Sequence of making a motion

[Robert Takvorian]

The audience are members of a church holding an annual members meeting. I want to introduce new business. I have a "powerpoint presentation" to support my new business request. Do I need to make a motion to allow me to show the powerpoint? Then once shown make a second request to establish a committee to investigate the new business opportunity provided in the powerpoint?

[Joshua Katz]

Move your main motion first. In this case, it seems that what you want to accomplish is to appoint a special committee to look into something. So move to refer to a new committee of (size) selected by (someone), etc. Then, when that motion is pending, move for leave to present your PPT.

[Rob Elsman]

Were it me, I would make the motion for permission to show the PowerPoint presentation, and make the presentation, before the motion to Commit, since the subject of the presentation seems to be more germane to the advisability of doing what the main proposes to do than the advisability of making the referral to committee.

[Joshua Katz]

Mr. Elsman, are you saying you'd make an original main motion to do something, then move for permission to show the PPT, then move to commit? Or are you saying you'd move for permission as an incidental main motion? If the former, that sounds good to me.

[anon]

Assuming you want to promote a specific action, you should make the motion and then request suspension of the rules of debate to allow you to use a power point presentation and make another motion to extend your time limit if needed. That way the members can vote on whether they want to listen to the PPT presentation as it is directly related to an argument for the motion. The presentation should not be introduced separate from the motion for action since this could be viewed as an attempt to get around the rules of debate.

However, having said that, if the PPT only seeks to educate the members without instigating a specific action, you should make a motion to allow time for your educational presentation to the members . This permission should be sought via the chair for insertion into the agenda so that it can be scheduled like a program before the start of normal business or at the end of normal business as the chair prefers.

Educational presentations may plant seeds for others to make motions during the meeting but you should not use it to promote your own idea for action. In this way members can motion for action based on their preference from among multiple options and not a single choice for action. That allows for creativity, including the option to do nothing.

 

[Rob Elsman]

Yes, sir. After the original main motion has been made, seconded, and stated by the chair, rise to seek recognition. Since you are the maker of the main motion, you have preference in recognition to open the debate. After you have been recognized, make a motion for permission to make a PowerPoint presentation. Assuming you are granted permission, make your presentation and whatever germane comments you wish about what the main motion proposes. At the end of your remarks, move that the motion be referred to a committee.

Assuming the motion to Commit is seconded, after the chair has stated the question, rise once again for recognition. Since you are the maker of the motion to Commit, you have preference in recognition. After you have been recognized, make whatever remarks you think are appropriate to persuade the assembly of the merits of referring the motion to a committee.

[Rob Elsman]

Anon, the motion to be used is, I think, the incidental motion, Request for a Miscellaneous Privilege. RONR (11th ed.), p. 299.

The rest of your reply is—pardon me—nonsense.

Edited January 4, 2020 at 10:05 PM by Rob Elsman

[Atul Kapur]

2 hours ago, Rob Elsman said:

After the original main motion has been made, seconded, and stated by the chair, rise to seek recognition

 

2 hours ago, Rob Elsman said:

Assuming the motion to Commit is seconded, after the chair has stated the question, rise once again for recognition.

Why go through such an unnecessarily elaborate procedure? Why not, instead, just move the main motion Commit in the first place? I don't see any benefit to doing it in a two-step way and I see extra time being taken that way. If the OP's goal is to have the association investigate the new business possibility, this seems more straightforward.

[Robert Takvorian]

I thank all of you for your comments. Allow me to get deeper into the main motion and the issues around it. My main motion is to have the church members vote on the request to establish a Committee to investigate an opportunity to invest some of the church trust funds in an opportunity that may provide returns that may provide significant income to meet church operating expenses and maintenance requirements for a number of years. I have a few members of the trust fund committee who have verbally expressed to me that they will not support such an investment program. They have no idea what the specifics of the investment are. It is a power play on their part. The Powerpoint provides a general overview of the investment opportunity and the possible returns. My motion is not to make the investment. It is to establish a committee to investigate the investment and as a result of their investigation make a recommendation.

[Dan Honemann]

51 minutes ago, Robert Takvorian said:

 My main motion is to have the church members vote on the request to establish a Committee to investigate an opportunity to invest some of the church trust funds in an opportunity that may provide returns that may provide significant income to meet church operating expenses and maintenance requirements for a number of years.

Strike the words "have the church members vote on the request to" and you may be okay.