Four Score and Eleven Weeks to Go!

Welcome to week four where we are still discussing bylaws (😨), but we have also moved into another topic, voting and debate (😁). This is exciting news, because this means that we are one step closer to my all-time favorite topic, motions (😂)!!!!  Here's what happened this week!

Bylaws:

Amending Bylaws; A Surprisingly Simple Saga
1. Notice is Given
           ⤔ At any regular business meeting before the chairman declares the meeting adjourned
           ⤔ Typically under "New Business"
           ⤔ Bylaws committee can give notice under "Reports of Committees"
2. The Motion to Amend the Bylaws is Handled
           ⤔ This is an Incidental Main Motion
           ⤔ If presented under "New Business," requires a second, is debatable, and requires a 2/3 vote
           ⤔ If presented under "Reports of Committees," is debatable and requires a 2/3 vote
3. The Motion Goes Into Effect.....
           ⤔ Immediately
           ⤔ Unless specified in the motion to amend the bylaws
           ⤔ Or if the assembly specifies another time, votes upon it, and passes it with a majority vote

Revising the Bylaws: A Complicated Saga
          ⟿ This involves re-writing bylaws in their entirety
          ⟿ A committee is appointed to write these new bylaws
          ⟿ The revision is discussed, seriatim (Describe what this means in the comments for a prize!)
            ⟿ Each part is opened for debate and amendment
          ⟿ The entire document is then put forth to a vote
          ⟿ Adoption requires a 2/3 affirmative vote

Bylaws: The End

Debate:

Debate Decorum: 

         ⭃ Remarks must be germane to the question at hand

         ⭃ Remarks may not attack the motives of another member

         ⭃ All remarks must go through the chair - cannot call other members out 

         ⭃ Must avoid the use of member's names

         ⭃ Refrain from speaking adversely on a prior matter

         ⭃ Refrain from speaking against one's own motion

         ⭃ Refrain from disturbing the assembly

         ⭃ If the chair interrupts, be seated

Chair's Debate:

         ⭃ Should remain impartial

         ⭃ During debate, must relinquish position

         ⭃ Cannot return to chair until question has been disposed of

               *None of the above pertain to the motion to appeal*

Voting:

Types of Votes:

         ⤳ Majority 

         ⤳ Two-Thirds 

         ⤳ Plurality

         ⤳ Unanimity 

         ⤳ Absentee Voting ⤳ Prohibited unless Bylaws allow

Methods of Voting: 

         ⤿ Voice Vote - (Viva Voce Vote)

         ⤿ Show of Hands

         ⤿ Ballot - Requires Tellers

         ⤿ Rising

Voting Rights: 

        ⤨ Right of the chair to vote 

        ⤨ Right for a member to abstain

        ⤨ No right to explain the vote

        ⤨ Right for a member to change their vote

That's all folks! Thank you for sticking with us this far! This blog has a lot of dense material, so if there are questions or words you would like to see defined, drop them below ⬇! Stay tuned for motions next week! 

Subsidiary What?

 

This week in AEE 297A we delved further into our Roberts Rules of Order...

 ... and focused on Subsidiary Motions! So, if your anything like me you are probably wondering what exactly this is!

Subsidiary motions are motions that "assist the assembly in treating or disposing of a man motion (and sometimes other motions) (RONR p.62, ln. 34-35). Whew, that is a mouthful. So basically, the SEVEN subsidiary motions allow for business to proceed once a main motion has been stated.

So, what are the seven subsidiary motions?

Well, it is helpful to remember LCLPRAP: A table of the subsidiary motions is detailed below

MOTION	2nd ?	Debate?	Amend?	Vote?
Lay On the Table	Yes	NO	NO	Majority
Call Previous Question	Yes	NO	NO	2/3
Limit/Extend Debate	Yes	NO	Yes	2/3
Postpone Definitely	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority
Refer to Committee	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority
Amend	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority
Postpone Indefinitely	Yes	Yes	NO	Majority

This chart helps us to remember that all seven subsidiary motions require a Second, however, not all of them allow debate and/or amendments. Additionally, the motions to Call Previous Question and Limit/Extend Debate require a 2/3rds vote because it is taking away the right for members to debate, and thus requires more than just the majority!

We also discussed the notion of precedence and pending motions. Just as in solitaire, motions have several layers and it is essential to focus and vote on the top priority motion first. The main motion is lower in precedence than all of the subsidiary motions.

So there you have it, from tables and solitaire we get subsidiary motions!

Thanks for reading,

Cheers,

Sarabeth

Session 8 - Debate and Voting - March 26

Responses from your Ticket Outs from Session 10!

What are you curious about?

• What type of motion is the motion to take a plurality vote? When is it in order to make this motion?
• How my meetings could run more efficiently by using the strict rules of order.
• If people follow the rules that the are supposed to, the meeting will be run more efficiently automatcially. This is because Parliamentary Procedure is meant to accomplish the four principles and make the meeting run smoother. 
• Election proceedings
• We'l learn about this next class, Session 11!
• What does Sandusky Blitz taste like?
• It's a "banana flavored ice cream, with chocolate covered caramel and peanut pieces."
• Rules about reading minutes, quotations, reports, etc.
• You cannot just assume that you can read from other documents in your speech. However, you can make a request to do so as in pg. 298-299.
• Majority members present
• This means that if you need "more than half" it has to be more than half of those that are there. So blanks and abstentions can affect to vote. 
• Do we write on our exams or turn the correction in on a separate sheet of paper?
• On the exams is alright. 
• Leadership positions within an organization
• Next week...Session 11!
• If I debated twice for a total of 2 minutes, I can't debate more using my remaining time, correct?
• Correct-You forfeit the right to the rest of those speeches. pg. 388 l. 12-20
• Proper use of abstention
• No one can be forced to vote. If they don't want to during a voice, rising vote, or ballot vote, they just have to not participate. During a roll call vote, just say present. pg. 407 l. 12-19
• Meeting attendance via video chat
• More information can be found here about this addition. pg. 97-99
• In the absence of a vice president, who steps up when the chair steps down in order to debate?
• The chair can appoint another qualified member in this case. They cannot have spoken on the motion, not wish to speak. pg. 395 l. 7-13'

What did you learn?

• Proxy votes are only allowed by bylaws and laws. 
• The effects of abstentions on voting outcomes.
• The chair is allowed to vote when creating/breaking ties or two-thirds votes or during secret ballots. 
• Rules about yielding times
• The  maker of a motion cannot debate against their own motion.
• Plurality votes
• When a plurality vote can be used
• The chair can step down to participate in debate although it could make them look like they can't be impartial to the members. 
• Rights of chair to vote
• Various types of voting
• Better debate skills
• There are several types of votes including voice, ballot, rising 
• Proxy voting 
• Practice on debate
• Four types of votes
• Methods of voting 
• Voting based on members present means that if you're present and abstain, you're essentially voting in the negative. 
• Discretion sometimes plays a major role in decisions of the chair
• The chair can participate in debate by stepping down temporarily while the vice president takes the chair. 
• Abstentions are recorded only when having a roll call vote

What do you want to learn more about?

• More practice at chairing
• We'll definitely practice more!
• Elections
• pg. 438-446
• Times each vote types are used 
• A majority vote is most commonly used, including for handling normal business, Two-thirds is used whenever someone's rights as a member will be compromised. Unanimous consent is helpful for when no one objects to the business. pg. 400-406
• Absentee voting
• Check out pg. 423-429
• How do you choose by-laws for your group?
• 2 weeks...Session 12

Session 3 - In Depth with Subsidiary Motions - January 29

Responses from your Tickets Out from Session 3!

What are you curious about?

• How often some organizations move to limit debate
• Depends on the organization
• Why did this class start?
• You should ask Dr. Foster!
• Subsidiary motions and what they are all about
• They Assist, Postpone, Modify, and Dispose of the Main Motion
• RONR, p. 62-66
• Better ways to run committee meetings
• We’ll learn that in session #12
• See RONR, p. 489-542 if you want information before then
• Best way to deal with people who don’t see the value of Parli Pro
• Talk to them and explain why it’s so useful! Anyone have any other ideas??
• Can you reconsider the motion to postpone indefinitely?
• An affirmative vote is reconsiderable RONR, p. 127, l. 17-20
• Still a bit confused about the difference between Lay on the Table and Postpone Definitely
• Lay on the Table is meant to put something aside for a short time because there is something more urgent that needs to happen right now. It doesn’t set a certain time to take the item up again (need to use Take from the Table). It is also not debatable or amendable. Postpone definitely just puts it off until a certain time (or another meeting).  This may be because you need to hold off on making a decision or because it needs to be decided at a more convenient time. It is debatable and amendable. RONR, p. 209-218 and RONR, p. 179-191
• The order of precedence
• For what we have learned so far: Lay on the Table, Call the Previous Question, Limit or Extend Limits of Debate, Postpone Definitely, Refer/Commit, Amend, Postpone Indefinitely, Main Motion
• How difficult the Parli Pro exam is
• If you study and practice, you should be ok! Below is some basic information and example questions
• All AP tests will use the same references and will consist of two parts: PART I: Five (5) open book parliamentary procedure research questions using the 2011 edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (to be provided by the taker of the test).
• Example: List the page and beginning line number of the following statement: “Until the chair states the question, the maker has the right to modify his motion as he pleases or to withdraw it entirely.” 
• Answer: Page 40 Beginning line number: 8
• PART II: Forty-five (45) multiple choice questions taken from Dunbar’s Manual of Parliamentary Test Questions and the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
• Example: Which of the following motions can the Previous Question be applied to?
• A. Adjourn
• B. Limit or Extend Limits of Debate
• C. Raise a Question of Privilege
• D. Lay on the Table
• Answer: B
• SAEP-Accredited Parliamentarian Credential has more information about the accreditation exam if you’re interested.
• When incidental motions take priority over subsidiary motions
• Incidental motions rank higher when they are actually applicable to the motion that is pending and need to be taken care of immediately RONR, p. 72, l. 24-36
• How do you properly suspend the rules?
• Next Week!
• More about previous question
• See RONR, p. 197-209
• How does the chair keep it all in line?
• Taking notes or asking for the secretary’s help

What did you learn?

• You can amend an amendment
• Characteristics of the seven subsidiary motions
1. Lay on the Table
2. Call the Previous Question
3. Limit of Extend Limits of Debate
4. Postpone Definitely
5. Refer/Commit
6. Amend
7. Postpone Indefinitely
• Subsidiary motions are third in precedence compared to privileged motions
• How to properly use the previous question
• All about motions :)
• The specifics of subsidiary motions and the ins and outs of them
• Call the previous question is not debatable
• How to make subsidiary motions properly 
• Gavel Taps
• There are many ways to use the subsidiary motions to your advantage and ultimately get your way
• The proper use of a lot of the motions I had sort of known about
• There are four types of committees
• Applying the motions to real scenarios

What do you want to learn more about?

• Why would you use postpone indefinitely instead of just voting it down?
• Postpone indefinitely is used when you can’t adopt or reject the motion without undesirable consequences. It kills the motion without taking a direct vote on the motion. RONR, p. 126, l. 7-9
• Also for strategy purposes (the Parliamentarian’s Motion) RONR, p. 128, l. 17-33
• A way to speak properly during a meeting
• We’ll go over debate later on. But until then try RONR, p. 385-399
• Committee of the Whole
• RONR, p. 529-542
• Looking forward to running through more practice session
• Yay!
• If the chairman makes a significant mistake, how is that corrected or brought to attention?
• Point of Order…we’ll learn about that next week!
• How to become more fluent in my Parli Pro
• Read and Practice!
• Incidental Motions
• That’s next week!
• How reconsider works
• We’ll learn about that in session #6
• Example of debating the motion to postpone indefinitely
• The following video has this motion starting at 5:10  
• Meridian FFA-2012 National FFA Convention Parli Pro Finals