Rules of Order

[Guest Dr. Matt Hogendobler]

No.

• A treasurer's report is the classic example. - The treasurer gives his monthly report, the chair says thank you, and moves on with the agenda. No motion ("to receive the report") is necessary. The report is automatically (we hope!) filed by the secretary in the appropriate file.

• Classic example #2: Often, a committee will give an interim report. For example, the Xmas Party Committee will report on the hotel chosen, the meal choices, the entertainment, and mention what is left to settle/negotiate. No motion is appropriate here, since the committee needs no extra input, and the assembly need not "act" on anything.

There is NO SUCH THING as #b. - You have melded a hodge-podge of two terms, "standing rule" and "rule of order."

RONR mentions:

(1.) "special rules of order" which are parliamentary rules customized by the organization to supersede or enhance whatever rule (or lack thereof) the parliamentary authority (RONR, we hope) fails to address in a satisfactory manner.

(2.) standing rules are non-parliamentary rules of administration, usually applicable OUTSIDE of a meeting.

(But see RONR for an example where an administrative rule can exist/apply WITHIN a rule: namely, the rule requiring the wearing of badges during a meeting.)

Really, you must get a copy of The Book. - Section 2 ("Rules of an assembly or organization") clearly lays out what kinds of rules there can be.

[Guest Dr. Matt Hogendobler]

I am getting that book at 6:30 pm tonight. Hopefully it will answer my discussions questions. Thanks kindly, and again, Kim. - Matt

[Guest Dr. Matt Hogendobler]

Well, I don't think it's accurate to call twelve "the magic number." RONR says "not more than about a dozen." So there's some leeway. Anyway, if your board chooses to use the small board rules, there's no need to create a special rule of order to allow the board to debate topics without a motion, as that is already permitted under the small board rules.

If a report is for information only, no motion should be made. The report should simply be filed. Voting to approve the report would imply that the assembly supported every word within the report, and thus should very rarely be used. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 507, lines 28-30; pg. 491, lines 8-15; pg. 490, lines 10-21; pg. 459, lines 20-22) Additionally, while reports should generally be in writing, brief reports may be given orally. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 507, lines 24-28)

It's simply "standing rule" not "standing rule of order." Rules of order relate to parliamentary procedure. Thus, they relate to the conduct of business in meetings. Standing rules relate to administrative details. Special rules of order (rules of order adopted by the assembly to supersede the parliamentary authority) require a 2/3 vote with previous notice or a vote of a majority of the entire membership for adoption, amendment, or rescission. Standing rules can be adopted, amended, and rescinded by the same voting requirements as an ordinary motion. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 15, lines 3-9; pg. 17, lines 28-31; pg. 18, lines 3-8)

An example of a special rule of order would be a rule related to how long members may speak in debate. An example of a standing rule would be a rule related to smoking in the gazebo.

Thank you Josh.

[Guest Dr. Matt Hogendobler]

I am getting that book at 6:30 pm tonight. Hopefully it will answer my discussions questions. Thanks kindly, and again, Kim. - Matt

I have the book and am looking at pps 470-471 with a smile on my face. Am halfway through RONR in Brief and I have 2 days to get 2 sets of Agendas written and distributed. Wish me luck. I'll be back if I need any more help... on that you can rely.

[David A Foulkes]

I have the book and am looking at pps 470-471 with a smile on my face. Am halfway through RONR in Brief and I have 2 days to get 2 sets of Agendas written and distributed. Wish me luck. I'll be back if I need any more help... on that you can rely.

Another success story. Go get 'em, Doc.

[Gary c Tesser]

I have the book and am looking at pps 470-471 with a smile on my face. Am halfway through RONR in Brief and I have 2 days to get 2 sets of Agendas written and distributed. Wish me luck. I'll be back if I need any more help... on that you can rely.

Good luck. And we can be assured that if you're not back frequently with more questions (or arguments -- look at all the disagreements among the regular posters), then you're badly missing stuff. Unless you're smarter than all of us here combined. Which might not be implausible except that would mean smarter than my heroine, which is implausible indeed.

(O I am such a shameless suck-up.)

... And Doc, after a day and a half, okay, feel free to read sitting down. (LOL, about standing reading between patients.) And if in three weeks you're not back here beginning to **answer** questions, I'll be very much surprised. (Maybe you can farm some threads out to the patients you cheerily wave off with their tax-deductibly-donated copies of RONR-IB.)

[Josh Martin]

Which might not be implausible except that would mean smarter than my heroine, which is implausible indeed.

Still Ann Rempel, due to her contributions to Foulkesian terminology?