The fundamental premises of Robert's Rules of Order are:

·        Justice and courtesy for all.

·        Provide order, fairness and decorum

·        Do only one thing at a time

·        The majority rules.

·        The minority is heard.

·        Each proposition is entitled to a full and free debate.

·        The desires of the individual must be merged into the larger unit - the organization or assembly.

·        The purpose is to facilitate action, not to obstruct it.

Role of the Presiding Officer-(Commandant)

A.     Remain impartial during debate - the presiding officer must relinquish the chair in order to debate the merits of a motion

B.     Vote only to create or break a tie – exception: the presiding officer may vote on any vote by ballot

C.     Determine that a quorum is present before transacting business (5 Members needed)

D.     Introduce business in proper order

E.      Recognize speakers

F.      Determine if a motion is in order

G.     Keep discussion germane to the pending motion

H.     Maintain order

I.       Put motions to a vote and announce results

J.      Employ unanimous consent (general consent) when appropriate

 

The basic process is:

·        Someone is Recognized (No person can speak until recognized by the chair) by the Chair (usually by standing up and waiting to be recognized).

·        Personal remarks are always out of order

·        The chair should always remain impartial

·        Once recognized, the person makes a Motion. For example: "Sir Commandant-I move that we have a pizza party at our next meeting!"

·        If someone else agrees that this is a good motion, they will Second the motion. Without a second, the motion immediately dies.

·        If the motion is seconded, then it can be discussed (it is now "on the floor"). Someone can also Amend the motion. (Such as "I move that we amend the motion to require our club president to pay for all the pizza!") Technically, an amendment is a secondary motion.

• There can only be TWO amendments to a motion. Otherwise, it could be amended to death.
• There can only be one motion on the floor at a time.

·        Eventually, once discussion is over, then the motion is Voted on. Majority rules.

 

Point of Order - used when a member believes that the rules of the assembly are being violated, thereby calling on the chair for a ruling and enforcement of the rules.  A member can interrupt a speaker to raise a point of order.

      Point of Information - requests to the chair, or through the chair to another officer or member, to provide information relevant to the business at hand. A point of information must be in the form of a question.

 

General Procedure for Handling a Motion

A.     A member normally must obtain the floor by being recognized by the chair.

B.     Member makes a motion.

C.     A motion must normally be seconded by another member before it can be considered.

 

Before the motion is restated by the chair, any member can rise, without waiting to be recognized, and suggest a modification of the wording to clarify the motion. The maker of the motion can choose to accept or reject the modified wording (does not require a second).

If the motion is in order, the chair will restate the motion and open debate (if the motion is debatable).

The maker of a motion has the right to speak first in debate.

Debate is closed when:

            1. Discussion has ended, or

            2. A two-thirds vote closes debate ("Previous Question")

H.     The chair restates the motion, and if necessary clarifies the consequences of affirmative and negative votes.

I.       The chair calls for a vote.

J.      The chair announces the result.

K.     Any member may challenge the chair's count by demanding a “Division of the Assembly.”

 

VII.     General Rules of Debate

A.     No members may speak until recognized by the chair.

B.     All discussion must be relevant to the immediately pending question.

C.     No member may speak a second time until every member who wishes to speak has had the opportunity to do so.

D.     No member can speak more than twice to each motion.

E.      No member can speak more than ten minutes.

F.      All remarks must be addressed to the chair – no cross debate is permitted.

G.     It is not permissible to speak against one’s own motion (but one can vote against one's own motion).

H.     Debate must address issues not personalities – no one is permitted to make personal attacks or question the motives of other speakers.

I.       The presiding officer must relinquish the chair in order to participate in debate and cannot reassume the chair until the pending main question is disposed of.

J.      When possible, the chair should let the floor alternate between those speaking in support and those speaking in opposition to the motion.

K.     When a large number of people wish to speak to a motion it may be advisable for the chair to make a speakers' list.

L.      Members may not disrupt the assembly.

M.     Rules of debate can be changed by a two-thirds vote.

 

Methods of Voting

1.      Voice vote - method normally used

2.      Show of hands or rising vote - used to verify an inconclusive voice vote or on motions requiring a two-thirds vote

3.      Ballot - normally used for election of officers and when ordered by a majority vote

4.      Roll call vote - used when it is desired to have a record of how each member voted.  Can be ordered by a majority vote unless the organization’s bylaws specify otherwise.

 

 

Is it true that, once a quorum has been established, it continues to exist no matter how many members leave during the course of the meeting?

Answer:
No. Once a quorum (5 members for LZ Old Corps) at a meeting has been established, the continued presence of a quorum is presumed to exist only until the chair or any other member notices that a quorum is no longer present. If the chair notices the absence of a quorum, he or she should declare this fact, at least before taking any vote or stating the question on any new motion. Any member noticing the apparent absence of a quorum can and should make a Point of Order to that effect whenever another person is not speaking. It is dangerous to allow the transaction of substantive business to continue in the absence of a quorum.

In determining the result of a vote, what constitutes a majority?

Answer:
The word "majority" in this context means, simply, more than half.

 

 

Isn't it necessary to summarize matters discussed at a meeting in the minutes of that meeting in order for the minutes to be complete?

Answer:
Not only is it not necessary to summarize matters discussed at a meeting in the minutes of that meeting, it is improper to do so. Minutes are a record of what was done at a meeting, not a record of what was said.

If minutes of a previous meeting are corrected, are the corrections entered in the minutes of the meeting at which the corrections were made?

Answer:
If corrections to minutes are made at the time when those minutes are originally submitted for approval, such corrections are made in the text of the minutes being approved. The minutes of the meeting at which the corrections are made should merely indicate that the minutes were approved "as corrected."