Committee Motions

[MOBYZORRO]

If a Committee has more than one member and is required to make a report before the society with one or more motions in the report, is a second required if all members of the committee have presented the report. Typical example- Budget Committee reports the budget for next year and also included in that report is a motion to move the bank account from one bank to another.

Is a second required?

[David A Foulkes]

If a Committee has more than one member and is required to make a report before the society with one or more motions in the report, is a second required if all members of the committee have presented the report. Typical example- Budget Committee reports the budget for next year and also included in that report is a motion to move the bank account from one bank to another.

Is a second required?

No. p. 35 ll. 1-10

[Gary Novosielski]

No. p. 35 ll. 1-10

In fact it's not even necessary for all committee members to agree. Any two would suffice, meeting the mover/seconder requirement that at least two people should want to discuss something before it is placed before the assembly.

Any report from a committee of more than one must have had at least two people concurring in its adoption, so seconds of such recommendations are not necessary.

Also any committee which reports back a main motion referred to it by a motion to commit should need no second, since the motion was already seconded before it was committed.

I'm bookless at the moment, so there may be some obscure exception if the committee has members who aren't members of the society, but I seem to remember that even then a second would not be required. If I'm wrong, someone will surely jump down my, ... er, I mean gently correct me.

[Josh Martin]

I'm bookless at the moment, so there may be some obscure exception if the committee has members who aren't members of the society, but I seem to remember that even then a second would not be required. If I'm wrong, someone will surely jump down my, ... er, I mean gently correct me.

The obscure exception is as follows: If the reporting member of the committee does not make the motion to adopt the committee's recommendations, and thus another member of the parent assembly must make the motion, the motion does require a second. This could occur if, for instance, the reporting member is not a member of the parent assembly. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 489, line 34 - pg. 490, line 3) So at least one member of the committee will need to be a member of the parent assembly in order to avoid the requirement of a second.

[Gary Novosielski]

The obscure exception is as follows: If the reporting member of the committee does not make the motion to adopt the committee's recommendations, and thus another member of the parent assembly must make the motion, the motion does require a second. This could occur if, for instance, the reporting member is not a member of the parent assembly. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 489, line 34 - pg. 490, line 3) So at least one member of the committee will need to be a member of the parent assembly in order to avoid the requirement of a second.

Okay, that's certainly obscure, but I don't know if it's an exception, as the original Q: referred to not requiring a second when the reporting member DOES move to adopt.

We're still good with that, right?

[Dan Honemann]

I'm bookless at the moment, so there may be some obscure exception if the committee has members who aren't members of the society, but I seem to remember that even then a second would not be required. If I'm wrong, someone will surely jump down my, ... er, I mean gently correct me.

Fear not.

[David A Foulkes]

In fact it's not even necessary for all committee members to agree. Any two would suffice, meeting the mover/seconder requirement that at least two people should want to discuss something before it is placed before the assembly.

Well, doesn't at least a majority of the committee need to concur, thus bringing the motion before the assembly? In a committee of 5, if only two think a certain proposal should be brought to the membership (ie a 2 to 3 vote), I don't think that works, does it?

[Josh Martin]

Okay, that's certainly obscure, but I don't know if it's an exception, as the original Q: referred to not requiring a second when the reporting member DOES move to adopt.

We're still good with that, right?

Yes, we're still good with that. This is what I get for paying more attention to the replies than the original post.

Well, doesn't at least a majority of the committee need to concur, thus bringing the motion before the assembly? In a committee of 5, if only two think a certain proposal should be brought to the membership (ie a 2 to 3 vote), I don't think that works, does it?

Of course. It seems to me that all Mr. N was saying is that if something is adopted in a committee of more than one by majority vote, then at least two people agreed to it (or at the very least, didn't complain).

[Gary Novosielski]

Well, doesn't at least a majority of the committee need to concur, thus bringing the motion before the assembly? In a committee of 5, if only two think a certain proposal should be brought to the membership (ie a 2 to 3 vote), I don't think that works, does it?

Yes, but don't confuse the number of people who support the measure in the committee with the number that are required to move the recommendations back in the parent body. A majority is required in the committee to concur on the report, but this does not actually bring the motion before the assembly. To do that, the person reporting back (or someone else) must actually move the adoption of the recommendation in the meeting of the parent body.

For instance, in a committee of five, three would need to agree on the report within the committee (absent abstentions).

Then, having risen and reported, and moved adoption of the recommendations in the parent body, no second to that motion is required since at least two people (three is at least two) have concurred that it should be discussed in the parent body, though they have done so in committee.

The reporting member makes the motion, and no second is required. This does not guarantee passage, but it guarantees consideration.

The smallest possible committee where two people can concur is a committee of two, and in order to report out, both committee members must agree, or a tie would occur. But two is still enough to move it in the parent body.

A committee of one, reporting out a recommendation, would require a second.