Committee to submit a motion

[DrEntropy]

Now that you have RONR, I would also suggest you take a close look at page 506, l.6 and following. I call attention to this line in particular:
"For the report of a board whose chairman is also the presiding officer of the assembly, the secretary or another one of its members acts as reporting member."  

And since you seem concerned about technicalities, I would ask you to reflect on the material starting on page 251 l.11. Not to say that the case you are referring to is necessarily a mere technicality. If a vote should have been taken, then even if unanimous consent was expected, the moderator might at least asked if there is any objection to implementing the recommendation.  However, a point of order must be timely.

 

Perhaps you should buy a copy of RONRIB for your moderator....

[Timothy]

Now that you have RONR, I would also suggest you take a close look at page 506, l.6 and following. I call attention to this line in particular:

"For the report of a board whose chairman is also the presiding officer of the assembly, the secretary or another one of its members acts as reporting member."  

Why are you drawing attention to that line? For the situation described, I don't see how it could apply.

[DrEntropy]

Why are you drawing attention to that line? For the situation described, I don't see how it could apply.

From post 6:   "In our case, during a regularly scheduled business meeting, after reading the minutes, the Moderator (our Pastor) introduced a "motion" from the Board of Deacons" 

[Timothy]

Which tells us that the pastor is the moderator and the chairman of the deacons is not, so there is no reason to discuss what to do when the chairman is also the moderator. (Though it wouldn't surprise me if a church placed a statement in their bylaws such that the chairman of the deacons would preside in the absence of the pastor.)

[DrEntropy]

Which tells us that the pastor is the moderator and the chairman of the deacons is not, so there is no reason to discuss what to do when the chairman is also the moderator. (Though it wouldn't surprise me if a church placed a statement in their bylaws such that the chairman of the deacons would preside in the absence of the pastor.)

 

I (perhaps incorrectly) assumed that the pastor was also the chairman of the board of deacons.  Nevertheless, the important point is why is the moderator reporting for the board of deacons?  If the moderator is the chairman of the board of deacons, the quoted rule applies. If, instead,  as you state,  the chairman of the board of deacons is another member, then that member should report!  I don't really know the structure of the society in the instant case, am I missing something? Is the board a deacons a board of non-members? Advisory? 

Well in the end this might also be worrying about technicalities. 

[Timothy]

I don't want to go too far in saying how things have to be because in some churches the deacons don't even meet as a body. But typically, the pastor would not be the chairman of the deacons because he isn't a deacon. However, I can understand why a pastor might be aware of what the deacons have voted, because pastors often attend deacon meetings. But it defeats the purpose of deacons if the pastor is their chairman, since one of their primary responsibilities is to take the load off the pastor so that he has more time to study and preach.

[Barnabas]

Thank you Dr.Entropy & Timothy for your continued support in your posts!  I do appreciate it.  Due to the ill health of my wife, I was not able to read much from the RONR.  Probably in the weeks ahead I will spend more time in learning all the intricate details of the parliamentarian rules.

 

Just to interject, the Pastor is not the chairman of the deacon's board.  I think, in order to save time, he reported the recommendation of the board, but used the word "motion," which he further said that it needs no second, since the board voted upon, and then he added that we should just acknowledge the same and thus recorded in the minutes.  At that time I asked for permission to speak and was granted time. In a courteous and gentle manner informed the chairman that I did not believe that the board could submit a motion, only a recommendation (since that time I learned that the chairman of the board or in his absence a member could make a motion that the recommendation of the board be accepted.... etc.).  Since the Moderator (our Pastor) was not familiar with the procedures, and there was no other person adding to this matter, he then asked from the floor if someone would make a motion of the deacon board's recommendation, it was seconded, and passed with a majority vote.

 

The problem started two weeks later, when the recording secretary of the church pulled me aside Sunday morning and told me that I was wrong in stating that a committee or board cannot make a motion.  She said she looked it up and also checked it with the local Baptist Association's Executive Minister.  Hearing such authoritative sources I thanked the Sister but did not engage with her in a friendly discussion.  However, for my own education, I wanted to know the exact rules governing this process.... and thus I came to this discussion board.  

[Gary Novosielski]

He was correct that the motion (to adopt the recommendation) did not need a second, as it came from a committee of more than one member.  He was not correct that it did not require a vote. 

 

A recommendation is routinely followed by a motion, so confusing the two can be excused, but the motion is then followed by debate/discussion, perhaps amendments, and typically by a vote. 

 

The fact that some committee or board has recommended something to the membership is not a guarantee that the membership will accept the recommendation as is.  They may decide to change it or reject it entirely.

[Barnabas]

He was correct that the motion (to adopt the recommendation) did not need a second, as it came from a committee of more than one member.  He was not correct that it did not require a vote. 

 

A recommendation is routinely followed by a motion, so confusing the two can be excused, but the motion is then followed by debate/discussion, perhaps amendments, and typically by a vote. 

 

The fact that some committee or board has recommended something to the membership is not a guarantee that the membership will accept the recommendation as is.  They may decide to change it or reject it entirely.

 

Gary, I don't quite understand your statement, for it was already discussed in above posts that according to the RONR committees or boards cannot make a motion only a recommendation.  Their chairman or his/her replacement will bring the "recommendation" of the committee/board to the floor, which has been already type-written in an abbreviated form to be given to the recording clerk, which is to be presented as a motion.  For only a member in good standing (of the board/committee or the assembly) can submit a motion to the floor.  Which motion, by the way, will need a second..... and the second could come from another member of the board/committee.   From a different angle, is that what you described above?  

[Timothy]

While it would be incorrect to say that the board made a motion, when the reporting member makes a motion on behalf of the board, no second is required.

[Gary Novosielski]

Gary, I don't quite understand your statement, for it was already discussed in above posts that according to the RONR committees or boards cannot make a motion only a recommendation.  Their chairman or his/her replacement will bring the "recommendation" of the committee/board to the floor, which has been already type-written in an abbreviated form to be given to the recording clerk, which is to be presented as a motion.  For only a member in good standing (of the board/committee or the assembly) can submit a motion to the floor.  Which motion, by the way, will need a second..... and the second could come from another member of the board/committee.   From a different angle, is that what you described above?  

 

A committee during its committee meeting can decide upon a recommendation.  When it reports to its parent body, the reporting member makes the recommendation, and usually moves that it be adopted.    Since the committee had more than one member, and a majority approved of the report, there is no question that more than one person wants this to be acted on, and so it requires no second.