Competition Teams Letters from Competition Teams

Competition Teams Letters from Competition Teams

Dear Readers,

Here is a “quiz” for you take. I missed one. The following is a question sent to me by someone running for national office for Business Professionals of America. This is a student organization for those majoring in Business. I know they have high school chapters and perhaps college ones too. Before you look at my answers, why don’t you try to answer the questions and find the pages in Robert’s Rules Of Order Newly Revised, 1990 edition. This good research work for those of you who are acting as parliamentarian to your organizations. I’ll be interested to know how well you did.

Dear Parlimentarian:

I am running for National Office for Business Professionals of America and need to know a few things about Parliamentary Procedures. Could you please answer a few questions for me!!

What are the five classes of motions?
Which type or class of motion affects the way a main motion is handled?
Which type of class of motion takes precedence over all other motions?
What motion is used by a member who disagrees with a ruling made by the chair?
What motion may be used to "kill" a motion without bringing it to a vote?
What motion is used to delay action on a motion to the next regularly scheduled meeting?
What motion is used by a member who questions the results of a vote?
What are the five ways to amend a main motion?
May the president discuss a motion that is on the floor, and if so, what must they do?
What are the five methods of voting?
Which method of voting is used most?
When is the motion to adjourn out of order?
Can you tell me what the meaning is to this statement: "Discussion must be germane to the motion."
Can the president vote, and if so, when?

If you could answer some of these questions, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much for your time.

JKALIS

Dear Jarilyn,

Thank you for writing me and asking me to answer your questions. I work with a local BPA chapter in my town and am teaching them parliamentary procedure for competition. I also have judge the state competition in Indiana. I wish you much success on getting elected. Did you see our Parliamentary Bookstore on our WEB Site? There are some very helpful videos and books that could help you with being an officer if you get elected. Our “Competition Package” would be the most helpful to you, plus a copy of the book ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER NEWLY REVISED, 1990 ED. I will answer each question that you sent and I am giving you page references to Robert’s Rules where you can look it up yourself. I will use this abbreviation for ROBERT’S RULES (RONR)

        1. What are the five classes of motions?
                    Answer:
                    Main motion
                    Subsidiary Motions
                    Privileged Motions
                    Incidental Motions
                    Motions that bring a question before the assembly
                    RONR page 58

2. Which type or class of motion affects the way a main motion is handled?

Answer: By the way this is worded, I am assuming the answer is “subsidiary motions”. See RONR pages 62-64, especially p.64

3. Which type of class of motion takes precedence over all other motions?

Answer: Privilege Motions RONR page 66

4. What motion is used by a member who disagrees with a ruling made by the
chair?

Answer: Appeal from the decision of the chair RONR page 254

5. What motion may be used to “kill” a motion without bringing it to a vote?

Answer: Postpone Indefinitely RONR page 62-63

6. What motion is used to delay action on a motion to the next regularly scheduled meeting?

Answer: Postpone to a Certain Time (as long as there is only a quarterly time interval between meetings) RONR p. 63 #4

7. What motion is used by a member who questions the results of a vote?

Answer: Division of the Assembly : one member can ask for this by calling out “division” or “I call for a division”. This means that the vote must be re - taken as a rising vote or in small assemblies by a show of hands. RONR page 276

8. What are the five ways to amend a main motion?

Answer: Robert’s only gives three but I bet that the persons writing this question is counting the “a’s” and “b’s” in 1 & 2 as numbers in this answer.    Ways of Amending: RONR p. 131
        1. a. to insert words in the middle of the motion
             b. to add words (at the end)
        2. to strike out words
        3. a. to strike out and insert words
             b. to substitute one motion for another motion

9. May the president discuss a motion that is on the floor, and if so, what must
they do?

Answer: RONR page 389 to 390 The president must relinquish the chair to enter into debate. He/she turn the chair over to a vice president or some one else who hasn’t debated the issue (see the rules concerning this on page 390). The president does not return to the chair until the vote is taken and announce.

10. What the five methods of voting?

Answer: There are various ways of taking a vote. I am not sure what answer they want. See pages 403-421 for answer.

        1. by voice
        2. by rising (used in taking a 2/3’s vote)
        3. show hands (in small assemblies instead of rising)
        4. unanimous or general consent.    The chair states: “Is there any objection to doing this? If no objection the motion is adopted. If there is an objection then the chair takes a voice vote.
        5. ballot vote
        6. Roll call vote

11. Which method of voting is used most?

Answer: The most common method used is the voice vote.

12. When is the motion to adjourn out of order?

Answer: RONR p.234 #1: The motion to adjourn is “out of order when the assembly is engaged in voting or verifying a vote, or before the result of a vote has been announced by the chair, except that in the case of a vote taken by ballot, a motion to adjourn is in order after the ballots have been collect by the tellers and before the result is announced.”

13. Can you tell me what the meaning is to this statement: “Discussion must be
germane to the motion”.

Answer: It means relevant to the motion. RONR p.42. If the members are discussing the motion to have a car wash to raise money for a fund raiser. It would not be germane to discuss sponsoring a spring dance.

14. Can the president vote, and if so, when?

Answer: By ballot vote, (Page 408), Roll Call (page 413), to make or break a tie vote (see pages 52, and 400).

Back up to the top of this page Back to the Robert McConnell Productions Home Page