Removing a tabled item

[Guest Paul Curtin]

I recently attended a meeting that an item had been tabled at the prior meeting by a member. The member who tabled it was not present at the meeting. I claimed that the person who tabled the subject must remove it from the table and nobody else could, so in effect, the subject was dead until that person took it off the table. I was criticized, but something tells me that I am correct. The meeting had adjourned which is why I believe this occurs. If the meeting recessed, another story, then anyone could take it off the table. Then the arguement occured that the secretary didn't record who tabled the motion. At that point I said that the subject is automatically dead as we adjourned and if the secretary failed to record who tabled it, it was a dead issue. It could be brought up again, but as there was a membership notification requirement, it would have to again be tabled to the following meeting for discussion and vote.

[Chris Harrison]

You are incorrect on all counts. See RONR pp. 209-219 and 300-305 for the correct way to use Lay On The Table and Take From The Table. However, I suspect that the motion that should have been used was Postpone (RONR pp. 179-191) in which case your understanding is still incorrect.

[Tim Wynn]

I recently attended a meeting that an item had been tabled at the prior meeting by a member. The member who tabled it was not present at the meeting. I claimed that the person who tabled the subject must remove it from the table and nobody else could, so in effect, the subject was dead until that person took it off the table. I was criticized, but something tells me that I am correct. The meeting had adjourned which is why I believe this occurs. If the meeting recessed, another story, then anyone could take it off the table. Then the arguement occured that the secretary didn't record who tabled the motion. At that point I said that the subject is automatically dead as we adjourned and if the secretary failed to record who tabled it, it was a dead issue. It could be brought up again, but as there was a membership notification requirement, it would have to again be tabled to the following meeting for discussion and vote.

The motion to Lay on the Table (often called table) is the most misused motion of all, and it is almost always out of order.

Anyway, a member does not lay a motion on the table; the assembly does. The assembly also takes it from the table. Each of these actions is done by a majority vote.

Recess and adjourn have no effect, except that an adjournment that ends the session following a session at which a motion was laid on the table causes that motion to fall to the ground, if it has not be removed from the table.