Should the Chair of an Assembly be allowed to make motions?

[Matteo]

The association I am a member of convenes twice a year into regular sessions of the General Assembly, which adopt the RONR as their parliamentary procedures.  During the session's first meeting, the President of the association is ex officio the presiding officer of the GA; the Assembly then proceeds to elect as its first order of business a Chairman, a Parliamentarian and an Election Committee among its members. According to our bylaws, the Chairman is not allowed to participate in discussions and make motions, but he can state his intention to entertain a motion and wait for a member of the GA to move it. For Example, when it's time to adjourn, the Chair would say: "The Chair would like to entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting" and a member of the Assembly then requests the floor and says: "I so move". After that, the motion is seconded and placed before the Assembly. While this rule guarantees the maximum neutrality from the Chair, it also hinders his ability to effectively preside over the Assembly as it prevents him from making motions related to the conduct of the meeting. I haven't read anywhere in the RONR that the Chair should not be allowed to make motions, and I am considering proposing a bylaw amendment to change this rule. Would allowing the Chair to make motions affect his ability to stay neutral? 

[Rob Elsman]

In certain cases, when the necessary motion is obvious, the chair can call for a member to make it or can even sometimes assume it; however, in the example provided, the chair is inserting his "likes" into the proceedings in a way that imperils his ability to maintain the necessary appearance of impartiality.  "Maximum neutrality", as you have called the requirement to maintain the appearance of impartiality, is easy to lose and very difficult (if not impossible) to regain after it has been lost. So, to be on the safe side, the chairman should avoid revealing his likes and dislikes while he is in the chair and stick to the performance of his duties.

[Atul Kapur]

In the example cited, there is a better way to proceed

"21:15 When it appears that there is no further business in a meeting of an ordinary local society that normally goes through a complete order of business (41) at each regular meeting (9), the chair, instead of waiting or calling for a motion to adjourn, can ask, “Is there any further business?” If there is no response, the chair can then say, “Since there is no further business, the meeting is adjourned.” "

On 10/23/2023 at 7:46 AM, Matteo said:

I haven't read anywhere in the RONR that the Chair should not be allowed to make motions

See 49:21(7) and 49:21(7)n4, which contrast the small board rules with the general rule.

Also see 3:9

[Josh Martin]

On 10/23/2023 at 6:46 AM, Matteo said:

The association I am a member of convenes twice a year into regular sessions of the General Assembly, which adopt the RONR as their parliamentary procedures.  During the session's first meeting, the President of the association is ex officio the presiding officer of the GA; the Assembly then proceeds to elect as its first order of business a Chairman, a Parliamentarian and an Election Committee among its members. According to our bylaws, the Chairman is not allowed to participate in discussions and make motions, but he can state his intention to entertain a motion and wait for a member of the GA to move it. For Example, when it's time to adjourn, the Chair would say: "The Chair would like to entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting" and a member of the Assembly then requests the floor and says: "I so move". After that, the motion is seconded and placed before the Assembly. While this rule guarantees the maximum neutrality from the Chair, it also hinders his ability to effectively preside over the Assembly as it prevents him from making motions related to the conduct of the meeting. I haven't read anywhere in the RONR that the Chair should not be allowed to make motions, and I am considering proposing a bylaw amendment to change this rule. Would allowing the Chair to make motions affect his ability to stay neutral? 

The chair of a large assembly should never make motions, even those related to the conduct of the meeting. If the chair insists on making a motion, the chair should relinquish the chair before doing so, and turn the chair over to someone else to preside.

It is appropriate, in some circumstances, for the chair to "assume" a motion. At least, this is appropriate under the rules in RONR - I do not know whether it is permissible under your organization's rules on this matter.

"If the chair of a large assembly is supposed to be impartial, why is the chair allowed to “assume” a motion?

ANSWER:
Although “the presiding officer [if] a member of the society … has — as an individual — the same rights … as any other member” it is indeed true that “the impartiality required of the chair in an assembly precludes his exercising these rights while he is presiding.” RONR (10th ed.), p. 382, l. 16-20. This means that the chair may not make or second motions. (The constraints on the chair are less in committees and small boards. RONR [10th ed.], p. 470-71; 483, l. 10-19.) There is a substantial difference, however, between the chair “making” a motion (the making of a motion is described in detail in RONR [10th ed.], p. 32-33) and the chair “assuming” a motion, which he or she does simply by stating (or, sometimes, by putting) the question on it.

The chair’s ability to “assume” a motion that has not actually been made by another member exists to facilitate the business of the assembly, not to give the chair an opportunity to make a motion whose consideration he or she, as an individual member, believes would be desirable. Assuming a motion, rather than waiting or calling for the motion to be made, is appropriate as a means of saving the time of the assembly when it is obvious that the motion is necessary or appropriate in light of the pending business. Thus, when a committee report contains recommendations and the reporting member fails to move their adoption,

when the proper motion is a matter of clear-cut procedure and must necessarily be introduced to resolve the case, the chair may sometimes expedite matters by assuming the motion-that is, stating the question on it without waiting for it to be made — provided that the assembly is accustomed to this method.*
*Such a practice is justified by the fact that more than one person must have voted for the recommendation within the board or committee and must therefore wish it to come before the assembly. RONR (10th ed.), p. 490, l. 3-9 & n.

Similarly, when a convention must be formally organized through the successive adoption of the reports of the Credentials, Rules and Program Committees, if no one promptly offers the motion to adopt one of these reports, “the chair can call for it, or can assume it by stating, for example, “The question is on the adoption of the report of the Program Committee.” ” RONR (10th ed.), p. 591, l. 20-23.

Upon submission of a resignation from an office or other duty, which requires acceptance by vote of the assembly to become effective, “The chair, on reading or announcing the resignation, can assume a motion “that the resignation be accepted.” RONR (10th ed.), p. 279, l. 14-16. When there is objection to a request for unanimous consent on a matter on which no motion has yet been made, the chair may ask if there is such a motion, “or he must at least put the question, assuming such a motion.” RONR (10th ed.), p. 52, l. 15-16; see also p. 285 (when there is objection to a request to modify or withdraw a motion).

In none of these instances, it will be observed, does the chair’s assumption of a motion give any indication that the chair has any personal views on the merits of the motion." Official Interpretation 2007-1

[Gary Novosielski]

On 10/23/2023 at 7:46 AM, Matteo said:

During the session's first meeting, the President of the association is ex officio the presiding officer of the GA; the Assembly then proceeds to elect as its first order of business a Chairman, a Parliamentarian and an Election Committee among its members. 

If the President of the association is the presiding officer of the GA, then what does the Chairman do?

Or, if as you seem to suggest, the Chairman presides over the GA, then in what sense is the President the presiding officer?