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 2 - Motions: the Nuts ‘N’ Bolts of Parliamentary Procedure - January 22nd

Responses to your Tickets Out from Session 2!

What are you curious about?

• The progression/malleability of Robert's within an org. What liberty is acceptable?
• Each organization will allow different levels of liberty. The point is to ensure that business is always being conducted efficiently.
• The 13 ranking motions:
  1.       Fix Time to Which to Adjourn (P)
  2.       Adjourn (P)
  3.       Recess (P)
  4.       Question of Privilege (P)
  5.       Call for the Orders of the Day (P)
  6.       Lay on the Table (S)
  7.       Call for Previous Question (S)
  8.       Limit or Extend Limits of Debate (S)
  9.       Postpone Definitely (S)
  10.   Refer to a Committee (S)
  11.   Amend (S)
  12.   Postpone Indefinitely (S)
  13.   Main Motion (M)
  * P indicates “privileged motions” – They will be discussed in depth on February 1st
  * S indicates “subsidiary motions” – They will be discussed in depth on January 25th
  * M indicates “main motions” – it was discussed in depth tonight on January 22nd
• Why can you not attempt to drown out a disorderly member with the gavel? They are being disorderly, so you should be able to obtain order. 
• See RONR, p. 387
• What is the best way to study the 13 motions?
• We will cover tips and tricks throughout learning the motions, but I personally found creating a table with the motions and their requirements helpful.
• What happens when a member is censured? Are there common punishments?
•  Each organization will have different punishments for a censured member in their Bylaws.
• If the Chair does not know can s/he ask a member for help?
• Of course. Many organizations have a Parliamentarian for these situations though. Also, many Chairs have basic Parli Pro rules and motions on a sheet in front of them when they are running a meeting.
• Gavel procedure
• Some common practices:
• One tap: completion of business, members sit, meeting adjourned
• Two taps: call meeting to order
• Three taps: signals members should stand
• Several sharp taps: restores order
• Learning about all the secondary motions, there are way more than I thought there were!
• We will be covering the secondary motions (subsidiary, privileged, and incidental motions) during the next 3 sessions! 
• Subsidiary motions
• Next Wednesday!
• Proper timing and use of common motions
• We will be covering how to effectively use motions as we learn each one.
• The proper use of objections
• See RONR, p. 267-270 

What did you learn?

• 13 motions and how they are ranked
• That we should motion to introduce legislation
• Original motions are the motions to bring new business
• Anyone can move to "object to the consideration of a question" but the motion requires a two-thirds vote to pass
• Division of the question is allowed if you agree with only part of a resolution
• Motions can only be reconsidered by people who were on the prevailing side
• How to appeal the Chair's decision
• The 10 rules of Parli Pro

1.  The rights of an organization supersede the rights of individual members.
2. All members are equal and their rights are equal.
3. A quorum must be present to do business.
4. The majority rules.
5. Silence is consent.
6. Two-thirds vote rule
7. One question at a time; one speaker at a time
8. Debatable motions must receive full debate
9. Once a question is decided, it is not in order to bring up the same motion, or one essentially like it, at the same meeting.
10. Personal remarks in debate are always out of order.
    

• The 6 steps to make a motion (see RONR, pp. 32, 42, 120)

1. Making the motion
2. Another member seconds the motion
3. The Chair states the motion 
4. Debating the question
5. Putting the question
6. Announcing the result of the vote

• Some common mistakes in making motions
• We improperly run our UPUA meetings
• About the main motions and meetings
• There are 2 types of main motions: original main and incidental main
• The lowest ranking motion is a main motion
• The consequences of a censure is determined by the organization's Bylaws
• Object to consideration of a question
• Primary and secondary motions
• Proper use of the gavel
• A lot! There is much to be learned about Parli Pro, but the subject matter is accessible
• Gavel taps

What do you want to learn more about?

• Parli Pro strategy and loopholes and how to implement Parli Pro when one is not chairing the meeting
• We will be learning tips and strategies throughout the semester to run meetings effectively whether one is Chair or not! You will have lots of practice in either position.
• How, as a future educator, can I teach Parli Pro to my students effectively?
• Pay attention to how Dr. Foster is teaching you, he is a great Professor!
• Proper use of the gavel 
• Some common practices:
• One tap: completion of business, members sit, meeting adjourned
• Two taps: call meeting to order
• Three taps: signals members should stand
• Several sharp taps: restores order

•  The 13 ranking motions
• There are 13 ranking motions and we will be learning them in the next three sessions
• Properly stating a motion
• "I move to..." or "I move that..."
• Can you ask the Secretary to restate the main motion?
• The Chair must state the motion (#3 of the 6 Steps to Make a Motion). You can ask him/her to restate the main motion whenever you need. We will be learning how during session 5 on February 8th. 
• To read about how to ask for this, see RONR, p. 294-295
• Secondary motions
• We will be covering the secondary motions (subsidiary, privileged, and incidental motions) during the next 3 sessions!
• I want to act out examples to retain the information better
• We will be doing interactive activities every week!
• The small details in specific motions
• We will be learning the most important details when we learn about each individual motion. Keep doing your reading for the smallest details!
• More efficient ways to run meetings
• Stay tuned this whole semester ;)
• The process of postponing indefinitely
• Next Wednesday!
• Incidental motions
• See you at session 5 on February 8th!
• Parliamentary inquiry
• See RONR, p. 294-295