Requesting a Motion

[Guest Kathy Belsheim]

Is there a specific number of times the Board Chair should request a motion - or a second - before the item would be dropped (or fail) for "lack of a motion or second'?

[Steven Britton]

No

[David A Foulkes]

Is there a specific number of times the Board Chair should request a motion - or a second - before the item would be dropped (or fail) for "lack of a motion or second'?

I'm not sure that something "failing for lack of a motion" is addressed in RONR. If there is no motion made, then there's nothing to be dropped. Once the motion is made, if no second is forthcoming, the chair should inquire of the assembly if there is a second, and if still no second is offered,announces the motion is not before the assembly and moves on. (RONR 11th Ed. p.35ff)

[Trina]

Is there a specific number of times the Board Chair should request a motion - or a second - before the item would be dropped (or fail) for "lack of a motion or second'?

Well, wait a second... is the chair requesting that someone else make a particular motion? As in, "will someone please make a motion to spend $500 to paint the clubhouse." Or, the more pompous, "the chair will entertain a motion that we allocate $500 to paint the clubhouse."

I guess I'd like to better understand what the chair is doing in the situation you describe. It might be that the chair's request is not appropriate (never mind how many times the request is being repeated).

When you say an 'item' is dropped for lack of a motion or second, what sort of thing do you mean by an 'item'?

[Bruce Lages]

And on the not-so-remote possibility that your board chair is doing this at a meeting of a board of about a dozen or so members, there's no need for any of this to happen. In groups of that size RONR allows the chair to participate fully, the same as any other member, so your chair can just make the motion himself. In addition, seconds are not required in those groups. See RONR, 11th ed. pp. 487-488.

[Arjun]

I believe, in the event no one else does, the chair is permitted to second a motion, herself. Now, whether she "should," may be debatable...

[Josh Martin]

I believe, in the event no one else does, the chair is permitted to second a motion, herself.

I suppose this is technically correct, but...

Now, whether she "should," may be debatable...

Well, it's debatable in the sense that I have debated the subject at great lengths on this forum, but since the purpose of a second is to serve as guidance as to whether the chair should state the question, I remain firmly of the opinion that the presiding officer should not second a motion. If it is a case where the chair is simply trying to facilitate the business of the assembly, it is far simpler to assume the motion or to state the motion without a second. See Official Interpretation 2007-1.

Of course, as Mr. Lages wisely points out, none of this is a concern if this is a small board, in which case seconds are not required and the chair participates the same as any other member.

[Sean Hunt]

I'm not sure that something "failing for lack of a motion" is addressed in RONR. If there is no motion made, then there's nothing to be dropped. Once the motion is made, if no second is forthcoming, the chair should inquire of the assembly if there is a second, and if still no second is offered,announces the motion is not before the assembly and moves on. (RONR 11th Ed. p.35ff)

I suspect that our Guest Kathy refers to an item of business on the agenda that no one moves; is that correct? If the assembly has not adopted the agenda, then the chair should proceed quickly, as there is no rule saying that that particular item of business needs to come up at that time, and unless there is a particular reason for that item to come first, he should probably recognize a member that is ready to move a new motion in favor of one who is not prepared but happened to come earlier in an unofficial agenda.

In an official agenda, which has been adopted, there is an order of the assembly to take up that business at that time, so other business would contravene this order. If there is a motion on the agenda as adopted, the chair could simply state the question. If there is merely a vague description of business, I would suggest that the chair ask for unanimous consent to remove that item from the agenda (or, if there is a member expected to move the motion who is temporarily absent, perhaps instead ask for consent to move it to a later place) and then proceed. If a member objects, then the chair should attempt somehow to resolve the deadlock, which is probably quite specific to the situation.