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amending a motion with a substitute motion


Guest Holton

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If a letter is being discussed on the floor of a meeting and I would like to substitute an entirely new letter in its place, may I say: "Mr. Moderator, I move to amend the current motion by striking out the entire motion and substituting the following (I have written this out and will present it to the clerk momentarily)..."  This is assuming that the necessary amendments to the first motion (the first letter) were perceived as extensive enough so as to warrant an entirely new motion (new letter).  I would not necessarily have copies for everyone in advance of making the motion...it would be written out on paper.  Is this a problem?  Am I missing any step that would potentially place me in a situation of being out of order?  Thank you ahead of time for your help!  H

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Guest Who's Coming to Dinner

Simply say you move to substitute for the pending motion the following, and then read it out. It's a good idea to pass a complicated motion to the chair in writing so (s)he can refer to it during debate. You are not required to supply copies to the members. The motion to substitute in whole is in order only when no other amendments are pending.

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2 hours ago, Guest Who's Coming to Dinner said:

Simply say you move to substitute for the pending motion the following, and then read it out. It's a good idea to pass a complicated motion to the chair in writing so (s)he can refer to it during debate. You are not required to supply copies to the members. The motion to substitute in whole is in order only when no other amendments are pending.

So, my follow up is this...Let's say that the original motion "is" in the process of being amended, what then?  For example, I can see the original motion (in this case a letter) being debated for quite some time and folks offering subtle tweaks along the way by way of amendments.  Under those circumstances, what options do I have for my own motion?  Thanks!

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Guest Who's Coming to Dinner
41 minutes ago, Guest Holton said:

So, my follow up is this...Let's say that the original motion "is" in the process of being amended, what then?  For example, I can see the original motion (in this case a letter) being debated for quite some time and folks offering subtle tweaks along the way by way of amendments.  Under those circumstances, what options do I have for my own motion?  Thanks!

You wait until the other amendments are disposed of, then you move your substitute. It may not make you popular, but it's in order to do so.

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5 hours ago, Hieu H. Huynh said:

If notice is required, an amendment which exceeds the scope of notice is out of order.

I never intended to suggest otherwise.  I only said that the requirements are the same for an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

If notice of the original motion was required, a substitute which exceeds the scope of notice is likewise out of order.  It is possible to change every word of a motion, yet remain within the scope of the original notice.

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On 2/9/2017 at 4:48 PM, Guest Who's Coming to Dinner said:

You wait until the other amendments are disposed of, then you move your substitute. It may not make you popular, but it's in order to do so.

You can streamline this process by getting the floor and telling the assembly that you have in mind such-and-such substitute, summarizing it, and pointing out the ways it will resolve the currently nettlesome sticking points, and say that you will move its adoption as soon as it is in order, which generally would mean voting down the currently pending amendments.  It's in here somewhere, I've just mislaid it.

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8 hours ago, Guest Nancy N. said:

It's in here somewhere, I've just mislaid it.

 

7 hours ago, Daniel H. Honemann said:

Try RONR, 11th ed., p. 153, ll. 31-34.

 

I meant, I was looking for where the book suggests that a member tells the assembly that he has a solution to the pending problem but it has to wait until all the currently pending chaff is swept out.

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