Deb Parm Posted November 17, 2018 at 03:30 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 at 03:30 PM A lawyer on the board wanted to research a document pertaining to a motion made. We moved to Postpone until after lunch when she had time to review the document. After lunch, what is the correct way to bring the original motion back to the table? We moved to consider the previous question. Is that correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid Grice Posted November 17, 2018 at 05:01 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 at 05:01 PM Keep in mind that I am still in the learning stage, I would think call for the order of the day would have been more appropriate. To move to consider the previous question, when no question is pending, might have been improper. When you postponed the motion to a specific time (after lunch), you made the postponed motion an order of business to be reintroduced. I am sure, or at least hope for, one of the more knowledgeable members to confirm/discredit my reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weldon Merritt Posted November 17, 2018 at 06:15 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 at 06:15 PM If the motion was postponed until after lunch, then no other motion was necessary to bring it up again. The chair should have stated it as the next item of business as soon as the meeting resumed after lunch. If the chair did not do so, then either a Point of Order or a Call for the Orders of the Day was approprioate. This assumes that no other motion was pending when the meeting reecessed for lunch. If another motion was pending, then it should have bneen completed first, and then the postponed moption brought back to the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted November 17, 2018 at 06:55 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 at 06:55 PM (edited) 3 hours ago, Deb Parm said: A lawyer on the board wanted to research a document pertaining to a motion made. We moved to Postpone until after lunch when she had time to review the document. After lunch, what is the correct way to bring the original motion back to the table? We moved to consider the previous question. Is that correct? I agree with the comments by Weldon Merritt. The chair can and should bring the postponed motion back up on his own immediately after lunch it it was actually postponed until after lunch. I will add, however, that there is a bit of confusion because you ask ". . . what is the correct way to bring the original motion back to the table". That makes it sound like perhaps the original motion was laid on the table rather than postponed. The two motions are not the same thing. To bring back up a motion that has been postponed to a certain time, which sounds like what you actually did, the chair brings it up on his own at the appropriate time. If he fails to do so, any member may call for the orders of the day or make a point of order that it is time to take up the postponed motion. However, if the motion was laid on the table, rather than postponed, then the correct way to bring it back up is by use of the motion to "Take From the Table". It requires a majority vote. The original motion stays on the table until it is taken from the table by use of the motion to do so or until the end of the next session, at which time it dies if still on the table. Edited to add: Using the motion "The Previous Question" is not the appropriate motion in either case. That motion is used to cut off debate and proceed to an immediate vote. Edited November 17, 2018 at 06:58 PM by Richard Brown Added last paragraph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Who's Coming to Dinner Posted November 17, 2018 at 07:47 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 at 07:47 PM But "Previous Question" sounds right, doesn't it? I hope that Robert's will someday eliminate this archaism in favor of a plainer name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zev Posted November 17, 2018 at 08:53 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 at 08:53 PM If you have an interesting alternative to the several-centuries-old name Previous Question I would not mind hearing it. If its really snazzy and catches on it just might take off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted November 17, 2018 at 09:41 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 at 09:41 PM How about "I move that we vote now?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weldon Merritt Posted November 17, 2018 at 10:23 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 at 10:23 PM 40 minutes ago, Joshua Katz said: How about "I move that we vote now?" I second that motion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Who's Coming to Dinner Posted November 18, 2018 at 01:17 AM Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 at 01:17 AM 4 hours ago, Guest Zev said: If you have an interesting alternative to the several-centuries-old name Previous Question I would not mind hearing it. If its really snazzy and catches on it just might take off. Sturgis uses "Close debate and vote immediately," which is crystal-clear. Of course, we can't be just like Sturgis. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted November 21, 2018 at 01:45 AM Report Share Posted November 21, 2018 at 01:45 AM On 11/17/2018 at 8:17 PM, Guest Who's Coming to Dinner said: Sturgis uses "Close debate and vote immediately," which is crystal-clear. Of course, we can't be just like Sturgis. 😉 Then how about "Cut off debate and vote pretty dang soon"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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