Tabling a motion,Lay on the table

[Guest Lorene Hagan]

What is the proper procedure at a resident association meeting for the association president to "table a motion" from the floor and how should it be dealt with in the subsequent meeting?

 

We had a situation where a resident started to make a motion from the floor to make changes to the current dress code that was already adopted into the resident handbook.  The president of the association chose not to debate this issue in front of the entire assembly and stated that this motion was being tabled.

 

The board president's attention was to bring this topic to the Executive committee for discussion and decision, and reprise the question at the next association meeting with the decision of the executive committee.  The executive committee voted in the majority to not amend the current resident manual with the suggested changes to the dress code and did not feel it necessary to put it to another vote of the entire association as it had been voted on just recently and adopted.

 

 The resident who was trying to get the motion on the floor, wrote a letter after the meeting to the board president stating that she did not follow parliamentary procedure in this situation.

 

What was the proper way to handle this situation?

 

Thank you.

[Timothy]

The president doesn't have the authority to "table a motion." That can only be done by the body that is meeting. In this situation, it appears that it may have been desirable to refer the motion to the Executive Committee, which would have required a motion to do so. Given where it appears to be at this moment, the next thing to do would be for the person who wants this change to make the motion again at the next resident association meeting. If the president tries doing what was done before, she should raise a point of order.

[Chris Harrison]

The member should first check to make sure there is no rule in place allowing the President to unilaterally refer (which would be the proper tool to use) the matter to the Executive Committee and the Executive Committee to make the decision bypassing the Membership.  If no such rule exists the member should make the motion again and be prepared to raise a Point of Order and Appeal an adverse ruling if necessary.  See RONR pp. 168-179 (Refer), pp. 209-219 (Lay on the Table), pp. 247-260 (Point of Order and Appeal).

[Richard Brown]

I agree with the responses by Mr. Fish and Mr. Harrison, but would add that if the member intends to bring the matter up again at a future meeting, she should have her ducks in a row and have at least a couple of friends lined up to second her appeal from the decision of the chair and to help with raising points of order if the chair is not following the rules.