A Quick Look at Parliamentary Procedure
Brian Kelleher, Board of Directors
Former Secondary National President
Former State President, DE
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Opening
Reading/Approval of Minutes
Treasurer’s Report
Committee Reports
Old Business
New Business
Closing
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Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, Tenth
Edition
Governs meetings
Used by U.S, U.K, Australia, New Zealand, and
South Africa Governments
Motion = Action
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A member seeks recognition for the floor
Chairman recognizes the member (member
obtains the floor)
Member makes a motion
Another member seconds the motion
Chairman states the question
Debate (amendment and secondary motions)
Chairman puts the question to a vote
Chairman announces the result of the vote
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Agenda: sequence of items for a meeting
Amendment: a change proposed in a motion
by altering it
Carried: to be adopted or passed
Committee: one or more members appointed
or elected to complete a specific task
Discussion: debate that follows after the chair
has stated a motion
Floor: the motion is currently being
discussed, as in “on the floor”
Minutes: official record of what is done at a
meeting
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Motion: a proposal that a certain action should
be taken
Out of order: a motion or procedure that violates
the rules
Point of information: a request to the chair to
obtain information about the business at hand
Point of order: a request to the chair to recognize
an infraction in parliamentary procedure
Stating the question: restating of the motion by
the chair
Table: to postpone further discussion of a
motion, either for a set period of time or
indefinitely
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Main Motion – an action motion. Proposing that
something be done.
◦ Example: “I move to host an Ice Cream Social.”
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Privileged Motion – motions that hold rank over
all other motions.
◦ Example: Move to adjourn, raise a question of privilege
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Subsidiary Motion – motions applied to main
motions.
◦ Example: Amendment, Lay on the Table, Previous
Question, Limit, Postpone, Refer
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Incidental Motion – motions that can occur once
a main motion is presented
◦ Example: Point of Order, Point of Information, Inquiry,
Information, Division
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Can the chairman (President) vote?
Should seconds be recorded in minutes?
What is a majority?
What is a quorum?
What happens when it’s a tie?
How long can a member speak in debate?
Should you move to discuss or make an
action?
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Motion to hold a dance
Second the motion
Discussion
Amend the main motion
Second the amendment
Call for a vote
Vote