Robert

1
Roberts Rules of Order

• Survival Tips on Parliamentary Procedures

2
Survival Tip 1

• The procedure in small boards of not more than
  about a dozen members present is relaxed a bit.
  The formalities necessary in order to transact
  business in a large assembly would hinder
  business in so small a body.
• Roberts Rules of Order, 10th Edition

3
Survival Tip 2

• We must learn to run a meeting without
  victimizing the audience but more importantly,
  without being victimized by individuals who are
  armed with parliamentary procedure and a personal
  agenda.
• - California State Association of Parliamentarians

4
Proper Procedure to a MotionBefore, During,
After

• Before the Motion
• Read those Bylaws
• Meeting vs. Session
• Unanimous Consent

5
Before the MotionBest AdviceRead Your Bylaws

• Parliamentary Procedure will be useless to you,
  unless you are familiar with your Organizations
  Bylaws.
• If you are familiar with the Bylaws, you will win
  half your battles merely because you will
  probably be the only person that has.

6
Before the MotionMeeting vs. Session typically
misunderstood phrasing

• Regular Meeting - The periodic business meeting
  held on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis, as
  prescribed by Bylaws.
• Special Meeting - Being held at a time
  different from a regular meeting, and convened
  only to consider one or more items of business.
  Reason(s) for the meeting must be clearly stated
  in the call for a special meeting.
• Annual Meeting - Differs from a regular meeting
  in that at an annual meeting, Annual Reports from
  Officers and Election of Officers are in order.
• Executive Session is any meeting or portion of
  a meeting in which the proceedings are secret.
• Members are honor-bound not to divulge what
  occurs, may be punished if they do.
• Minutes are not necessary, but can only
  read/voted on in another executive session. They
  can be simply assumed to be approved.
• A motion is required to go into executive
  session, requires a majority vote.
• Only Board members, special invitees and staff
  may remain in the room.

7
Before the MotionUnanimous Consent If there
is no Objection

• In cases where there seems to be no opposition in
  routine business or on questions of little
  importance and with a quorum use Unanimous
  Consent.
• The Chair introduces the order of business,
  stating, If there is no objection, we will adopt
  a motion to.. If no objection is heard, then
  state, Since there is no question, ...is
  adopted. If someone objects, then the 6 steps of
  a properly made motion are in order.
• Situations that clearly beg for the Unanimous
  Consent approach are
• Correct or approve Minutes.
• Withdraw your own motion before its voted on. You
  may only withdraw your own motion if the assembly
  allows it. Unanimous consent allows it without
  another motion.
• To suspend a rule on a matter clearly not
  controversial (and no Bylaw is violated)
• To allow a speaker a few more minutes than the
  prescribed time
• In reality, as long as you have a quorum dont
  violate Bylaws, these five powerful words allow a
  chair to quickly accomplish just about anything.

8
Proper Procedure to a MotionBefore, During,
After

• During the Motion
• 6 Steps to Every Motion
• Presenting your Motion
• What Precedes Debate
• Modifying a Motion
• Debating a Motion

9
During the MotionSix Steps to Every Motion!

• A member raises their hand, is recognized, and
  makes a motion.
• Common Mistake Members dont raise their hand,
  dont wait to be recognized, and typically start
  to discuss their motion before completing steps
  2, 3 and 4 below.
• Another members seconds the motion.
• Common Mistake The person seconding motion
  dives into merits of the motion.
• Presiding officer restates motion (or secretary
  reads motion).
• Common Mistake - Motion is not restated, or
  restated differently from the wording of the
  maker. Beware, the motion that is adopted is the
  one that is stated by the presiding officer, not
  the one stated by the maker. Once minutes are
  approved, it finalizes the motion as written,
  regardless.
• The members debate the motion.
• Common Mistake - Debate gets out of control in
  temper, duration relevance. Members talk at
  each other rather than through the chair. ALL
  questions comments are directed only to the
  chair.
• Presiding officer asks for affirmative votes,
  then negative votes.
• Common Mistake - Presiding officer states All
  in favor and fails to tell the members what to
  do as a matter of voting (e.g. say aye, raise
  your hand) or the negative vote is never
  requested or counted.
• Presiding officer announces the result of voting
  instructs the corresponding member to take
  action introduces the next item.
• Common Mistake Presiding officer fails to
  instruct action, doesnt pronounce result of
  voting.

10
During the MotionPresenting a Motion Obtaining
the Floor

• 1. Raise your handWAIT until the chairperson
  recognizes you.
• 2. Speak in a clear and concise manner phrase
  your motion BEFORE stating it aloud
• 3. Always state a motion affirmatively. Say, I
  move that we rather than I move that we do
  not.
• 4. WAIT for someone to second your motion, and
  then for the chair to state your motion.
• 5. Once your motion is presented by the Chair, it
  is assembly property. You cannot modify it
  without their consent.
• 6. Assembly may debate your motion, or go
  directly to a vote.

11
During the MotionPresenting a Motion Debating
Voting on a Motion

• DEBATING ON A MOTION
• If there is debate, the mover is always allowed
  to speak first.
• All comments and debate must be directed only at
  the chairperson.
• Keep comments to the established time limit. If
  there is no time limit established, RONR
  recommends no more than 3 minutes per speaker.
• Each speaker should address the motion only once,
  unless there is time after all speakers have had
  an opportunity to make their comments. No one
  should speak more than twice.
• The mover may NOT speak again until all other
  speakers are finished, unless called on.
• The Presiding Officer should alternate comments
  for and against the motion if everyone is for,
  or against the motion then end debate and go
  directly to a vote.
• PUTTING THE QUESTION TO A VOTE
• The Presiding Officer asks, Are you ready to
  vote on the question?
• A move to Table, Postpone or Refer to Committee
  may be used here if the assembly not ready to
  vote. This can be easily accomplished with
  Unanimous Consent.
• PROVEN FACT - AFTER TWO HOURS, an assembly loses
  the capacity to be productive!

12
During the MotionWhat Precedes Debate

• Debate is defined as any comments or questions
  regarding a motion discussion on any other
  matters is not appropriate and can be ended with
  a call to Point of Order.
• Before a subject can be debated, a motion must be
  made by a member who obtained the floor, was
  seconded, and re-stated by the chair.
• For the brief interval between a motion being
  seconded and when the presiding officer restates
  the motion, the maker can make modifications or
  even withdraw his motion entirely. Members may
  informally offer modifying suggestions at this
  time, the maker may accept or reject them.
• This can allow for a little informal consultation
  before the motion is finalized, and can save much
  time. The chair must see that this privilege is
  not abused and run into debate.

13
During the MotionSimple Ways to Modify a Motion

• 1. After the chair has stated the motion, the
  maker may request unanimous consent from the
  members to modify the motion.
• 2. Sometimes the motion is so complex that the
  only way to deal with it is to urge its defeat,
  and offer to propose a simpler Substitute motion.
• 3. If a motion requires further study, the
  members may vote to Refer the Main Motion to a
  Committee.

14
Proper Procedure to a MotionBefore, During,
After

• After the Motion
• Motions can be Finalizedbut still not Final
• Of Course...theres Exceptions

15
After the MotionYou would think, once a motion
is adopted or voted down, the question would be
settled. Well No.

• Move to Rescind (Repeal or Annul)
• Anyone, regardless of how he voted and without
  time limitations (but with previous notice), may
  move to annul, rescind or repeal a motion already
  adopted. However, if official notification to
  someone has been completed, a contract been
  signed, or a termination completed, this cannot
  be done.
• Move to Amend Something Previously Adopted
• Even after the assembly long debated and
  heatedly amended a controversial motion, anyone
  with previous notice can later move to amend it
  some moreas long as a contract hasnt been
  signed, etc.
• Move to Reconsider the Vote on
• If a member votes on the prevailing side, he may
  make this motion at the same meeting.

Roberts Rules of Order bases its parliamentary
procedures on the potential of the majority to
change its mind the need to correct hasty and
ill-advised actions, and for situations to change
since voting.
16
Exceptions to (almost) Every RuleOf CourseThere
are Exceptions. Some motions are so important,
the maker can interrupt the speaker, doesnt
require a second and doesnt even need to be
recognized by the chair.

• Point of Order
• If someone is disobeying Roberts Rules of
  Order, you can state, Point of Order. Chair
  must immediately recognize you and hear your
  point. Chair then rules on it and the meeting
  continues.
• Point of Information
• No one can take away your right to understand
  the process and potential consequences of the
  next vote. The Chair must immediately recognize
  you and address your question, or rule your
  question as being out of order. Then the meeting
  can continue.
• Some motions may not be debated.
• Recess, Point of Order, Limit Debate, Suspend
  the Rules, Adjourn, Previous Question
• Announcing the Result of Vote No exceptions.
• The results of voting must always be announced!

17
Totally Wrong Phrases

• SO MOVED!
• This common statement means nothing. The actual
  motion must be stated to avoid any potential
  confusion. So Moved! is vague pointless.
• I MOVE TO TABLE!
• The motion is actually Move to Lay on the
  Table, and is meant only to temporarily
  interrupt the agenda, as to allow something
  special and urgent out of turn. It is not
  intended to postpone until the next meeting.
  There is Move to Postpone until, and Move to
  Postpone Indefinitely.
• CALL TO QUESTION!
• This is not a motion. Its an impolite reminder.
  The chair should make sure everyone has an
  opportunity to speak, and keep it short. The
  chair should state that after one or two more
  speakers comments, the vote will be taken. The
  chair can specify time limits for speaking on an
  issue specify only those with an opposing view
  can ask to speak. The actual motion, I move the
  Previous Question requires a second, and a 2/3rd
  vote.

18
Motions to Remember
YOU WANT TO YOU SAY INTERRUPT? 2ND? DEBATE? AMEND? VOTE?
Make a Motion I move to(or I move that) No Yes Yes Yes Majority
Take Break I move to recess for No Yes No Yes Majority
Close Debate I move the previous question No Yes No No 2/3
Postpone until.. I move to postpone the motion to No Yes Yes Yes Majority
Refer to committee I move to refer the motion to No Yes Yes Yes Majority
Modify a motion I move to amend the motion by No Yes Yes Yes Majority
Kill main motion I move that the motion be postponed indefinitely No Yes Yes No Majority
Point of Order I call on a point of order Yes No No No None
Point of Question I call for a point of question on Yes No No No None
Close meeting I move to adjourn No Yes No No Majority
19
References ResourcesRoberts Rules of Order,
10th Edition

• www.roberts-rules.com
• Survival Tips for Roberts Rules of Order
• www.robertsrules.com
• Official Roberts Rules of Order Website
• www.robertsrules.org
• All revised and original versions of the Full
  Roberts Rules of Order
• http//miltonband.org/rulesord/contents.htm
• 300 page simplified Roberts Rules of Order