Parliamentary Procedure

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Parliamentary Procedure You

• Transition Meeting
• RPI April 25-27, 2003

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Parliamentary Procedure You

• Background
• Basics
• As we use them in NSBE
• In Action
• Questions

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Background

• Provides order and structure to business meetings
  
• Provides quality to all meeting participants
• Knowledge is power
• Causes problems when participants are not
  prepared
• Need to be familiar with the basics

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Basic to Parliamentary Procedures

• Recognition to speak
• Limit time
• Motions
• Amendments
• Discussion (debate)
• Vote

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Recognition to Speak

• Helps to maintain order
• One speaker at a time
• Speakers List
• Facilitate Order

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Limit Time

• Usually comes from an agenda
• An agenda help to get through the Orders the
  Day (agenda items)
• Can limit the number of speakers
• Can move to extend
• Easiest to extend by consensus
• Facilitated by the presiding officer

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Motions

• Formal proposal by a member in a meeting that the
  assembly take a certain action
• Main Motion
• Brings business before the body
• Main road towards making decisions
• Debatable

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Steps to a Main Motion

• Obtain recognition of the presiding officer
• State the motion
• Second from another participant
• Presiding officer restates motion
• Maker speaks to motion
• Seconder speaks to motion
• Discussion (debate of the motion)
• Vote
• Announce Results

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Non-debatable Motion

• Motion
• Second (does not always apply)
• Vote immediately
• Non-debatable Motions
• Adjourn, Recess, Personal Privilege, Table, Move
  to question, Point of Order, Suspend the Rules,
  Object to Consideration, Call for Division, Point
  of Information

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Amendment to a Main Motion

• Friendly Amendment
• Amendment by Consensus
• NSBE Practice for convenience
• Move to Amend
• Amendment by vote
• If fails, motion stays as is and debate continues
• If passes, motion changes, discussion on new
  motion

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Discussion (Debate)

• Obtain recognition
• Comments should be concise, non-repetitive
• Listening to discussion
• Excessive side conversations
• Excessive note passing

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Going to the Vote

• Call the Question (call for the vote)
• You are ready to vote
• Cannot interrupt the speaker
• If you are not ready to vote, Object
• Objection can come form any voting member
• If objections, continue the debate
• If no objections, vote immediately

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Going to the Vote

• Move the Question (move to vote)
• You are ready to vote
• Must be recognized by the presiding officer
• Requires a second
• Vote immediately (not debatable)
• Vote to Vote (requires 2/3)
• If fails, continue the debate
• If passes, vote immediately

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Voting Procedures

• Verbal
• Call for aye or nay
• Counting Hands
• Roll Call
• Document who votes what
• Need this to be able to reconsider a motion
• Must have voted in the affirmation to move to
  reconsider

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Voting Results

• Consensus
• Simple Majority (50 1)
• Two-thirds
• Abstain
• Does not affect voting result

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Notes

• Parliamentary Procedure is your friend
• Get comfortable with it
• Ask questions
• Reference materials

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