Presidential authority

[Guest guest JMVC]

In a board meeting: a board member (#1) gives a committee report, gives the recommendations of the committee and makes a main motion based on those recommendations.

The main motion is seconded, discussion is completed and a motion to amend the original motion is made by board member #2 and seconded. More discussion

Before a vote is taken, the President says she is pulling the motion from the floor and is tabling the motion(s) so that the person making the first motion #1 can go back and ask the committee for more recommendations. Another member asks if we need to vote on the motions that have been put forth or have a board vote to table the motion(s).

The President says she has the authority to remove the motions(s)and table them without a vote so that the issue can be addressed at a later meeting after member #1 goes back to the committee.

Is this correct?

I thought we had to vote on the motions or at least vote to table the motions on the floor.

If the recommendations were sent back to committee shouldn't it be approached and voted on that way?

Does the President have this authority?

I can't find my Robert's Rules book right now to look it up.

[Chris Harrison]

Is this correct?

No.

I thought we had to vote on the motions or at least vote to table the motions on the floor.

Yes.

If the recommendations were sent back to committee shouldn't it be approached and voted on that way?

Yes.

Does the President have this authority?

No.

If the intent was to refer the matter back to the Committee that is what should have been voted on as a motion to (re)Commit the motion. The President totally misunderstands the function of Laying Something on the Table which is to temporarily lay something aside while something more important is being dealt with.

[Gary Novosielski]

In a board meeting: a board member (#1) gives a committee report, gives the recommendations of the committee and makes a main motion based on those recommendations.

The main motion is seconded, discussion is completed and a motion to amend the original motion is made by board member #2 and seconded. More discussion

Before a vote is taken, the President says she is pulling the motion from the floor and is tabling the motion(s) so that the person making the first motion #1 can go back and ask the committee for more recommendations. Another member asks if we need to vote on the motions that have been put forth or have a board vote to table the motion(s).

The President says she has the authority to remove the motions(s)and table them without a vote so that the issue can be addressed at a later meeting after member #1 goes back to the committee.

Is this correct?

I thought we had to vote on the motions or at least vote to table the motions on the floor.

If the recommendations were sent back to committee shouldn't it be approached and voted on that way?

Does the President have this authority?

I can't find my Robert's Rules book right now to look it up.

When you do, go straight to Chapter XX. and look up how to get rid of your current president, and replace her with someone who actually understands parliamentary procedure, even if only a tiny bit.

[Robert B Fish]

Is this correct?

I thought we had to vote on the motions or at least vote to table the motions on the floor.

If the recommendations were sent back to committee shouldn't it be approached and voted on that way?

Does the President have this authority?

While it is not correct, I don't agree that you should invoke Chapter XX at this point. Raise a point of order that the president is not following correct parliamentary procedure. Suggest in your point of order that the correct motion is to refer the main motion, that the motion is refer is debatable (on the merits of the motion to refer and not the merits of the main motion), and requires a majority vote to be approved.

You are all to blame for permitting this. Since no point of order was raised at the time, the entire assembly has agreed to accept the action taken.

-Bob