Motion that was not seconded

[sylvia3515]

If a motion is made at a meeting of the community association board of directors but not seconded nor discussed, does the motion need to be recorded in the minutes?

[Timothy]

Someone with more experience may correct me, but I believe that if a second is required and there isn't one, the motion should not be recorded in the minutes. The reason I say that is because the wording for the motion isn't formalized until the chair states the motion. If there has been no second, the chair hasn't stated the motion and the secretary doesn't know what the wording of the motion should be in the minutes.

[Weldon Merritt]

Someone with more experience may correct me, but I believe that if a second is required and there isn't one, the motion should not be recorded in the minutes. The reason I say that is because the wording for the motion isn't formalized until the chair states the motion. If there has been no second, the chair hasn't stated the motion and the secretary doesn't know what the wording of the motion should be in the minutes.

Your reasoning seems logical, but OI 2006-7 says otherwise.

[Timothy]

Your reasoning seems logical, but OI 2006-7 says otherwise.

My logic aside, had I not looked it up in RONR and I had been the one recording the minutes, I would've included the motion along with a statement saying that it died without a second.

 

It should be noted that neither the 11th edition nor the 10th edition italicize the word all, so while the official interpretation makes great effort to put emphasis on that word, it is not clear in the rules themselves that emphasis should be placed on that word.

[Dan Honemann]

Note, however, that the 11th edition does say that the minutes should include all main motions "that were made or taken up ...", and explains how a motion is "made" on pages 33-35.

[Timothy]

Note, however, that the 11th edition does say that the minutes should include all main motions "that were made or taken up ...", and explains how a motion is "made" on pages 33-35.

 

That makes sense when you look at it with the assumption that the wording is intended to include motions without a second. Those of us without our names on the cover don't have that luxury. On page 469, the wording is "all main motions or motions to bring a main question again before the assembly that were made or taken up--except, normally, any that were withdrawn--stateing: a) the wording in which each motion was adopted or otherwise disposed of...and the disposition of the motion...." On page 36, "[The second's] purpose is to prevent time from being consumed by the assembly's having to dispose of a motion that only one person wants to see introduced." The wording on page 36 implies that the motion hasn't been disposed of if it dies without a second, so there can be no wording concerning the disposition of the motion as specified on page 469. The words "wants to see introduced" imply that it hasn't yet been introduced. So it isn't as clear as you might think. If the motion hasn't been introduced and doesn't need to be disposed of because we want to save time, it isn't hard to assume that we also don't want to spend time asking the person for the exact wording of the motion, getting it in writing, etc.

 

I'm just saying the wording could be made obvious.