1. Parliamentary Procedure Knowledge & Skills Made Easy
Parliamentary Procedure Workshop
June 28, 2016
Instructional Materials Service

2. Steps in Presenting a Motion
Spend a few days covering the opening & closing ceremonies
After that, start on pg. 9 – Steps in Presenting an Item of Business
Hints for Step 1: Put a chair up front; ‘please address me as Mr./Mdm. Chairperson’
Hints for Step 2: Recognize by office, preferably, or by 1st name; each person needs 3 or more participation points
Hints for Step 3: Do not include a reason when making a motion – that is done during debate (brief explanation for undebatable motion)
Hints for Step 4: Sounds better with multiple seconds
Hints for Step 5: Optional to say ‘presenter pf the motion has the right of 1st debate’

3. Debate (see pgs. 11 & 12)
Introduction, beginning, end (*IBE) increases QUALITY of discussion / debate
intro: ‘I am for/against’
beginning: give a reason why
end: come together & voter for this motion; do the right thing & fail this motion
Debate = Discussion
Discussion doesn’t always = debate
Debate →back & forth
Discussion →not mandatory to debate, but will cover it
→ it is OK for only 1 person to discuss
→ can be all for or all against
→ ALL discussion must be germane (see pg. 11, paragraph 5)

4. Debate (see pgs. 11 & 12) Right of 1st debate
presenter of motion has the right to 1st debate once debate is open (may defer that right)
Presiding officer MAY call on presenter to speak OR
Presenter may go ahead & rise right away, Pres. Will just call on them after rising & addressing the President / Chairperson
Maker of motion can’t offer discussion against their own motion; may only VOTE against their motion
if the maker of a motion offers discussion against the motion, a member should rise to a point of order

5. Voting Ballot: sticky notes, note cards
must make a motion when voting by ballot, standing, or roll call – this will be an incidental motion – OR-
presiding officer may choose method of voting
Make sure judges know how you are voting – let them know your bylaws

6. Unfinished Business
If there is a Motion to Take from the Table in Problem 1, you may present this as Unfinished Business, only if written ‘at the last meeting, the motion to was laid on the table’
Example: at the last meeting, the motion to was pending when the meeting was adjourned. Make SURE to include this statement in your Minutes and bring back after final committee reports

7. EASY stuff - Subsidiary Motions
There are 4 ways to dispose of a Main Motion:
Lay on the Table – can only stay there 3 months or the motion ceases to exist
Previous Question – go straight to a vote
Refer to a Committee -
more information needed or
put in the hands of a smaller group
if no committee is specifically stated, President is in charge of selecting people to head that committee

8. 2 Committees: Standing & Special
Standing – an already-existing committee (ex: finance) Use list of standing committees in the Gray’s Guide book
Special – add names ‘to a special committee consisting of Joe, Jane, and Bobby,’ names may be added by the member or by the President
Refer to a Committee immediately, unless otherwise stated in the problem

9. EASY stuff - Subsidiary Motions (continued)
The 4th way to dispose of a Main Motion:
Amend -
- changing the original motion
- amendment may be made by:
1) inserting words (always in the middle) or adding words (always at the end)
2) striking out words
3) striking out & inserting words

10. Ranks of Amendments
A 2nd rank amendment must pertain to the 1st rank amendment
Example: Main Motion – chapter buy a new truck
1st rank : insert Ford before truck
2nd rank: strike out Ford, insert Dodge
The 2nd rank amendment must relate to Ford

11. Incidental Motions Division: wait for the President to call the vote
determine accuracy of the vote
stand for easy participation points
looks better if called by losing vote member
Nominations: start w/Main Motion to elect, can use general consent
motion passes
President states ‘the floor is now open for nominations’
Nominate individuals
Move to close nominations

12. Nominations
IF the motion to close nominations gets amended, President says ‘motion to close nominations is undebatable, amendable to time only, and requires a 2/3 vote. Are there any amendments?’
When amending the motion to Close Nominations, the easiest way is to add time
AFTER NOMINATIONS CLOSE, President asks if anyone wants to speak on behalf of a candidate. Debate on candidates are made at this time

13. Nominations
If Nominations are Re-opened, you may add a short explanation/ reason on why top reopen nominations
If Nominations are Reopened, they must be Closed again
Finally, vote!
Parliamentary Inquiry – get parliamentary information, make sure it relates to the motion

14. Incidental Motions
Withdraw / Modify a Motion – modify or withdraw a motion
- Withdraw happens after President states motion (after the 2nd)
- Modify happens before the original motion is seconded
* pg. 40 – terminology: ‘Permission is requested to . . ‘ or
‘I request permission to . . .’
Appeal from Decision of the Chair – disagree with President's decision
- it is debatable, except if it relates to:
Indecorum – improper conduct
Priority of business (I have decided to vote on the Main Motion before the Amendment)
Deviation of rules (I have decided you can only debate on this matter)
‘chair is sustained’ – chair’s decision will happen

15. Incidental Motions
Suspend the Standing Rules – permit chapter to do something it has a rule that you can’t normally do
only a 1-time thing; once voted on, rule is back
President can say the rule is back after it is voted on
example: IF you pass a motion in Problem 2 & you have a standing rule against it in Problem 3, the President will state ‘since this motion is against our standing rules, this motion/the motion to Is null & void.’

16. Motions that Bring Questions (Items of Business) back before the Assembly
Take from the Table – had to be laid on the Table originally
an item of business has to be transacted before it can be Taken from the Table
Discharge a Committee - bring back before the committee has NOT made its final report, reasons to discharge:
failed to report w appropriate promptness (no action / report within an appropriate amount of time)
urgent reasons (needs to be decided right away)
decided to drop it (don’t need it anymore)
If you Refer in Problem 1 and need to get rid of it in Problem 4, you wouldn't Discharge, you would Reconsider (not enough time to discharge the committee, has not yet taken upon the question.
When a Discharge of Committee occurs, the motion dies with it
You must redo the Main Motion

17. Motions to Bring Question back before the Assembly
Rescind – cancel something that the chapter has taken action on
cannot Rescind if action has already been applied; can’t cancel buying a truck if truck has already been bought
Reconsider – reconsider a vote on a motion
must be Reconsidered that day or the previous day
(last meeting, a month ago, wouldn't be Reconsidered but Rescinded)
Don’t forget to finish with ‘I voted on the prevailing side’