Parliamentary
Procedure
How to make and keep your School
Board meetings running smoothly
Dr. Leonard M. Young
Professional Registered Parliamentarian
Quick Parliamentary Quiz
True/False Questions
1. The mover of a motion can speak
against his/her own motion.
2. A motion is before the assembly when
it has been moved and seconded.
3. The motion to “lay on the table” is used
to kill a motion without a direct vote on it.
4. Amendments can be applied to any
motion regardless of whether or not they
are germane.
Quick Parliamentary Quiz (2)
5. The minutes of a meeting must be approved
by the use of a motion, a second, and a majority
vote of the assembly.
6. “Majority” means “one more than half.”
7. The person seconding a motion must, by
definition, be in favor of the motion being
seconded.
8. A presiding officers should say “you are out
of order” when ruling that a motion offered by a
member is not in order at the time according to
the parliamentary situation.
Quick Parliamentary Quiz (3)
9. When an election is conducted for a
position on a board where six people have
been nominated, if no one receives a
majority vote, it is proper to drop off all but
the top two candidates and hold a run-off
election.
10. A quorum is always a majority of the
members in any parliamentary assembly.
Parliamentary Procedure for
Small Boards
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised.
(RONR) - 10th Edition - © 2000
main motion
amended
referred
postponed
lay the pending motion on the table
previous question
STEPS IN HANDLING OF A
MOTION
A member makes the motion.
Another member seconds the motion.
The Chair states the question
The members debate the motion.
The Chair puts the question (takes the
vote).
The Chair announces the results of the
vote.
AMENDMENTS
Amendments, like main motions, require a
second, are amendable, are debatable,
and require a majority vote.
An amendment should be stated so that
indicates exactly what is being done to the
main motion.
An amendment must always be handled
before voting on the motion to which it was
applied.
Main Motion
"That we sponsor a
delegate to NSBA
Convention in March."
STRIKING OUT:
"That we sponsor a
delegate to NSBA
Convention in March."
ADDITION (or
insertion):
"That we sponsor a delegate
to NSBA Convention in
March providing, however,
that this board shall not be
responsible for expenses in
excess of $150.00."
STRIKING OUT
AND INSERTING
"That we sponsor a delegate
two delegates to NSBA
Convention in March."
PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY
AMENDMENTS
SECONDARY AMENDMENT
PRIMARY AMENDMENT
MAIN MOTION
SECONDARY
AMENDMENT
"That we sponsor a delegate
to NSBA Convention in
March providing, however,
that this board shall not be
responsible for expenses in
excess of $150.00 $100.00."
SUBSTITUTE MOTION
Whenever it is desired to change the
wording of a motion so substantially that
several amendments would be required, a
substitute motion may be used. A
substitute motion has the same status
as a primary amendment. The term
substitute is usually used when an
amendment applies to a large block of
text, one or more paragraphs, or the entire
document.
SUBSTITUTE
MOTION
"That we encourage all of
our members to attend the
Association's National
Convention."
OTHER USEFUL
MOTIONS
Postpone Indefinitely
To kill a motion without a direct vote
on it. Its adoption kills the motion for
the remainder of the session. It can
be introduced again at the next
session.
Form: “I move that the question be
postponed indefinitely.”
Commit/Refer
To send a pending motion to a
committee so it can be carefully
considered and/or put into better
condition for the members to
consider.
FORM: “I move to refer the motion
to the Finance Committee.”
Postpone to a Definite Time
To postpone action until a certain time or
until after a certain event
Majority or 2/3rds
Form: “I move to postpone the motion to
the next meeting.”
Form: “I move to postpone the question
until 9:00 p.m.”
Limit or Extend Debate
To set, reduce, or extend limits on debate
(length of speech, number of speeches,
length of debate)
Form: “I move to limit debate on this
motion to ten minutes.” or “I move to limit
debate on this motion to the next four
speakers.”
Previous Question
To immediately close debate and take a
vote.
Form: “I move the previous question (on
all pending questions).”
Lay on the Table
To temporarily set aside pending business
because something more urgent needs
immediate attention.
Form: “I move to lay the question on the
table.”
Voting
Unanimous Consent: “If there is no
objection . . .”
Consent Agenda
Roll Call Vote
Ballot Vote (prohibited)
Majority
means more than half the votes cast. For
example, if 19 votes are cast, a majority
would be 10; if 20 votes are cast, a
majority is 11. It is commonly used in
elections and on most motions.
Two-Thirds Vote
means 2/3 of the votes cast. If 30 votes
are cast, a two-thirds vote is 20; if 31 votes
are cast, a two-thirds vote is 21. It is used
only in the case of certain motions,
normally those that take away certain
rights of a person or give another person
additional rights. (Frequently, we hear the
term "2/3 majority." Actually this is a
misnomer since clearly they are two
separate types of votes.)
Plurality
This is the largest number of votes to be
given any candidate or proposal where
three or more choices are possible. It is
sometimes used in elections but is not a
recommended practice. For example,
three persons are running for office: A gets
15 votes, B gets 14 votes, and C gets 13
votes. On a plurality basis, A is elected
with far less than a majority having voted
for him.
Point of Order
The most common of these is the point of
order. If a member feels that the rules of
the assembly are not being observed, the
member may "Raise a Point of Order."
This requires the chair to make a ruling as
to whether the point is "well taken" or "not
well taken."
Appeal
Then if the member disagrees with the
decision of the chair, the member may
appeal from the decision of the chair. If
this is done, it will take a second to the
appeal and a majority opposed to the
decision of the chair to reverse it.
Point of Information
If a member wants to get information (to
ask a question), the member raises a point
of information. The chair then directs the
appropriate person to answer the
question.
Parliamentary Inquiry
If a member needs help with parliamentary
procedure, the member raises a point of
parliamentary inquiry. The chair attempts
to assist the member to do what he/she
wishes to do.
Question of Privilege
If a member feels that the comfort of the
assembly or anything else is interfering
with the decision making process, the
member can raise a point of privilege and
ask the chair to correct the situation. (e.g.,
too hot, can’t hear, etc.)
Reconsider
“...enables a majority in an assembly, within a limited time
and without notice, to bring back for further consideration
a motion which has already been voted on.” (RONR, p.
309)
PURPOSE: to permit correction of hasty, ill-advised or
erroneous action to
can be moved only by a member who VOTED ON THE
PREVAILING SIDE
Time Limits:
1 day session—only on that day
Multi-day session—on the same or next calendar day
Rescind/Amend Something
Previously Adopted
“...allows the assembly to change an
action previously taken (Rescind) or to
partially alter such a decision (Amend
Something Previously Adopted).
Vote Required: 2/3rds without previous
notice or a majority with previous notice
no time limit to be moved and can be
moved by anyone regardless of how they
voted originally
STANDARD ORDER OF
BUSNESS
Reading the Approval of the Minuets
Reports of Officers, Boards, and
Standing Committees
Reports of Special Committees
Special Orders
Unfinished Business and General Orders
New Business
SPECIAL RULES FOR SMALL
BOARDS
Members are not required to obtain the
floor before making motions or speaking,
which they can do while seated.
Motions need not be seconded.
There is no limit to the number of times a
member can speak to a question, and
motions to close or limit debate generally
should not be entertained.
Informal discussion of a subject is
permitted while no motion is pending.
SPECIAL RULES FOR SMALL
BOARDS (2)
Sometimes, when a proposal is perfectly
clear to all present, a vote can be taken
without a motion's having been introduced.
The chair need not rise while putting
questions to vote.
The chair can speak in discussion without
rising or leaving the chair; and, subject to
rule or custom within the particular board,
he usually can make motions and usually
vote on all questions.