Parliamentary

RULES& PROCEDURE

Parliamentary

PROCEDURE

To safeguard the

organization’s welfare

against individual

member’s interests.

To facilitate an orderly

work meeting or

deliberation of a

collegial body.

To achieve impartiality

and fairness in every

undertaking of the

organization

To promote freedom of

speech through full and

free debate provided

that the rules on

decorum are properly

observed

BASIC PRINCIPLES

equality majority rules

minority to be protected singularity of subject

full and free debate motion is voted upon

group interest prevails impartiality of presiding officer

QUORUM

General rule:

50% of total

membership + 1

A quorum is that number or

proportion of the members of an

organization which must be

present at a particular meeting for

the organization to legally transact

business.

In case of delinquent/incapacitated members:

50% of total membership in good

standing*+ 1 *Total membership less number of delinquent members or number of

incapacitated members

order of BUSINESS

1. Call to order

2. Invocation(Optional)‏

3. Roll Call (Optional)

4. Reading of the Minutes of Previous Meeting

5. Reports of the Standing Committees

6. Reports of the Special Committees

7. Unfinished business

8. New business

9. Announcements

10. Adjournment

MOTIONS generally considered debatable

To have further

study on the

matter.

To postpone

consideration of a

matter To amend

To introduce a

new matter or

business.

To reconsider

kinds of VOTES

PERCENTAGE

VOTE

MAJORITY VOTE

which may be : 1. Majority of legal votes

2. Majority of total votes cast

3. Majority of members

present or

4. Majority of all the members PLURALITY

VOTE

UNANIMOUS

VOTE

method of VOTING

SHOW OF

HANDS

VIVA

VOCE BY RISING ROLL CALL

GENERAL

CONSENT BALLOT

ABSENTEE

VOTING

CUMULATIVE

VOTING

NOTE:

The result of any

voting has to be

announced in order

to consider the result

as official.

CLASSES OF MOTIONS

PRIVILEGED

MOTION

MAIN

MOTION

INCIDENTAL

MOTION

SUBSIDIARY

MOTION

BRING

BACK

MOTION

PRIVILEGED MOTIONS

Requires

Second

May be

Amended

May be

debated

Requires

Vote

May be

reconsidered May

interrupt

speaker

Fix time of

next meeting

Yes Yes

No Majority No

No

Adjourn

meeting

Yes

No

No

Majority No

No

Recess Yes

Yes No

Majority No

No

Question of

privilege

No

No

No

Chair Yes

Yes

Point of

Information

No

No

No

-- No

Yes

SUBSIDIARY MOTIONS

Requires

Second

May be

Amended

May be

debated

Requires

Vote

May be

reconsidered May

interrupt

speaker

Lay on table Yes No No

Majority No

No

Previous

question Yes

No

No

2/3 Yes

No

Limit debate Yes

Yes

No

2/3 Yes

No

Postpone to a

certain time Yes

Yes

Yes

Majority Yes

No

Refer to

committee Yes

Yes

Yes

Majority Yes

No

Amend Yes

Yes

(1) Majority Yes

No

Postpone

indefinitely Yes

No Yes

Majority Yes

No

MAIN MOTIONS

Requires

Second

May be

Amended

May be

debated

Requires

Vote

May be

reconsidered May

interrupt

speaker

Main motion

for general

business

Yes Yes

Yes

Majority Yes

No

Take from

table

Yes

No No

Majority

No

No

Reconsider Yes

No

(2) Majority

No

Yes

Rescind Yes

Yes

Yes

Majority

Yes

No

Make special

order of

business

No

No

No

2/3 -- Yes

INCIDENTAL MAIN MOTIONS

Requires

Second

May be

Amended

May be

debated

Requires

Vote

May be

reconsidered May

interrupt

speaker

Suspend rules Yes No No 2/3 No No

Withdraw a

motion No No No Majority

Yes

No

Object to

consideration No No No 2/3 Yes

Yes

Point of order No No No Chair No

Yes

Appeal from

chairman’s

decision

Yes

Yes

Chair

Majority

Yes

Yes

Division

(Verify a voice

vote)

No No No Yes

Roll Call Yes

No

No Majority

--- Yes

INFORMATION Point of

Example

If you want information

in order to know how to

vote on a motion

A question, not an

answer

Should not be disguised

as form of debate.

INQUIRY Point of Parliamentary

Example

How to properly use

particular parliamentary

procedures

Addressed to the Chair

PRIVILEGE Point of Personal

Used to call attention to

a violation of the rules

or improper decorum

ORDER Point of

Pertains to person’s

rights being hindered

during the assembly.

[procedure]

MAIN MOTION handling a

1. Obtaining and Assigning

the Floor

In a large assembly, the member

gives his name and identification.

The member remains standing

and awaits recognition by the

chair.

A member rises when no one else

has the floor and addresses the

chair:

"Mr./Madam

President," "Mr./Madam

Chair,"

or by other proper title.

The chair recognizes the

member by announcing his

name or title, or, in a small

assembly, by nodding to him.

2. Bringing the Motion

Before the Assembly

The member makes the

motion:

"I move that (or 'to')..."

and resumes his seat.

Another member, without

rising, seconds the motion:

"I second the motion,“ or

"I second it“ or

"second.”

The chair states the motion:

"It is moved and seconded

that .... Are you ready for

the question?"

3. Consideration of the

Motion

Members debate the motion.

The chair puts the motion to a

vote. The chair asks:

"Are you ready for the

question?"

If no one rises to claim the

floor, the chair proceeds to take

the vote. The chair says:

"The question is on the

adoption of the motion that...

As many as are in favor, say

'Aye". (Pause for response.)

“Those opposed, say

'No'.” (Pause for response.)

The chair states the motion:

"It is moved and seconded

that .... Are you ready for

the question?"

The chair announces the result

of the vote.

"The ayes have it, the

motion is adopted, and ....

(indicating the effect of the

vote)," or

"The noes have it, and the

motion is lost."

decorum in DEBATE

Avoid personalities.

Confine oneself to

questions before the

assembly.

Avoid using the name

but rather formally

refer to the speaker or

anyone being referred

to.

If the remarks are decided to

be improper (out of

decorum), the speaker

cannot proceed.

Chair decides impropriety.

A member can rise and claim the

floor and reopen the debate or

make a motion provided he rises

with reasonable promptness, after

the chair asks are you ready for

the motion.

Exception: if it is a dilatory tactic.

decorum in DEBATE

The chair should not

recognize a member

who has risen and

remained standing while

another has obtained

the floor.

After the question has

been stated by the

presiding officer, it is in

the possession of the

assembly for debate. The

motion can no longer be

amended or withdrawn.

TIPS

TIPS

Since the secretary is responsible for

keeping accurate records of business

transacted, the chair may require that

main motions, amendments, or

instructions to a committee be in

writing.

TIPS

GENERAL RULE

No member should be present in

the assembly when any matter

relating to himself or herself is

under consideration

TIPS

GENERAL RULE

Silence means consent.

TIPS

A question cannot be postponed

beyond the next regular meeting.

TIPS

Calls of "Question! Question!" by members

from their seats are not motions for the

previous question and are simply informal

expressions of individual members'

desires to proceed to a vote; these calls

are disorderly if made while another

member is speaking or seeking recognition.

TIPS

A question laid on the table remains there

until taken from the table or until the close

of the next regular meeting. If not taken

up by that time, the question dies.

TIPS

Abstentions do not count in tallying the

vote; when members abstain, they are in

effect only attending the meeting to aid

in constituting a quorum.

TIPS

Motions are out of order if they present

essentially the same question as a motion

already considered at the same meeting.

TIPS

All persons present at a meeting have an obligation to

obey the legitimate orders of the presiding

officer. Members, however, can appeal from the

decision of the chair, move to suspend the rules,

or move for reconsideration- depending on the

circumstances of the chair's ruling. A member can

make such an appeal or motion whether or not the

order involved applies to him or her personally.

A project of the

Students’ Legal Aid

and Action Center

of the

University Student

Council