New Business vs. Changing an Agenda

[Guest Larry R.]

RONR 12th - 41:27 says that after Unfinished Business and General Orders have been disposed of, the Chair asks if there is any New Business and cannot prevent the making of legitimate motions or deprive members of the right to introduce legitimate business. RONR 12th 41:63 says when the adoption of a proposed agenda is pending, it can be amended by a majority vote. After adoption however, the agenda cannot be amended except by a two-thirds vote, a vote of the majority of the entire membership or unanimous consent. 

What am I misunderstanding here? These two sections seem to clash. For a member to simply introduce New Business when the Chair calls for it seems like the surest way for a member to have their matter considered by the assembly and if so, what would the benefit be of trying to add it to the agenda before or after the agenda is adopted? Thanks.

[Shmuel Gerber]

On 11/7/2021 at 11:33 AM, Guest Larry R. said:

What am I misunderstanding here? These two sections seem to clash. For a member to simply introduce New Business when the Chair calls for it seems like the surest way for a member to have their matter considered by the assembly and if so, what would the benefit be of trying to add it to the agenda before or after the agenda is adopted? Thanks.

An agenda is typically necessary at a session that does not already have a prescribed order of business, and it specifies the order in which, and sometimes the time at which, business will be taken up.

The adoption of an agenda does not *exclude* the introduction of other business. When the agenda has been gone through, any member can obtain the floor and move the introduction of new business -- although by that time the assembly is usually prepared to adjourn and will not take kindly to such motions.

[Tom Coronite]

On 11/7/2021 at 11:33 AM, Guest Larry R. said:

What am I misunderstanding here? These two sections seem to clash. For a member to simply introduce New Business when the Chair calls for it seems like the surest way for a member to have their matter considered by the assembly and if so, what would the benefit be of trying to add it to the agenda before or after the agenda is adopted? Thanks.

In addition to Mr Gerber’s reply, I’d add that introducing new business is not the only way one might desire to change the agenda. One might want to change the order in which items are taken up, for example.

[Guest Zev]

Part of the problem, as I see it, is that the word "agenda" is being used by the world at large in one sense and the parliamentary community in another. The world sees it as the exclusive and only set of subjects to be raised, in the order listed, and the parliamentary community sees it in the sense as defined in 41:58ff.

[Dan Honemann]

On 11/7/2021 at 11:33 AM, Guest Larry R. said:

RONR 12th - 41:27 says that after Unfinished Business and General Orders have been disposed of, the Chair asks if there is any New Business and cannot prevent the making of legitimate motions or deprive members of the right to introduce legitimate business. RONR 12th 41:63 says when the adoption of a proposed agenda is pending, it can be amended by a majority vote. After adoption however, the agenda cannot be amended except by a two-thirds vote, a vote of the majority of the entire membership or unanimous consent. 

What am I misunderstanding here? These two sections seem to clash. For a member to simply introduce New Business when the Chair calls for it seems like the surest way for a member to have their matter considered by the assembly and if so, what would the benefit be of trying to add it to the agenda before or after the agenda is adopted? Thanks.

These two paragraphs in RONR do not clash with each other in any respect. The first (41:27) relates to what happens when a meeting being conducted in accordance with the standard order of business, as outlined in 41:5-27, has disposed of any unfinished business and general orders and proceeds to the consideration of new business.  The second (41:63) relates to the amendment of an agenda (as defined in 41:58), either before or after its adoption.