Parliamentary Procedure
a coordinated system used to conduct business when working in a
group; allows everyone to be heard and make decisions without
confusion
Chairman or Chairwoman
this person will call the meeting to order, recognize members to the floor,
state motions, announce the vote and maintain order; a neutral body,
that cannot offer debate on a motion or make motions and can only vote
if it is to make or break a tie
Vice Chairman or Chairwoman
the main role of the vice chair is to be familiar with the duties of the chair
so that, if the chair becomes unable to serve, the vice chair can step in
and take over
Secretary
serves as the official record keeper of the organization, keeps the roll of
members and minutes of the meeting and record of proceedings of the
assembly; during the meeting, the secretary reports the minutes of the
previous meeting as well as takes notes
Treasurer
the custodian of the funds for the organization; receives all of the
incoming money and disburses the money according to instructions
specified by the organization; common tasks include preparing the
organization's budget, making sure the books are audite
Motion
a proposal or item of business on which the group is to make a decision;
sometimes referred to as the question
Main Motion
brings a new item of business before the group; can be further
subdivided into two categories: original main motions and incidental main
motions
Original Main Motion
a motion which brings an item of business before the meeting
Incidental Main Motion
a main motion that is related to the business of the assembly or its past
or future action
Secondary Motion
is made while a main motion is pending
Privileged Motions
do not relate to the main motion or pending business but relate directly to
the member and the organization; indicate matters of urgency, that
without debate, can interrupt the consideration of anything else
Subsidiary Motion
change or affect how a main motion is handled, and is voted on before
the main motion
Incidental Motion
provides a means of questioning procedure concerning other motions
and must be considered before the motion being discussed
Unclassified Motion
brings an item of business that has already been dealt with back before
the organization for consideration
Pertinent Facts
tell members whether a motion is debatable or amendable, and what
type of vote is required to approve the motion
Pending
an item that has been stated by the chair and has not yet been disposed
of either permanently or temporarily
Majority Vote
requires one more vote than half the number of the members present
Two-Thirds Vote
requires two-thirds of the number of votes of the members present
Voice Voting
requires members to voice their vote when asked if they are for or
opposed to the motion
Show of Hands Vote
requires members to raise their hand to cast their vote when asked if
they are for or opposed to the motion
Rising Vote
requires members to rise to cast their vote when asked if they are for or
opposed to the motion
Ballot Vote
requires members to write their vote on a slip of paper
Roll-Call Vote
requires members to answer yes or no as their name is called
General Consent
indicates a unanimous vote for passing the motion; can be used when a
motion is not likely to be opposed
Primary Amendment
amends the main motion
Secondary Amendment
amends the primary amendment
Privileged Motions
motions that do not relate to the main motion or pending business but
relate directly to the member and the organization; indicate matters of
urgency, that without debate, they can interrupt the consideration of
anything else
Motion to Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn
sets up the time and sometimes the place for the continuation of the
present meeting; does not adjourn the current meeting
Motion to Adjourn
used to close a meeting
Recess
a brief intermission taken by the assembly
Questions of Privilege
used when there is a matter, either affecting the entire assembly or an
individual in the assembly that is so urgent it must interrupt business and
be taken care of right away; is used when there is an issue affecting all
or part of the assembly
Question of Personal Privilege
applies to a single member and rarely occurs
Call for the Orders of the Day
used when the agenda or program is not being followed or if an item was
set to be taken up at a certain time and that time has passed; requires
the chair to follow the established agenda
Subsidiary Motions
change or affect how a main motion is handled, and is voted on before
the main motion
Motion to Lay on the Table
allows a group to delay action on an item of business in order to attend
to more urgent business
Previous Question
terminates debate and prevents the making of all subsidiary motions
except lay on the table or the immediately pending motion; used to
secure an immediate vote
Motion to Limit or Extend the Limits of Debate
puts a quantitative limit on how many speeches or how long a debate
can continue on a certain motion
Motion to Postpone to a Certain Time
allows the group to delay action on an item of business for a set amount
of time
Motion to Commit or Refer
sends the main motion to a smaller group or committee for closer
inspection
Motion to Amend
allows members to modify a motion already before the group
Motion to Postpone Indefinitely
kills the main motion without actually having to vote the motion itself
down
Incidental Motions
usually secondary motions that are made while another motion is
pending; deal with matters of the business meeting rather than the main
motion; provide a means of questioning procedure concerning other
motions and must be considered before the motion bein
Point of Order
deals with a violation of the rules
Motion to Appeal from the Decision of the Chair
permits a member to disagree with the ruling of the chair and allows the
ruling to be brought before the chapter for discussion and consideration
Motion to Object to the Consideration of a Question
made when a member feels the main motion has nothing to do with the
business of the group
Motion to Suspend the Rules
used when the group wants to do something that violates its own rules
Division of the Assembly
allows the group to receive a more accurate count on a vote
Division of the Question
allows the group to split a motion in two
Motion to Withdraw
allows the member who made the motion to take the motion back before
the group decides on the motion
Parliamentary Inquiry
allows a member to gain information pertinent to parliamentary laws and
principles
Unclassified Motions
bring an item of business that has already been dealt with back before
the organization for consideration; can also be referred to as motions
that bring a question again before the assembly
Motion to Rescind
used to cancel an item of business the voting body approved at a
previous meeting
Motion to Reconsider
allows the group to reconsider the vote on a motion and brings the
motion back before the group for consideration
Motion to Take from the Table
allows the group to bring back a motion which was placed on the table