How is the chair addressed in the minutes after relinquishing the gavel in order to amend a motion? Still recognized as the chair in the minutes? Thank you.

[Guest Lori]

How is the chair addressed in the minutes after relinquishing the gavel in order to amend a motion? Still recognized as the chair in the minutes? Thank you.

[Richard Brown]

You would not address him as "chair" unless he is actually presiding.  The term "chair" is reserved for the person actually in the chair presiding unless your rules provide otherwise. (Some political parties do not have a "president" but have a "Chair" (or Chairman) who is in essence the president). You could address him as "President Jones" (if he is in fact president) or simply as Mr. Jones or Member Jones.

[Josh Martin]

On 3/15/2023 at 11:34 AM, Guest Lori said:

How is the chair addressed in the minutes after relinquishing the gavel in order to amend a motion? Still recognized as the chair in the minutes?

I think it may depend on the context of what exactly is being discussed in the minutes. It may be helpful if you could provide a more detailed example of what you're thinking of.

On 3/15/2023 at 11:43 AM, Richard Brown said:

You would not address him as "chair" unless he is actually presiding.  The term "chair" is reserved for the person actually in the chair presiding unless your rules provide otherwise. (Some political parties do not have a "president" but have a "Chair" (or Chairman) who is in essence the president). You could address him as "President Jones" (if he is in fact president) or simply as Mr. Jones or Member Jones.

Certainly if the person has a regular title other than "Chair," then that title should be used regardless.

If this is an assembly, however, where the title of "Chair" refers both to the office and to the person who is currently presiding, then I think it gets more complicated, and may depend upon the specific context.

Edited March 15, 2023 at 04:45 PM by Josh Martin

[Atul Kapur]

On 3/15/2023 at 12:34 PM, Guest Lori said:

How is the chair addressed in the minutes after relinquishing the gavel in order to amend a motion?

RONR does not call for you to include the name of the mover of an amendment in the minutes. In fact, you don't even need to record the amendment itself.

48:4(6)(a) "the wording in which each motion was adopted or otherwise disposed of (with the facts as to whether the motion may have been ... amended before disposition being mentioned only parenthetically)"

48:5(1) "The name of the maker of a main motion should be entered in the minutes, but the name of the seconder should not be entered unless ordered by the assembly."