Actions needed when motion is printed on agenda

[Guest Charlie]

As Secretary, I witnessed a meeting go from good to bad yesterday. The printed agenda given to the members present listed: "MOTION: The Executive Board moves adoption of the 2015 budget of $959,000.“

The chair asked the audience for a motion to adopt. I heard a "So moved," and "Second." My question: was the chair's action of asking for the motion to be adopted really necessary? Wasn't only a second needed since the motion was written out?

Thanks,

Curator

[Edgar Guest]

Firstly, an agenda doesn't become the agenda until it's adopted at the meeting. See FAQ #14.

 

Secondly, the motion has to actually be made by a member who's present (not just someone in "the audience"). Was this a meeting of the general membership at which a recommendation by the board was to be considered? Or was this a meeting of the board?

 

Thirdly, the chair shouldn't really be calling for motions. If it's a meeting of a "small" board the chair can simply make the motion himself (and no second is required). Otherwise he should wait for a member to do so.

[Guest Guest]

Thanks for the reply. It was an annual voters meeting where members adopt next year's budget. So if the members adopt the agenda at the start of the meeting, it doesn't matter if the motion is printed on the agenda, a member must first move to adopt the motion and another must second it.

One more question: if the chair makes a mistake and calls for the vote immediately following the second, and the motion passes without a discussion, should that vote be cancelled later?

Thanks again

Charlie

[Richard Brown]

One more question: if the chair makes a mistake and calls for the vote immediately following the second, and the motion passes without a discussion, should that vote be cancelled later?

No.  Once the vote is over, even if debate should have taken place first, it is over and done with unless someone raised a timely point of order that the floor should be open for debate.  It's one of those "you snooze, you lose" things.   You have to call attention to the error immediately to give the chair an opportunity to correct his mistake.

[Guest Guest]

Thanks, Richard. I'm going to be visiting this site a lot to learn more for 2015 meetings.

Charlie

[jstackpo]

And in between visits (can't spend all your time looking at a screen), take a look at RONRIB:

"Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief", Updated Second Edition (Da Capo Press, Perseus Books Group, 2011). It is a splendid summary of all the rules you will really need in all but the most exceptional situations. And only $7.50! You can read it in an evening. Get both RONRIB and RONR (scroll down) at this link. Or in your local bookstore.

[Guest Charlie]

Thanks for the tip, JD.