Bourinot for the Baffled
All in favor, raise your right hand. All opposed, raise your left
hand. Right? — or wrong? Read on. It's not difficult to conduct a
meeting. But it takes preparation, confidence, and some common sense.
Leaders not completely familiar with parliamentary procedure can become
frustrated when someone more knowledgeable makes a baffling comment.
Without writing another book on procedures, the objective of this
article is to give basic rules of order rather than detailed rules. It
should remove some of the mystery for those who lead congregational
council and congregational meetings. It briefly explains the team, the
meeting process, types of motions and how to handle them. The paper
concludes with a glossary of the most common procedural terms.
When I reviewed material to prepare this article, I discovered
that various sources interpret some procedures differently, so I
included the practices that occur most often. Many privileged motions do
not come from Canadian parliamentary practice. Therefore, congregations
should agree on how to use them. One suggestion is that congregations
prepare informal guidelines for procedures. These guidelines can be
updated as necessary. The only rule is that they must not contradict
your constitution or bylaws. The main concern is that motions are made
and approved correctly and that the meeting flows smoothly. To keep a
meeting simple, a disclaimer in procedure books says if a meeting gets
so bogged down in procedure that business cannot be conducted, use the
most sensible solution.
To make it easier for the person
conducting a meeting, some organizations appoint a parliamentarian to
help at major meetings. The chair appoints the parliamentarian and the
role is advisory only. In this way, the presider can conduct business
assured that anything out of order will be
corrected.
Parliamentary procedure may sound threatening, but it
is simply a standard for conducting business at a meeting. The ELCIC
follows Bourinot's Rules of Order, available in paperback at bookstores.
Each congregation should keep a copy in its library and chairpersons
should become familiar with the contents.
For a little background
on Bourinot, Sir John Bourinot, Clerk of Canada's House of Commons from
1880-1902, wrote these rules of order and very little has been updated
over the years. These rules were designed for the Canadian Parliament
rather than for organizations and associations such as churches. No
wonder we get confused about how to conduct meetings and participate in
them. Some words and phrases used at the turn of the century aren't too
common today. Also, sessions of Parliament can continue for weeks or
months, while congregational council or annual meetings are usually much
shorter.
The Team
Successful meetings are a team effort. Everyone attending a
meeting has responsibility — from the officers who lead the meeting to
the members who discuss the business and make the
decisions.
Chair
While it sounds like a piece of
furniture, inclusive language today recommends calling the person who
conducts the meeting the Chair. The term may vary in organizations from
presiding officer, president, chairman, or chairperson. The chair leads
the meeting rather than controls it.
Vice Chair
A vice
chair is the understudy of the chair (a chair in training and perfectly
legal). This person leads a meeting if the chair is absent or during
part of a meeting if the chair temporarily appoints the vice chair to
preside. (The chair normally does not comment on issues and must turn
the chair over to the vice chair if he or she wishes to comment or make
a motion.)
Secretary
The secretary doesn't have to be
female. This person prepares and distributes the notice of meeting and
agenda, ensures that all material required for the meeting is available,
takes notes of the proceedings, prepares and distributes the minutes and
carries out any other duties arising from meeting actions. Knowing
shorthand is not a requirement (but
helps).
Members
Members are important and should be
responsible. They arrive on time, are informed about the agenda, and are
prepared to participate in the meeting. They read any material
distributed before the meeting to intelligently discuss the issues. They
are also courteous to others during a meeting.
Call to Order
1. The meeting begins
The chair calls the meeting to order by
saying, "The meeting will come to order." (See comments under Quorum in
Procedural Terms section.) To get everyone's attention, the chair can
strike the gavel on the desk.
The following items are covered at
the beginning of a meeting:
A. The secretary reads the notice of
meeting.
B. The chair decides whether there is a quorum. (If there is
no quorum, an informal procedure may be declared that any decisions will
be ratified by another meeting called for that purpose and the date is
set for the meeting.)
C. The chair gives any housekeeping
announcements, such as the amount of time allowed to discuss particular
items, points out where the agenda, minutes, reports or other material
may be picked up, gives procedures members should use to speak, welcomes
special guests, gives information on breaks, where the washrooms are,
etc.
2. The agenda
The chair says, "Are there any changes or
additions to the agenda?" Additions and changes are noted and included
in the minutes. The chair will recognize members who want to add items.
Members will then give items and the reasons for them. If the chair
agrees, they are added to the agenda. The chair will then say, "May I
have a motion to approve the agenda?" The agenda is now moved, seconded
and voted on as given or amended. As a matter of courtesy, members
should discuss additional agenda items with the chair prior to the
meeting. No surprises, please!
3. Minutes of the previous meeting
The chair asks if there are any changes or additions to the previous
minutes. A motion is made, seconded and voted to adopt the minutes as
distributed, read, with changes, etc. Minutes should be distributed well
before a meeting. (Any changes must be listed in current
minutes.)
Minutes should be prepared and distributed to the
members as soon as possible following a meeting. Something important may
be forgotten if the minutes are not distributed until the time of the
next meeting.
Financial reports and major reports from committees
should be printed and distributed prior to a meeting, particularly
annual meetings, so everyone is familiar with them.
Note: If
elections are part of a meeting, they occur after the minutes.
4. Correspondence (letters received)
Items of communication
are normally moved and voted to be received as information. There is no
discussion about communication when the items are reviewed at this time.
Any action required on correspondence will be included under New
Business.
5. Reports
Executive members and chairpersons of
committees present their reports. If action is required on any report,
it becomes an item of New Business. To save time, it is acceptable to
present one motion to receive the reports as given or as distributed
after they are all reviewed.
6. Unfinished business
(Avoid
the term "business arising from the minutes.") This section includes
items deferred from a previous meeting.
7. New business/Other
Business
This section includes items not previously presented, items
from correspondence received, or given to the chair after the agenda was
prepared.
8. Date, place and time of next meeting
The date,
place and time of the next meeting are given and included in the
minutes.
9. Adjournment
A motion is made and seconded to
adjourn a meeting. A seconder is required, and it cannot be debated. A
majority vote is required to carry.
Motions
Motions can be the most baffling items at a meeting. Four
types of motions can be made during a business meeting: main motions,
subsidiary motions, privileged motions and incidental motions. Not all
types of motions will occur at every meeting and some may never occur
because the members may not know they exist.
As a favor to
everyone, the mover may write the complete motion on a motion slip,
particularly if it is a significant or long motion. The mover and
seconder will sign the motion slip and give it to the chair. This
practice avoids confusion as to the wording, who moved and seconded it,
and makes the secretary a whole lot happier.
Types of
motions
Main Motion
A motion must be moved, seconded and
accepted by the chair. The mover says, "I move that . . ." If a motion
is out of order or beyond the authority of the meeting, the chair can
refuse to accept it. The chair then asks, "Is there a seconder." Another
person is recognized by the chair and says, "I second the motion." A
seconder is important because that means there should be at least two
people who agree on the point. However, the seconder doesn't have to
agree with the motion. Someone may second a motion only to get
discussion started, but this is not recommended. If there is no
seconder, the motion dies. When there is a seconder, the chair asks if
there is any discussion. (No discussion is allowed until a motion is
seconded.) If the motion is amended, it is not voted until the amendment
is voted.
When discussion is complete, the chair asks, "Are you
ready for the question?" and repeats the complete motion. The members
vote and if the majority votes in favor, the chair states "carried." If
the motion is defeated, the chair states, "motion defeated".
A
mover may wish to withdraw a motion. A motion can be withdrawn only if
the meeting as a whole agrees to it.
After a motion is declared
carried or defeated, it cannot be brought up again at the same meeting.
If it becomes necessary to rescind (repeal) a motion, itcan be announced
at the meeting and then discussed and voted on at a subsequent
meeting.
Subsidiary Motions
These motions provide a way to
handle main motions besides simply debating and voting on them. (They
are listed in order of ranking):
Postpone indefinitely — This
procedure kills the main motion without voting against it. It requires a
seconder and majority vote to carry.
Amend — This is the most
widely used subsidiary motion. In the excitement of making a motion, the
wording may be unclear or incomplete. Amendments must relate
specifically to the main motion and cannot merely negate the motion. The
wording used is, "I move to amend the motion by substituting the words .
. . with the words . . . so that the motion will read . . ." The chair
will restate the main motion or even read it to show how the main motion
would change if the amendment is passed. The amendment is voted on
before the main motion. It requires a seconder and majority vote to
carry.
An amendment may be amended and must be moved and voted
on in the same way as the first amendment. However, amendments to
amendments should be avoided to maintain the sanity of the chair and
membership. When voting on amendments, or sub-amendments, the chair
should make it quite clear to the meeting what is being voted
on.
Commit or refer — This action sends the main motion to a
committee. Use this procedure when the main motion requires more
research and in-depth discussion. If used, this motion should include
the size of the committee, how it is to be selected, the specific item,
and a deadline for reporting to the main group. This motion needs a
seconder and majority vote to carry.
Postpone definitely (to a
certain time) — This can mean later in the same meeting or a subsequent
meeting. The reason would be to get more information or wait until
another event has taken place on which to base a decision. This motion
needs a seconder and majority vote to carry.
Limit or extend
debate — This is rarely used in small groups or at routine meetings. It
imposes specific limits on the time allowed for a debate and number of
times any member may speak to the motion. It can also be used to extend
the time. This motion needs a seconder, can be amended and needs
two-thirds vote to carry.
Previous question — The object is to
immediately close debate and vote on the issue. This motion cannot be
amended or debated. The value is in ending frivolous debate. The motion
is made in the form, "I move that the question be now put." This motion
needs a seconder, cannot be amended, and needs two-thirds vote to
carry.
Lay on the table — This is the highest ranking subsidiary
motion. It temporarily sets aside the main motion and subsidiary
motions. It differs from postpone because it can be recovered later. It
allows the meeting to go on to other business. A later motion by the
membership can bring the matter back into discussion. This motion needs
a seconder, cannot be debated or amended, and needs majority vote to
carry.
Privileged Motions (Housekeeping Motions)
These are
variations of motions and rank above subsidiary and main motions. They
never relate directly to a pending question but deal with issues that
need immediate attention. They are not debatable. The privileged motions
that follow are listed from lowest to highest rank.
Call for
orders of the day — This term is used to get the meeting back on track
(return to the agenda) if the chair has digressed. The motion does not
need to be seconded and requires two-thirds majority vote to defeat it.
Another term for this item is let's get on with our
business.
Raise a question of privilege — This question can be
raised at any time to get immediate action on simple matters such as
turning the heat up or down, more lights, ask the speaker to talk
louder, etc. This action does not require a seconder or a vote.
Take a recess — Just like in school, a recess is a short
intermission for humane reasons, lunch or for a break. The motion should
state how long the recess should last. This motion requires a seconder
and majority vote to carry. (Note the difference between recess and
adjourn.)
Adjourn — A motion to adjourn is always in order, but
its most frequent use is to close the meeting. It must be seconded and
requires a majority vote to carry. Any debate after adjournment is
unofficial and off the record. Usually the chair will ask if there is
any further business and if there is none, declares the meeting
adjourned.
Incidental Motions
These motions deal with
procedural matters but do not relate directly to business. Incidental
motions are not ranked. In most cases the chair uses common sense to
deal with these motions.
Point of order (or question of
privilege) — A member may make the comment "point of order" when debate
begins on a motion that has not been seconded, or if someone tries to
make an additional motion when one is already on the floor. The chair
will correct the situation before any other debate can continue. No
seconder or vote is required.
Appeal the decision of the chair —
The purpose of this motion is to challenge a decision made by the chair.
This motion must be made immediately after the chair's decision. It must
be moved, seconded and a majority vote to carry. It cannot be debated or
amended.
Suspend the rules — This motion is used to discontinue the
rules when the group wishes to do something against its regular rules,
but not in conflict with its constitution or by-laws. A reason for this
is to allow a speaker to deal with a piece of business that is out of
order such as hearing someone who has to leave the meeting early, or to
hear a guest speaker not listed on the agenda. This motion cannot be
debated or amended and requires a seconder and two-thirds vote to carry.
Conclusion
Do you vote with your right hand or left hand? Actually, the
chair should say, "Those in favor please raise your hand." Because most
people are right-handed, the right hand is usually used. However if you
use your left hand, your vote will also be counted.
Article
adjourned.
Glossary
Agenda
Every meeting must have an agenda, the order in which
business will be conducted. The formal parliamentary term is orders for
the day. An agenda lists the items of business and their order. The
leader's best preparation for a meeting is to be familiar with the
agenda. If a nervous chair sticks with the agenda, the meeting has a
better chance of flowing smoothly. The agenda should be moved, seconded
and approved before any business begins. (The Congregation Communicates
includes a sample agenda.)
Amendment
An amendment is a motion
that addresses the current motion. The amendment can only be amended
after it is voted on and only one amendment can be on the floor at one
time. Too many amendments are confusing.
Business arising
This
term should never appear on an agenda. The correct term is unfinished
business and should list the items to be discussed.
Challenge the
chair/Appeal the decision of the chair
Every member has the right to
question a decision by the chair. The member can say, "I challenge the
chair" and receive a seconder. Debate is not allowed, and a majority
vote is required to carry.
Debate
After the motion is
seconded, discussion begins. Anyone speaking should start by stating
whether for or against the motion.
Dissent
If someone votes
against a motion, that person may ask to have his or her opposition
recorded in the minutes.
Minutes
The official record of a
meeting, not a transcript. Remember — the term is minutes, not hours.
Keep them as short as possible and include only items discussed and
action taken. Individual feelings and emotions are not recorded. Minutes
should follow the order of the agenda.
Motion
A motion is a
proposal that the organization take certain action on a matter or that
it adopt an official policy on an issue.
Order
To call the
meeting to order
"Order, please" — the Chair's statement to return
the meeting to order if the discussion has strayed from the item on the
floor.
Point of order
Any member may interrupt a speaker only
if he or she sincerely believes that the matter cannot wait. The speaker
must recognize the interrupter and ask the reason. The chair will then
act on the information or say the interruption is unjustified. If
unjustified, the interrupter should apologize to the
speaker.
Point of privilege
During debate on an item, a member
may rise to say "Mr. Chairman (or Madam Chair), I rise on a point of
privilege. The speaker is not quoting me correctly." The speaker will
pause for clarification. After clarification, the meeting
proceeds.
Proxy
A written notice that gives another person
authority to vote for someone who is unable to attend a meeting. The
by-laws should state whether proxies are permitted.
Put the
question
After discussion on a motion, the chair asks whether the
meeting is "ready for the question." The chair then reads the motion or
describes the issue and asks for the vote.
Quorum
Quorum is
from Latin which means of whom. In today's language it means the minimum
number of people required to conduct a meeting. The bylaws of the
organization state the quorum as a percentage of active members. Quite
often the quorum is set quite low to ensure that a meeting can be held
when there may be difficulty rounding up a majority of eligible voters.
If there is no quorum, the meeting cannot be called to order and no
business can be conducted for ratification at a later date (unless
informal procedure states this may occur). If people leave during the
meeting and less than a quorum remains, the meeting can only continue if
the remaining members wish, or if a bylaw or procedure states otherwise.
Visitors at a meeting are not counted to determine the
quorum.
Unfinished business
Business not concluded at a
previous time.
Vote of thanks
A member may rise to say, "I
move a vote of thanks to ___________." This motion does not need a
seconder or a vote. It's usually followed by applause. It recognizes
someone who has done a fine job of something or other. Nothing tangible
is involved and no one should object.
Bibliography
Communication Committee, Eastern Synod, The Congregation
Communicates. Kitchener: Eastern Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Canada, 1994
Paul, Kevin. Chairing a Meeting with Confidence.
North Vancouver: International Self-Council Press, ©1989,
1992
Perry, Herb. Call to Order. Owen Sound: Big Bay Publishing
Inc., ©1984
Stanford, Geoffrey. Bourinot's Rules of Order, Third
Revised Edition. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc., ©1977
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