Roberts Rules Overview
The Basics of Using Robert's Rules of Order for SGA Meetings
8/20/2016
SGA Uses Robert's Rules of Order -Revised
Meetings that use Robert's Rules of Order…
- Run in the same manner
- No matter where the meeting is held
Purpose of Robert's Rules of Order
Based on common sense and logic.
The rules protect:
- the rights of the majority to decide
- the rights of the minority to be heard
- the rights of individual members
- the rights of absentees
The Ten Basic Rules
- The Rights of the Organization Supersede the Rights of the Individual Members
- All members are equal and their rights are equal
- A quorum must be present to do business
- The majority rules
- All questions at any legally convened meeting shall be decided by simple majority of the votes cast, unless stipulated otherwise in the Constitution.
- Silence means consent
- Those members that do NOT vote AGREE to go along with the decision of the majority by their silence.
- Two-thirds vote rule
- A 2/3rds vote is necessary whenever limiting or taking away the rights of members or changing a previous decision.
- One question at a time and one speaker at a time.
- “Motions must be related to matters under consideration”
- Once a member has been ‘recognized' this individual has been granted ‘the floor' and
may not be interrupted by another member
- Motions must receive full debate
- The meeting chair may not put a motion to vote as long as members wish to debate it
- The debate can only be cut short by a 2/3rds vote
- Once a decision made, an identical motion must not be brought forward at the same
meeting
- Such a motion shall be ruled out of order by the meeting chair
- Personal remarks in a debate are ALWAYS out of order
- Debate Motions not Motives
- Debate must be directed to Principles and not Personalities
Running a Meeting Effectively
- CHAIR CHARACTERISTICS
- In control of the floor
- Impartial
- Composed
- Precise: restates motions before votes
- Focused: stays on track with discussions
- Temperate: uses the gavel sparingly
- ON TIME AND STAYS ON TIME
- ORGANIZED AND PREPARED
- PREPARED: KNOWS THE RULES AND BYLAWS
- A PARLIAMENTARIAN: KEEPS THE GROUP WORKING TOGETHER
Keeping Minutes
- Minutes are the written record of the meeting
- Minutes are the permanent and legal record of the meeting
- They should be written as concisely as possible
- Secretary's duty
Keeping Minutes
- Approval of Minutes
- At each meeting, review minutes from prior meeting
- Allow for corrections
- Reminder to members of previous decisions and discussions
Motions
- A motion is a formal proposal for consideration and action.
- Only one motion can be made at a time,
- No main motion can be made while the body is already considering a prior motion.
- Motion procedure:
- Motion is made (“I move that…”)
- Motion is seconded
- Motion is debated/discussed
- Motion is voted on
8 Steps in Processing a Motion
- When nothing else is pending, a member will address the Chair or raise their hand.
- Say “Speaker____.”
- Chair recognizes the member by stating their name or otherwise acknowledging them.
- Chair says: “Senator____.”
- Member will state their motion.
- Say “I move that ____.”
- Another member seconds the motion.
- Other member raises their hand and says “Second.”
- Chair will re-state the motion and open discussion.
- Chair says: “It is moved that ____.”
- “Is there any discussion?”
- Members now have the right to be recognized and debate the motion. During discussion, subsidiary motions (amend, refer, etc..) may be introduced.
- The Chair will now re-state the question put the question to a vote.
- “The question is on the adoption of ____.”
- “All in favor say ‘Aye', all opposed say ‘Nay'.”
- The Chair will announce the results and transition to the next order of business.
- “The next order of business is…”
- “The motion is carried [lost]; We will [Will not]…”
Types of Motions
- Main Motion
- Brings new business before the body.
- Subsidiary Motion
- Changes how a motion is handled.
- Privileged Motion
- Concerns matters of high importance that are unrelated to the pending business.
- Incidental Motion
- Provides a means of questioning procedure.
Frequently Used Motions
- Amend
- Used to insert or strike out words.
- Clarifies or improves the original motion.
- Must be germane to the original motion.
- Call for the Orders of the Day
- Demands a return to the order of business.
- Commit or Refer
- Refers a question to committee.
- Lay on the Table
- Temporarily suspends further action on a question.
- Limit/Extend Debate
- Modifies rules of debate to allow for more/less time.
- Postpone Indefinitely
- Rejects a main motion without bringing it to a vote.
- Allows bodies to reject motions without taking an official position.
- Reconsider
- Can re-open debate on a closed question.
- Motion can only be made in the same meeting by a member of the prevailing side who has changed their mind.
- Can also be used to reconsider a question if it is discovered an illegal action has been taken.
- Suspension
- Allows the lawful violation of certain rules.
- Must be clearly specified.
Asking Questions
- Parliamentary Inquiry
- A question to the chair, to clarify some aspect of parliamentary rules or procedure.
- Point of Information
- A question pertaining to the matter at hand.
- Directed to the chair, or to another member through the chair.
Voting
There are 3 voting responses:
- Not in Favor: You disapprove of the adoption of the question.
- Abstention: You withdraw from the vote.
- Abstention is only in order if there is a distinct conflict of interest, or if the
member is not well enough informed (through prior absence or some other extenuating
circumstance) to make an educated decision.
- In Favor: You approve of adoption of the question
Types of Votes
- Vocal Vote
- Ayes or Nays. If the majority is unclear, a hand vote is necessary.
- Hand Vote
- The extension of the hand to indicate approval/disapproval.
- Roll Call Vote
- The Secretary proceeds through the roll call list and records each member's vote individually.
- Unanimous Consent
- An automatic approval of a question, pending no objections.
- If even one member objects, the chair must state the question and proceed through normal voting processes.
References:
Robert's Rules of Order, 11th edition Newly Revised. Published 2012, De Capo Press.
Pollack, A. & Scalice, N. Parliamentary Procedure Workshop, FAU Student Government. 2009.
