Amending Substitute after it becomes main motion

[Guest dansaperstein]

The body I serve will be debating a motion, for which a substitute motion will be made (i.e., one that is substantially different than the motion under consideration). The group supporting the main motion is prepared to offer a substitute for the substitute motion should the substitute motion become the main motion. To clarify:

Main motion: To rescind a previous action of the assembly establishing qualifications for office

First Substitute: To amend the previous action to make it more acceptable by changing the qualifications previously adopted.

If the Substitute becomes the main, the supporters of the original main motion wish to offer

Second Substitute: To amend the new main motion to make it more acceptable by limiting the applicability of the newly amended qualifications.

Is this permssible? I think the way to address this should be in the perfection of the first substitute motion, otherwise an endless series of substitute motions could ensue. If the first substitute becomes the main motion, then the supporters of the original main motion should seek to vote down the (new) main motion and then their "second substitute" could be presented as a new main motion.

Do I read this correctly?

[Guest dansaperstein]

Just to be clear the second substitute would seek to address the issue by creating a new rule, and not merely amending the first substitute - now main - motion.

[Dan Honemann]

The body I serve will be debating a motion, for which a substitute motion will be made (i.e., one that is substantially different than the motion under consideration). The group supporting the main motion is prepared to offer a substitute for the substitute motion should the substitute motion become the main motion. To clarify:

Main motion: To rescind a previous action of the assembly establishing qualifications for office

First Substitute: To amend the previous action to make it more acceptable by changing the qualifications previously adopted.

If the Substitute becomes the main, the supporters of the original main motion wish to offer

Second Substitute: To amend the new main motion to make it more acceptable by limiting the applicability of the newly amended qualifications.

Is this permssible? I think the way to address this should be in the perfection of the first substitute motion, otherwise an endless series of substitute motions could ensue. If the first substitute becomes the main motion, then the supporters of the original main motion should seek to vote down the (new) main motion and then their "second substitute" could be presented as a new main motion.

Do I read this correctly?

You are essentially correct. The proposed primary amendment to substitute, for the main motion to Rescind, a motion to amend the previously adopted rule establishing qualifications for office (which is the rule the main motion seeks to rescind) should first be perfected by secondary amendment before it is acted upon. This is because:

“After a paragraph, section, or version of a resolution has been substituted for another, the substituted paragraph or resolution cannot be amended except by adding something that does not modify the paragraph's existing content—as is true of any paragraph that has been inserted.” (RONR, 11^th ed., p. 155, ll. 22-26).

By the way. the establishment of qualifications for office can usually be accomplished only by a bylaws provision. Are we dealing here with a proposed rescission or amendment of a bylaw provision?