Second To Motions

[Jim Squire]

I have been told that the new revisions to the Rules have eliminated the requirement to have a second to motions.  Is the true?

[Richard Brown]

Are you referring to revisions to RONR (Roberts Rules)? If you are, then the answer is no. There has not been any such change.

Edited to add:  Perhaps you are referring to what RONR refers to as the "procedure in small boards".  Those rules are often referred to as the "Small Board Rules". They are discussed on pages 477-478 of RONR.  Those modified rules can be used in committees and small boards of no more than about a dozen members.  Those rules provide as follows:

"PROCEDURE IN SMALL BOARDS. In a board meeting where there are not more than about a dozen members present, some of the formality that is necessary in a large assembly would hinder business. The rules governing such meetings are different from the rules that hold in other assemblies, in the following respects:
    •    Members may raise a hand instead of standing when seeking to obtain thefloor, and may remain seated while making motions or speaking.
[page 488] •    Motions need not be seconded.
    •    There is no limit to the number of times a member can speak to a debatable question.* Appeals, however, are debatable under the regular rules—that is, each member (except the chair) can speak only once indebate on them, while the chair may speak twice.
    •    Informal discussion of a subject is permitted while no motion is pending.
    •    When a proposal is perfectly clear to all present, a vote can be taken without a motion's having been introduced. Unless agreed to by unanimous consent, however, all proposed actions must be approved by vote under the same rules as in larger meetings, except that a vote can be taken initially by a show of hands, which is often a better method in small meetings.
    •    The chairman need not rise while putting questions to a vote.
    •    If the chairman is a member, he may, without leaving the chair, speak in informal discussions and in debate, and vote on all questions.** "

Edited October 26, 2017 at 01:10 PM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph and quote from RONR

[Dan Honemann]

And even if Mr. Squire is referring to what are known as the "small board rules", there is certainly nothing new about the rule that motions in such boards need not be seconded. 

[Hieu H. Huynh]

12 hours ago, Jim Squire said:

I have been told that the new revisions to the Rules have eliminated the requirement to have a second to motions.  Is the true?

There haven't been changes to the fact that seconds are not required in certain situations. Do you have a particular reason for your question?

[Gary Novosielski]

On 10/26/2017 at 8:51 AM, Jim Squire said:

I have been told that the new revisions to the Rules have eliminated the requirement to have a second to motions.  Is the true?

It is not.