ Once “division” is requested, the voting members are required to stand. The chair does not have to order a count.

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDUREQUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

True or False?10___ There is no limit to the number of amendments which can be

attached to the main motion.

11___ If there is an important issue the membership wishes to discuss, the chair may change the order of business to bring the issue forward.

12___ If a member appeals the decision of the chair, the chair must turn over the meeting to the Vice Chair.

13___ Once an appeal to the decision of the chair is made, debate only occurs between the chair and the member making the appeal.

14___ Once a motion has been reconsidered, it can not be reconsidered again.

15___ The motion to adjourn is always in order.

16___ The proper way to kill a motion is to “table” the motion.

17___ Provided others have been given the opportunity to debate, the maker of a motion may speak on their motion as many times as it takes to get their point across. (page 41-20)

18) ___ If there is a question of procedure and a Parliamentarian is available to the chair, the chair must abide by the Parliamentarians decision.