Motions

[Guest Brad]

Does Roberts Rules of Order allow for the Cahir/President to make or second a motion?

[David A Foulkes]

Does Roberts Rules of Order allow for the Cahir/President to make or second a motion?

In Board meetings of about a dozen members or fewer, the Chair may participate fully. In larger meetings, or meetings of the general membership, the Chair maintains a neutrality by not exercising his rights to make motions or second them.

[Guest Brad]

Does Roberts Rules of Order allow for the Cahir/President to make or second a motion?

To avoid any confusion, I meant:

Does Roberts Rules of Order allow for the Chair/President to make or second a motion?

[Guest Brad]

In Board meetings of about a dozen members or fewer, the Chair may participate fully. In larger meetings, or meetings of the general membership, the Chair maintains a neutrality by not exercising his rights to make motions or second them.

Thanks for the prompt reply. Does there need to be an official adoption by the organization for that to take place?

[Dan Honemann]

To avoid any confusion, I meant:

Does Roberts Rules of Order allow for the Chair/President to make or second a motion?

See the answer to FAQ #1.

[Mr. J!]

Thanks for the prompt reply. Does there need to be an official adoption by the organization for that to take place?

If the organization has adopted RONR as the parliamentary authority, which is often done in the bylaws, that is your rule.

If you do not have an adopted parliamentary authority, the organization may find the rules in it persuasive as a statement of common parliamentary law.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

Does Roberts Rules of Order allow for the Chair/President to make or second a motion?

Yes. - An "allowance" is made in RONR.

While the general rule is "No," there will be countless instances where the chair takes the initiative and makes a motion, or assumes a motion, or otherwise fashions a properly-worded motion out of a poorly-worded request, inquiry, or motion.

See "approval of minutes" where no one makes a motion, yet an official decision by the organization does occur. That's the net result from a well-trained chairman.

As to "seconds":

The second's purpose is to guide the chair. The second acts as a trigger.

A rule in RONR restricts the chair's making of motions, but the rule in RONR does not restrict the chair's seconding of a motion. Indeed, RONR says that for small boards and committees, the chair does make motions; and better, no seconds are necessary in small boards and committees.