1. Parliamentary Procedure Andrew Lukmann UA Senate – 2/7/05

2. Why Use Proper Procedure? The rules of parliamentary law are constructed upon a careful balance of the rights: ► of the majority, ► of the minority, especially a strong minority-greater than one third, ► of individual members ► of absentees Fundamentally, under the rules of parliamentary law, a deliberative body is independent to do what it wants to do with the greatest measure of protection to itself and of consideration for the rights of its members.

3. Deliberative Assemblies A deliberative assembly--the kind of gathering to which parliamentary law is generally understood to apply--has the following distinguishing characteristics: ► It is an autonomous group of people meeting to determine, in full and free discussion, courses of action to be taken in the name of the entire group. ► The group is of such size-usually more than about a dozen-that a degree of formality is necessary in its proceedings. ► Persons having the right to participate are free to act within the assembly according to their own judgment. ► In any decision made, the opinion of each member present has equal weight as expressed by vote-through which the voting member joins in assuming direct personal responsibility for the decision, should his or her vote be on the prevailing side. ► Failure to concur in a decision of the body does not constitute withdrawal from the body. ► If there are absentee members, the members present at a regular or properly called meeting act for the entire membership, subject only to such limitations as may be established by the body's governing rules.

4. Common Motions ► Main Motion - provides method of bringing business before the assembly for consideration and action. (i.e. agenda items) ► Subsidiary Motions are those that may be applied to another motion for the purpose of modifying it, delaying action, or disposing of it. ► Privileged Motions are such that, while having no relation to the pending question, are of such urgency or importance that they are entitled to immediate consideration.

5. Main Motion ► Is a motion made to bring before the assembly, for its consideration, any particular subject. ► It takes precedence of nothing - It cannot be made when any other question is before the assembly. ► It yields to all Privileged, Incidental, and Subsidiary Motions. ► Main motions are debatable, and subject to amendment, and can have any subsidiary motions applied to them.

6. Subsidiary Motions Motions that act on “active” Main Motions: ► Lay on the table ► Previous question ► Limit or extend limits of debate ► Postpone to a certain time (definitely) ► Commit (refer to a committee) ► Amend ► Postpone indefinitely

7. Privileged Motions Motions of personal or organizational consequence: ► Fix the time at which to Adjourn ► Adjourn ► Recess ► Point of Personal Privilege ► Call for the Orders of the Day

8. Other Common Motions Also known as Incidental or Procedural Motions: ► Division of a Question ► Division of the Assembly ► Objection to Consideration ► Point of Parliamentary Inquiry ► Point of Information ► Point of Order ► Suspend the Rules

9. Additional Resources go to: http://www.rulesonline.com/ or read: Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (10th Edition) By General Henry M. Robert, 704 pgs