Parliamentary Procedure

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Parliamentary Procedure
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Parliamentary Procedure

• Definition
• Rules for conducting or running a successful
  meeting
• 4 major tenets of Parliamentary Procedure
• One thing at a time
• The rights of the minority
• Majority rules
• Courtesy extended to everyone
• Official Rule Book
• Roberts Rules of Order (most common)

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The origins of Parliamentary Procedure

• 16th Century disputes between the King of England
  and the Parliament.
• Resulted in the development of procedures used in
  running meetings
• First formal publication 1562 by Sir Thomas
  Smyth

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Evolution of Parliamentary Law

• 1581 - One subject at a time
• Issue at hand must be resolved before another
  matter may be discussed
• 1592 - Alternation between opposite points of
  view
• Each side must be allowed the opportunity to
  offer their opinion
• 1604 - Requirement that the chair always call for
  the negative vote
• No issue can be resolved without both sides
  having the opportunity to vote
• 1604 - Decorum and avoidance of personalities
• Participants in floor debate should not engage in
  personalities
• 1610 - Confinement of debate to the merits of the
  pending question
• Stay on task removal of extraneous information

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The guidelines of Parliamentary Procedure
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Making Parliamentary Procedure more conversational

• Five basic points
• Making motions
• Amending motions
• Point of order
• The true role of the chair
• The virtue arguing

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Main Motions

• Used to introduce ideas to the group
• Must be stated in correct form
• I Move that
• I Move to
• Can not be in negative form
• Only one main motion at a time
• Requires a second
• Amendable (i.e. it can be changed)
• Debatable (i.e. it can be discussed)
• Majority Vote

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Main Motions Continued

• Main Motions must not
• Break any Local, State or National Laws
• Bring up any motion that has already been voted
  down
• Deal with items that are outside the power of the
  group
• Be in the negative form
• Can not interrupt another speaker

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Handling a Main Motion

• Stand
• Ask to be recognized by President
• President recognizes you by name
• Motion is correctly stated
• Motion is seconded
• Motion is repeated by President
• Motion is discussed
• President restates motion
• Motion is voted on
• Results of vote announced by President

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Amendments

• Purpose
• Used to modify a main motion
• Must be germane
• Closely related to the original topic
• Motions can be amended in 4 ways
• Inserting in middle
• Adding to end
• Striking Out
• Striking out and inserting
• Requires a second

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Amendments continued

• Amendable (can be changed)
• Debatable (can be discussed)
• Majority Vote
• Can not interrupt another speaker
• Example
• Motion on floor That we buy a boat.
• Amendment Mr. President, I move to amend the
  motion by inserting ski in front of boat. So the
  motion would read, I move that we buy a ski boat.

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Amendment to the Amendment

• Purpose
• To modify an amendment to make it more specific
• Requires a second
• Debatable
• Not amendable
• Majority vote
• Can not interrupt a speaker
• Proper Example
• Madam President, I move to amend the amendment by
  inserting Mastercraft in front of ski. So the
  final motion with if all amendments pass would
  read, I move that we buy a Mastercraft ski boat.

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Point of Order

• Purpose
• Used when a member thinks that the rules of the
  group or the rules of parliamentary procedure are
  being violated.
• Does not require a second
• Not amendable
• Not debatable
• President decides on verdict
• Can interrupt another speaker
• Proper example
• Mr. President, I rise to a point of order.
• President says, State your point
• After member states point, president says your
  point is well taken or Your point is not well
  taken

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Responsibility of the Chair

• Maintaining order in the meeting
• Facilitating discussion
• Moving the discussion along
• Staying on the agenda

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The Virtue of Arguing

• Statement to establish for/against argument
• Rationale is brief, clear and free from emotion
• Close with encouragement to vote for/against the
  motion