Courtesy Resolutions

[Mark Apodaca, PRP]

I was recently asked whether resolutions in the form of gratitude or encouragement require the membership to vote on each resolution or rather the membership can vote for all of them in a single motion where there will be no opposition.  The organization has 26 resolutions.

Resolutions are motions and membership needs to vote on each one.  RONR says:

59:78 Courtesy Resolutions. In addition to its duties in regard to the resolutions which are referred to it and which usually relate to policy matters, the Resolutions Committee is often charged with the duty of drafting and presenting to the assembly any courtesy resolutions that may seem appropriate. Ordinarily, courtesy resolutions express the appreciation of the convention to those who arranged accommodations for its physical needs or rendered it service.

Is there a different approach to be taken to save time instead of going through each one and voting on each one?  I think not.

[Atul Kapur]

Why not?

"Sometimes a series of independent resolutions or main motions dealing with different subjects is offered in one motion." RONR (12th ed.) 27:10

[Mark Apodaca, PRP]

Thank you... 

If there are 26 resolutions and if a member wants to discuss or debate one of the 26, then the membership can vote on the 25 as a whole and then debate and vote on that one.

 

[Weldon Merritt]

1 minute ago, Mark Apodaca said:

Thank you... 

If there are 26 resolutions and if a member wants to discuss or debate one of the 26, then the membership can vote on the 25 as a whole and then debate and vote on that one.

 

Yes. The sentence following the one Dr. Kapur quoted says, "In such a case, one or more of the several resolutions must receive separate consideration and vote at the request of a single member, and the motion for Division of a Question is not used." (Italics in original.)

[Atul Kapur]

Yes. However, if they are truly "courtesy resolutions" I would be very surprised if anyone wanted to debate and vote separately on any of them. Usually, they are just met with applause after they are read. 

In fact, rather than 26 separate resolutions, I have more commonly seen them presented as one 26-part resolution. Something like, 

Quote

 

Whereas, Many people have worked to make this meeting a success;

Resolved, That we thank the credentials committee for their efforts in keeping an accurate roll of delegates;

Resolved, That we thank the rules committee for presenting rules that allowed us to function efficiently;

[ 23 other Resolved clauses]; and 

Resolved, That we thank anyone else that we forgot.

 

 

Edited July 7, 2021 at 03:54 AM by Atul Kapur
Italicized as per 10:22

[Weldon Merritt]

9 minutes ago, Atul Kapur said:

Yes. However, if they are truly "courtesy resolutions" I would be very surprised if anyone wanted to debate and vote separately on any of them. Usually, they are just met with applause after they are read. 

I agree. It could happen, but it would be highly unusual.

[Gary Novosielski]

And I recall reading somewhere (probably in RONR) that when putting the question on such courtesy resolutions, it is common for the chair to ask for those in favor, but not ask for the negative vote.

Ah, I found it in 4:35:

Quote

The chair must always call for the negative vote, no matter how nearly unanimous the affirmative vote may appear, except that this rule is commonly relaxed in the case of noncontroversial motions of a complimentary or courtesy nature; but even in such a case, if any member objects, the chair must call for the negative vote.