Roberts Simplified Rules of Order Simplified Even More

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Roberts Simplified Rules of Order Simplified
Even More
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The Agenda

• Determines the business of the meeting
• Created by the Chairperson, agenda items
  submitted by meeting participants
• May have standing items like committee
  reports
• Usually has a new business section for items
  added as the meeting begins
• Is adopted at the beginning of the meeting
  (potentially after amendments)
• Can be amended mid meeting with 2/3 vote to deal
  with emergent motions

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Main Motions

• A proposal to do something or adopt a policy
• Should be
• About one thing
• Describe clear action
• State who is to do what
• Be within the terms of reference of the group
• Have a mover and a seconderthe mover usually
  begins debate with a supporting statement

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Amendments

• If the meeting wants to alter the motion as a
  result of the debate that occurs, it is usually
  helpful to make an amendment to the motion.
• Amendments should
• Not change the intent of the main motion
• Add or insert words strike words or both
• Be precise
• Can have an amendment to an amendment, and so
  forth

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Speaking to Motions Voting

• Once a motion is on the floor, speaking should be
  to the motion to keep the debate focused
• If an amendment is proposed, the speaking list
  shifts to debate on the amendment.
• Once the amendment is voted on and accepted or
  rejected, the speaking returns to the list for
  the main motion (possibly in its amended form)
• The last step is the vote on the main motion
• A motion is carried with 50 1 votes unless
  there is some rule to say otherwise

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Interrupting Things

• Sometimes it is OK to interrupt the debate
• You can interrupt the current speaker for
• Point of privilege (Can we shut the door)
• Point of order (Tell the chair they have made a
  procedural error e.g. current speaker was not
  next on the list)

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Interrupting the Speakers List

• You can immediately speak next to
• Challenge the chair
• Point of information (clarify something)
• Call for a count on a vote
• Reconsider (to vote again on a motion that has
  been carried this meeting requires 2/3 vote)

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Procedural Motions

• These motions are intended on aiding the meeting
  with dealing with a motion. You can
• Suspend the rules
• Consider seriatim (consider a long motion by
  parts rather than all at once)
• Change methods of voting (e.g. ask for a secret
  ballot)
• Lay on the table (make a motion go into a
  netherwordit disappears until someone takes it
  from the table)
• Call the question make the meeting vote on
  whether to continue debate or vote right away
  used to save time
• Limit or extend debate
• Postpose to a definite time (e.g. next meeting)
• Refer (e.g. to another committee)