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Home > Governance > Corporate Governance - Detailed Chart of Motions & Precedence
How to Conduct the Business of a Meeting -
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You say this: |
Name/ Class of Motion |
Can you interrupt the speaker? | Does your motion need a second*? | Is the motion debateable? | Is the motion amendable? | Can the vote be reconsidered? | What’s needed for the decision? | Boards & Committees |
DEFINITIONS
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Second: A second person agreeing to have the motion considered for discussion (they need not support the motion). | ||||||||||
Fix the time for the meeting to end | “I move we adjourn* this meeting at…” |
Fix adjournment time/ Privileged Motion* |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
A majority vote | Usually stated & approved with the agenda. If not –same process. |
Adjourn:
Close a meeting and carry over unfinished
business to the next meeting (This motion is in order even after a vote to adjourn, provided the Chair has not announced that vote’s result) |
End the meeting | “I move that we adjourn” |
Adjournment/ Privileged Motion |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes (unless the Chair has announced the vote’s result) |
A majority vote
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Same process | Privileged Motions are most urgent and do not relate to pending business. |
Call an intermission or break | “I move that we recess for…” |
Recess/ Privileged Motion |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
A majority vote (Board: Chair) |
Made as a suggestion | |
Complain and about the heat, noise etc. | “I rise to a question of privilege.” |
Motion or Question of Privilege*/ Privileged Motion |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Chair | Made as a suggestion | Motions of Privilege pertain to the rights and privileges of the members. Note that at all privileged motions are motions of privilege. |
Ask for the group to postpone a current discussion & consider a scheduled agenda item | “I move that we proceed to the orders of the day.” |
Orders of the Day/ Privileged Motion |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Chair | Same process | Orders of the Day are the scheduled items of business as stated in the agenda. If a timed agenda is adopted, the item, timing and sequence become the order of business. |
Question or object to a point of order in a motion or an improper matter | “I rise to a point of order.” |
Question of Order/ Incidental Motion* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
A majority vote | Same process | Incidental Motions are procedural questions that arise out of the main or subsidiary motions and therefore take precedence over them. They have no precedence amongst themselves and are addressed as they arise. |
Appeal a decision of the Chair | “I appeal the Chair’s decision.” |
Appeal/ Incidental Motion |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
A majority vote | Same process | |
Withdraw a motion | “I withdraw my motion.” |
Withdrawal of a Motion/ Incidental Motion |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No vote | Same process | |
Request information or clarification | “On a point of information/clarification…” |
Point of Information/ Incidental Motion |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No vote (Board: Chair) |
Same process | A motion can only be withdrawn before it vote on the motion has commenced. |
Temporarily suspend the rules of order | “I move to suspend the rules of order so that (the reason)…” |
Suspension of the Rules/ Incidental Motion |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
A 2/3 vote | Same process | The rules should only be suspended temporarily if their operation interferes with the operation of the Constitution, by-laws or some other higher law. |
Indefinitely suspend considering an issue | “ I move to table the motion…” |
To Lay on the Table/ Subsidiary Motion* |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
A majority vote | Omit (Use postponement instead) |
Subsidiary Motions
change, affect or seek to dispose of the main motion. Table: Suspend |
End debate or amendments and ask for a vote | “I move to the previous question…” (Incorrectly: “I call the question…” | Previous Question/ Subsidiary Motion |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes (unless a vote on the question has begun) |
A 2/3 vote (Board: Chair) |
Made as a suggestion: “I suggest we end this discussion and vote.” | Previous Question: The main motion being debated |
Limit or extend debate limits | “I move the debate be limited to a speech two min. for each member.” |
Limit Debate/ Subsidiary Motion |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes (only to: length & frequency of speeches; when the vote is taken) |
Yes (unless the motion has already been applied) |
A 2/3 vote (Small group show of hands. Large group: stand. No voice vote) | Same process | This motion limits members’ right to debate and should be used with caution. |
Postpone discussions until a specified time. Reconsider hasty action | “ I move to postpone this discussion until…” | Postponement/ Subsidiary Motion |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
A majority vote | Same process | A motion cannot be postponed further than the next regular meeting when it is scheduled under unfinished business. |
Have a committee look after the matter | “I move to refer the matter to the ______ committee.” | Commit or Refer/ Subsidiary Motion |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes (unless the committee has started considering the subject) |
A majority vote | Same process | |
Amend a Motion | “I move to amend the motion.” |
Amend/ Subsidiary Motion |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes (unless the motion to be amended is not debatable) |
Yes |
A majority vote | Same process | The first amendment is the Primary Amendment. An amendment to the Primary Amendment is the Secondary Amendment (which cannot be amended). |
Introduce business | “I move that…” |
Making a motion/ Principle or Main Motion or Question* |
No |
Yes (unless proposed by a committee) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
A majority vote | Same process | Main Motions are proposals that some action be taken, a decision be made, or an opinion be expressed by the group. |
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