dispense with reading of amendments to governing documents?

[Cuibono]

A presiding officer of one segment of our national organization wants to avoid reading the proposed changes to her governing documents as it would take too long and be too tedious.  I personally think she should do it anyway as not all of the delegates to the Convention will actually read the proposals.  But what should I advise her? can she provide a summary of the key points?  Can a motion to dispense with reading the proposed changes be entertained?

[George Mervosh]

2 hours ago, Cuibono said:

A presiding officer of one segment of our national organization wants to avoid reading the proposed changes to her governing documents as it would take too long and be too tedious.  I personally think she should do it anyway as not all of the delegates to the Convention will actually read the proposals.  But what should I advise her? can she provide a summary of the key points?  Can a motion to dispense with reading the proposed changes be entertained?

"*In the case of any resolution, motion, or paper placed before the assembly that has not been read even once, the chair normally should not put it to a vote or seek its approval or adoption without reading it (or having it read by the secretary) unless permission is first obtained by unanimous consent. In a case where the full text has been distributed to the members in advance and it is customary for the reading to be omitted, the chair may initially presume that there is no objection to omitting the reading (but any member still has the right to demand that it be read). Such a case typically involves adoption of an agenda; approval of the minutes; or, in a convention, the rules proposed by the Committee on Standing Rules or the program proposed by the Program Committee. (See also p. 38, l. 27 to p. 39, l. 6."  RONR (11th ed.), p. 46fn

[Gary Novosielski]

8 hours ago, Cuibono said:

A presiding officer of one segment of our national organization wants to avoid reading the proposed changes to her governing documents as it would take too long and be too tedious.  I personally think she should do it anyway as not all of the delegates to the Convention will actually read the proposals.  But what should I advise her? can she provide a summary of the key points?  Can a motion to dispense with reading the proposed changes be entertained?

1

No, a motion would not be sufficient.  It would require unanimous consent.  The demand of a single member is enough to require reading.

[Richard Brown]

I agree with the previous answers, but could the rules be suspended to dispense with the requirement that the entire document be read aloud?    Or is this rule one that cannot be suspended in the face of a single objection since it can be construed as a rule protecting a minority as small as one member?

[Gary Novosielski]

The latter, I think.  If a 2/3 vote can overturn the right of a single member to cause or prevent something, then it should take unanimous consent to suspend that rule.

[Josh Martin]

On 1/12/2019 at 11:53 AM, Richard Brown said:

I agree with the previous answers, but could the rules be suspended to dispense with the requirement that the entire document be read aloud?    Or is this rule one that cannot be suspended in the face of a single objection since it can be construed as a rule protecting a minority as small as one member?

Yes, this is a rule which protects a minority of one and, as a consequence, it may only be suspended by unanimous consent.