Community Planning Organization Handbook
Suggestions on How to Conduct a Meeting(Darlene Knox, Professional Registered Parliamentarian, Tigard, Oregon)
Order of Business
- Opening Ceremonies (optional)
(Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, Welcome, Introductions) - Reading and Approval of Minutes
- Financial Statement
- Bills
- Correspondence
- Reports of Officers, the Board, and Standing Committees
- Reports of Special Committees
- Special Orders
- Unfinished Business and General Orders
- New Business
- Program
- Announcements
(This is a general format and order of business. Any items not applicable should simply be deleted.)
Basic Script for Chair’s Agenda
(in correlation to the above Order of Business)
- Call to Order
The Chair calls the meeting to order with one rap of the gavel, after determining that a quorum is present.
“The meeting will come to order.” - Opening Ceremonies
- Reading and Approval of the Minutes
“The Secretary will read the minutes of the previous meeting.”
“Are there any corrections to the minutes?”
“If there are no corrections, the minutes stand approved as read.”
(If there are corrections, they are usually made by general consent.”
“The minutes stand approved as corrected.” - Financial Statement
“The Treasurer will give the financial statement.”
“Are there questions?”
“The report will be filed.” - Bills
“Are there bills?”
“The question is on the payment of the bills. Is there discussion?”
(This is handled as any other motion and is debatable and amendable.
Upon approval by the assembly, the Treasurer may pay the bills.) - Correspondence
“The Secretary will read the correspondence.”
(If action is required, the Secretary may make the motion.) - Reports of Officers, The Board and Standing Committees
The Chair calls only on those who have reports to make and in the order listed in the bylaws. Recommendations for the assembly’s consideration should be placed at the end of a report. Adoption should be moved by the reporting member. A motion to adopt an officer’s recommendation should be made by another member and a second is required. (No second is required if a report is coming from a committee.) - Reports of Special Committees
”The committee to purchase a computer will report.” - Special Orders
Special orders include the election of a nominating committee or of officers, and other items of business mandated by the bylaws for particular meetings. - Unfinished Business and General Orders
- Unfinished Business is business from a previous meeting because adjournment occurred before the order of business was completed.
- General Orders are those items which were postponed from the previous meeting or motions for which previous notice was given. These items should be reported in the minutes of the last meeting.
- New Business
“Is there any new business?”
- Program
“The Program Chairman will present the program.” (The Chair never “turns the meeting over to . . .” – but introduces the Program Chair.) At the program’s conclusion the Program Chair would say, “Mr. President/Madam Chair, this concludes the program.” - Announcements
“Are there any announcements?” - Adjournment
“If there is no further business, this meeting will adjourn.” (No motion required.)
“The meeting is adjourned.”
The Presiding Officer
Protocol
- Uses tact, courtesy; is impartial to all; treats all members alike
- Stands while
- Calling meeting to order
- Adjourning the meeting
- Stating the question
- Putting the question
- Explaining reasons for ruling on point of order
- Speaking on point of order or appeal, in debate
- Is seated or steps back from lectern and microphone when floor has been assigned
- Presiding officer should be in view of members at all times. May be seated while members speak – unless this means the members cannot see him/her – then he/she should step aside
- Refer to himself/herself impersonally as “the Chair,” using third person (not “I”)
Voting
- Presiding officer votes
- When vote is by ballot
- To make or break a tie
- To make or break required 2/3
- Roll call – President is called last
(On motions: A “tie vote” is a lost vote. The Chair is not required to vote unless he/she wishes to.)
Debating Rights
- Normally should have nothing to say, although he/she, as an individual, has the same rights as any other member. Impartiality is required of the Chair and he/she should avoid using those rights while presiding.
- To participate in debate, the presiding officer must relinquish the Chair. He/she should turn the Chair over to:
- The Vice President, or
- The ranking Vice President who has not spoken on the question and does not wish to speak, or
- A member who has not spoken and does not wish to speak – by general consent of the members
The Presiding Officer does not return to the Chair until the pending motion has been disposed of.
The Presiding Officer may not appoint in advance another member to act in his/her place as Presiding Officer.
The Presiding Officer may not appoint a Secretary pro tem without the consent of the assembly.
Motions
Business is brought before an assembly by the motion of a member.
A motion is a formal proposal by a member, in a meeting, that the assembly take certain action.
The only motion whose introduction brings business before the assembly is a main motion.
Handling The Main Motion
Obtaining the Floor
- Member rises and addresses the Chair: “Mr./Madam Chair.”
- Chair assigns the floor: “Mr./Ms. Jones.”
Handling a Motion
- Member makes motion: “I move that . . .” (If the member provides information but doesn’t make a motion, the Chair should direct – “Would you like to put that in the form of a motion?” (Chair should not allow, “I so move.” The member should re-state the matter in the form of a motion.)
- Another member seconds the motion: “I second it.” Or “Second.”
- Chair states the motion: “It is moved and second that . . .”
- Opens debate: “Are you ready for the question?”
- (Also commonly used: “Is there discussion?”)
- Members debate question: The maker may speak first if he/she so wishes and obtains the floor. Other members may then obtain the floor.
- Chair puts the question: “Are you ready for the question?” If no one responds, then: “The question is on the adoption of the motion that . . .”
- Chair announces result:
Voice vote: “The ‘ayes’ have it, and the motion is adopted.” Or,
“The ‘noes’ have it, and the motion is lost.”
Rising vote: “The affirmative has it and the motion is adopted.” Or,
“The negative has it and the motion is lost.”
Voice vote: “As many as are in favor of the motion, say ‘aye’.”
“Those opposed, say ‘no’.” (Tell them what to say – don’t just say: “Those opposed.”
Rising vote: “Those in favor of the motion to . . . will rise.” Count. “ Be seated.”
“Those opposed will rise.” Count. “Be seated.”
For a motion requiring a two-thirds vote for adoption (where an uncounted rising vote is conclusive):
“There are two-thirds in the affirmative and the motion is adopted.” Or, “There are less than two-thirds in the affirmative and the motion is lost.”
[A two-thirds vote is required to take away a privilege, i.e., ending debate is a privilege, therefore, a two-thirds vote is required to end debate.]
The Three Processes of Amending
- Inserting or adding
- Striking out
- Striking out and inserting or substituting, which applies only to paragraphs.
“I move to amend the motion by . . .”
“I move to amend the amendment by . . .”
[There are no “friendly amendments”. The Chair should ask: “Would you like to make that a motion?”]
Miscellaneous:
A “motion to table” – will stop business and allow pressing business to take place.
A “motion to resume” – “I move to take from the table the . . .” -- will allow previously tabled matters to be considered.
A “motion to postpone indefinitely” – kills a motion for that meeting, but the matter can be taken up at another meeting.
[Often times you may hear people call “question” from the assembly. This means nothing. The proper way to stop debate is to obtain the floor and “move the previous question”.]
