Parliamentary Procedure

1. Parliamentary Procedure How can I survive a formal meeting? NOTE: Objectives are rearranged from LADOE for ease of teaching

2. Objective 1: • Define parliamentary procedure. Anticipated Problem: How can parliamentary procedure relate to all business meetings not just FFA? Make a list of many ways that you exercise leadership in your family, school, and community. Explain what works and what does work during a meeting.

3. Have you ever experienced… • Meetings that seem endless because the business could have been completed hours ago? • Confusion as to what exactly is being discussed and voted on? • Irritation because one person or a small group of people dominate a meeting? • The feeling that you never get your voice heard in group discussion? • Anger about decisions made that do not reflect the feelings of the majority of the group?

4. End the Frustration!!! Here’s How… • What is Parliamentary Procedure? • Why use Parliamentary Procedure? • The Importance of an Agenda • The Role of the Members • Basic Parliamentary Procedure Skills

5. What is Parliamentary Procedure? • Set of rules and guidelines that allow the following: • Majority rules • Minority is heard • Handling one item at a time • Maintains order • A predetermined set of “rules” that will be used to “govern” the way business will be conducted • A system of procedure that allows an organization to effectively conduct its official business in a fair and democratic manner

6. History of Parliamentary Procedure • 1562 – Started in England by Sir Thomas Smyth • 1876 – Henry M. Robert finished • 1900 – became known as “Robert’s Rules of Order” • 1915 – First revision • 2010 – Latest revision

7. Why use Parliamentary Procedure? • Focus on one item at a time - no more than one issue will be discussed • Extend courtesy to everyone - all members have an opportunity to participate • Observe the rule of the majority - no group decision is granted without majority • Ensure the rights of the minority - all members have equal access to decision-making

8. Terminology • The Floor • point where attention of meeting should be focused. • Quorum or Majority • Minimum number of members that must be present at a meeting for legal business to be transacted • 1/2 of members in a club/organization plus 1

9. Objective 3: • Identify roles of the chairman and members of an organization. Anticipated Problem: How do we choose the President of the United State of America? What is his role versus a president of a FFA Chapter?

10. Terminology • Presiding Officer referred to as: • Mr./Madam President • Mr./Madam Chairperson • An Agenda • is a formal listing of the business that is to be conducted at a meeting • The agenda must be approved by the membership at the start of the meeting in order to follow it • Whenever possible, an agenda should be presented to membership well in advance of the meeting for membership review

11. Other considerations • The taps of the gavel (symbol of leadership, represents chair’s authority). • 1 tap: be seated, announce vote. • 2 taps: call to order • 3 taps: all rise • Series of taps: restore order

12. Other considerations • Everyone gets the chance to voice their opinion • Everyone gets the chance to Vote • Must take yes and no votes • Only one topic at a time can be discussed • Who ever makes a motion has the right to discuss it first

13. The Role of Members • It is the responsibility of the membership of any organization to establish and maintain effective meeting structure • Every member has the right and responsibility to participate in meetings and the process of parliamentary procedure • Members must educate themselves regarding the Constitution and By-Laws of the group • REMEMBER – Strong group discussion and interaction leads to strong decisions made by the group

14. Voting on a Motion • Can be done by the following means: • Voice • Hand Raising/Standing/Visual • Secret Ballot • Roll call • Mechanical device

15. Types of votes • Simple majority: one more than half the votes cast; 50% plus one • Two-thirds: must have two-thirds of the total population represented to pass; 66.7% of the vote

16. Objective 2: • Demonstrate a minimum of eight motions following Robert’s Rules of Order. Anticipated Problem: How can you improve the working order of a meeting? Without rules can a meeting function properly?

17. Classification of Motions • Privileged Motions (5) – do not relate to a pending question, however are of such great importance that they take precedence of all other questions (motions) • Incidental Motions (8) – arise from another question that is pending and must be decided before the question out of which they arise (are made as the result of another motion) • Subsidiary Motions (7) – applied to other motions for the purpose of appropriately disposing of them • Main Motion (1) – used to bring up a new subject or idea to the group • Unclassified (3) – have a definite purpose but are not classified as any other

18. Main Motions • Means of introducing business to a meeting. • Requires: • Second • Is debatable • Is amendable • Majority vote

19. Steps to handling a Main Motion • Stand • Ask to be recognized by President • President recognizes you by name • Motion is correctly stated • Motion is seconded • Motion is repeated by President • Motion is discussed • President restates motion • Motion is voted on • Results of vote announced by President

20. Anatomy of a Main Motion • Always starts with “I move…”

21. Debating a motion • Raise concerns about the motion. • Persuade others to vote one way or another. • Provide information about motion.

22. Amending a Motion • Allows for changes to a main motion to appease both sides or improve the motion.

23. Seconding a motion • Seconding ensures the following: • Get on record as supporting motion. • Puts the motion to a vote.

24. Main Motions Continued • Main Motions that are not Legal • Break any Local, State or National Laws • Any motion that brings up a motion that has already been failed • Items that are outside the power of the group • Negative motions • Political or religious Support

25. Main Motions Continued • The person who makes a motion can not talk against it • Main motions can be reconsidered • Can not interrupt another speaker • Proper Example: Mr. President, I move that the chapter participate in crops judging this year.

26. Privileged motions • Motions that fulfill individual needs or the interest of the group individually. • Motions do not pertain directly to the business being discussed.

27. Privileged Motions • Include the following: • Fix Time to Which to Adjourn • Adjourn • Recess • Raise a Question of Privilege • Call for Orders of the Day

28. Fix Time to Which to Adjourn • Set date and time to adjourn meeting • Requires: • Second • NON-Debatable • Amendable • Majority Vote

29. Adjourn • Privileged motion that ends current meeting immediately. • Requires: • Second • Non-debatable • Non-amendable • Majority vote • Proper example • Mr. president, I move to adjourn.

30. Recess • Temporary break in a meeting. • Requires: • Second • Non-debatable • Amendable to time only • Majority vote • Proper example • Mr. President, I move to take a 5 minute recess.

31. Raise a question of Privilege • Secures comfort/convenience for members. • Requires: • Nothing. Question posed by member is decided upon by the chair.

32. Subsidiary Motions • Motions that alter, change or dispose of main motions.

33. Subsidiary Motions • Include the following: • Lay on the Table • Call for Previous Question • Postpone Definitely • Refer to a Committee • Amend • Postpone Indefinitely

34. Call for Previous Question • Ends debate immediately. • Requires: • Second • Non-debatable • Non-amendable • Two-thirds vote • Proper example: • Madam President, I move the previous question • Mr. President, I call for the previous question

35. Postpone Definitely • Purpose • allow for the motion on the floor to deferred to a different day, meeting, or until after a certain event • Requires: • Second • Debatable • Amendable • Majority vote • Proper example: • Madam President, I move to postpone this motion until the December Regular Meeting.

36. Postpone Indefinitely • Purpose • To kill a main motion or delay a motion to a certain time. • Requires a second • Not Amendable • Debatable • Majority Vote • Can not interrupt another speaker • Can be reconsidered only if passed • Proper Example: Mr. President, I move to Postpone this motion indefinitely

37. Refer to a Committee • Assign main motion to a committee. • used to send a pending question to a small group so that the question may be carefully investigated • Requires: • Second • Debatable • Amendable • Majority vote

38. Refer to a Committee • Two types of committees: • Standing Committee • one of the 15 listed in the Program of Activities • Special Committee/Ad Hoc • Appointed by the president • Number of members can be 3 or more

39. Refer to a Committee • Reasons for referring to a committee: • Gather more information • Act on a motion • President must specify when the committee should report back to the chapter • Usually next regular meeting • Committee can be give full power to act • Proper example: • Mr. President, I move that we refer this motion to the Leadership Committee • Mr. President, I move we refer this motion to a committee of three appointed by the chair

40. Amend • Changes, modifies, or alters a main motion by: • Striking out • Inserting • Striking out and inserting • Adding 6th

41. Amend • No more than two amendments can be considered at one time. • Requires: • Second • Debatable • Amendable • Majority Vote

42. Amendments continued • Can be reconsidered • Improper amendments • frivolous or absurd • leave an incoherent wording • Proper Example: • Motion on floor: That the FFA Chapter buy a boat. • Amendment: Mr. President, I move to amend the motion by inserting speed in front of boat. So the motion would read, I move that the FFA Chapter buy a speed boat.

43. Amendment to an Amendment • Purpose • To modify an amendment to make it more specific • Requires a second • Debatable • Not amendable • Majority vote • Can not interrupt a speaker • Proper Example: • Madam President, I move to ament the amendment by inserting Johnson in front of speed. So the final motion with if all amendments pass would read, I move that the FFA chapter buy a Johnson speed boat.

44. Postpone Indefinitely • Kills motion without a direct vote. • Requires: • Second • Debatable • NON-Amendable • Majority Vote

45. Incidental Motions • Motions that: • Correct ill-advised actions • Correct improper use of parliamentary procedure.

46. Include the following: Object to the Consideration of Question Appeal from the Decision of the Chair Rise to a Point of Order Withdraw a Motion Suspend the Rules Call for Division of the House Rise to Parliamentary Inquiry Incidental Motions

47. Object to the Consideration of Question • Stops offensive or inappropriate measures. • Requires: • NO Second • Non-Debatable • Non-Amendable • Two-thirds Vote

48. Appeal from the Decision of the Chair • Allows members to overrule chair • Requires: • Second • Debatable only if motion being overruled was debatable • NON-Amendable • Majority Vote

49. Rise to Parliamentary Inquiry • Check on parliamentary questions, or ask how to carry out a parliamentary ability. • Requires: • Nothing. Question presented by member is address by the chair.

50. Call for a Division of the House • Purpose • When called, this forces a immediate revote by hand • Requires countable vote, if voice vote was announced incorrectly by chair. • Can only be called for after vote has been announced. • Requires: • Nothing. Addressed by chair upon being called. • Proper form • Can be made by saying “division” loud enough for the entire group to hear • Or by standing and saying “I call for a division of the house”