Task force findings report and associated motion

[Guest Vee]

A task force was listed on the meeting agenda to report findings, as charged at the previous meeting.  The spokesman began to report actions and progress, but before making a recommendation or summary, he was interrupted by a committee member who demanded that any committee discussion on any topic must always follow a motion.  He insisted that the spokesman should have stated the conclusions of the task force's work in the form of a motion prior to any discussion.  

 

The motion typically must first come before discussion, but in the case of requesting a report of findings, does that prevail?

 

Thanks for the help!

[Sean Hunt]

A task force was listed on the meeting agenda to report findings, as charged at the previous meeting.  The spokesman began to report actions and progress, but before making a recommendation or summary, he was interrupted by a committee member who demanded that any committee discussion on any topic must always follow a motion.  He insisted that the spokesman should have stated the conclusions of the task force's work in the form of a motion prior to any discussion.  

 

The motion typically must first come before discussion, but in the case of requesting a report of findings, does that prevail?

 

Thanks for the help!

The proper procedure is for the chair to read the committee's report. If the chair is deviating from what was agreed upon by the committee, then he is proceeding incorrectly. If the explanation was in the report, however, then the chair should deliver it before making the motion. It's also worth noting that it is not, strictly speaking, in order during debate to discuss what happened in committee meetings.

[Gary Novosielski]

A task force was listed on the meeting agenda to report findings, as charged at the previous meeting.  The spokesman began to report actions and progress, but before making a recommendation or summary, he was interrupted by a committee member who demanded that any committee discussion on any topic must always follow a motion.  He insisted that the spokesman should have stated the conclusions of the task force's work in the form of a motion prior to any discussion.  

 

The motion typically must first come before discussion, but in the case of requesting a report of findings, does that prevail?

 

Thanks for the help!

Yes a motion comes before debate, but the presenting of a committee report is not debate. The report should be given as drafted by the committee, and if the report contains any recommended actions, they should be moved at the end of the report. Those motions can be debated by the assembly, amended, ignored, adopted, as it pleases.

If the reporting member was saying things that the committee (task force) did not approve, then he was acting improperly. But the member who interrupted him during his report was surely acting improperly, and what's worse, was interrupting with incorrect information.

[Dan Honemann]

 The report should be given as drafted by the committee, and if the report contains any recommended actions, they should be moved at the end of the report. Those motions can be debated by the assembly, amended, ignored, adopted, as it pleases.

 

 

Ignored? 

[Sean Hunt]

At the very least, their consideration could be objected to, if they are original.

[Gary Novosielski]

Ignored? 

 

Heh.  I guess it sounded less harsh than "Rejected". Maybe in the next edition?  A motion "To Ignore With(out) Prejudice, the Recommendation of the Bloviation Committee".

 

Besides, there are any number of ways to make a motion go away, and even make it look like an accident. 

[Guest Nancy N.]

Heh.  I guess it sounded less harsh than "Rejected". Maybe in the next edition?  A motion "To Ignore With(out) Prejudice, the Recommendation of the Bloviation Committee".

 

Besides, there are any number of ways to make a motion go away, and even make it look like an accident. 

 

A few days ago, an OP described the disposition of a motion as rejected "-by unanimous groan-".  It's not in RONR, but it gotta be somewhere.