"No" vote to facilitate reconsideration

[Guest Patrick]

A member of our local BOD stated that if a motion passes (simple majority, 2/3, or whatever is specified in the by-laws) a vote and becomes policy, that motion/vote can be brought back for discussion, amendment, rescinding, etc. at the next meeting provided one BOD member voted "no" and BOD member so voting requests further discussion. I can't quite figure out where that came from nor does this make sense from a logical point of view. Thanks in advance for any direction offered.

[Larry Cisar]

A member of our local BOD stated that if a motion passes (simple majority, 2/3, or whatever is specified in the by-laws) a vote and becomes policy, that motion/vote can be brought back for discussion, amendment, rescinding, etc. at the next meeting provided one BOD member voted "no" and BOD member so voting requests further discussion. I can't quite figure out where that came from nor does this make sense from a logical point of view. Thanks in advance for any direction offered.

Your board member is wrong. Reconsideration can only be made on the same day that the original motion passed (assuming that each meeting is a different session) and by one voting on the prevailing side. A motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted or to Rescind can be made at any time by any member of the body. See page 304ff and 293ff for more information as to how to do it and when it can be done.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

A member of our local BOD stated that

if a motion passes (simple majority, 2/3, or whatever is specified in the by-laws) a vote and becomes policy,

then that motion/vote can be brought back for discussion, amendment, rescinding, etc. at the next meeting

provided one BOD member voted "no" and BOD member so voting requests further discussion.

No!

Your "member" has garbled two parliamentary rules:

Reconsider, and Rescind; Amend Something Previously Adopted.

The motion "Reconsider," if it were possible, is to be moved by someone who voted on the "prevailing side." -- Since your motion was adopted, then 'To Reconsider' must be moved by someone who voted "Yes" (not "No"), since the yeses were the "prevailing side."

But the time limits of the motion 'Reconsider' won't apply (unless you were in a convention situation, i.e., a multi-day "session") since the time limits of Reconsider won't allow to you make the motion after adjournment of the meeting where the vote to be Reconsidered, like next month's meeting or next weeks' meeting.

The second rule your "member" garbled is "Rescind; Amend Something Previously Adopted".

For ordinary acts of a society, whatever is adopted may be rescinded, and the mover of the motion 'To Rescind' need not be someone who voted "yes" or voted "no". -- Any member can make a motion To Rescind.

Same with amending it. -- Instead of rescinding it, a member might want to keep most of the rule, and just add or subtract a word or two, or a sentence or two. In that case, any member, whether

(a.) he voted for it;

(b.) he voted against it;

(c.) he abstained;

is free to make a motion to amend or to rescind whatever policy was adopted.

(Be aware that some adopted motions cannot be rescinded nor amended, due to logical reasons, as there is nothing left to rescind/amend, like to un-repair a roof, or to un-buy a pizza.)