Many people may be uncomfortable when they are presiding over a meeting with a group of people. Although most organizations do not strictly use Parliamentary Procedure, as a presiding officer it will help you to at least know the basics. As a former 4-H club president and a parliamentary procedure team contestant, I have had many experiences with Robert’s Rules of Order and parliamentary procedure.
Order of Business
Agendas change with the organization and community group that you are leading, but there are some basic items that should always be included. All meetings should have a call to order, roll call, reading and approval of the last meetings minutes, officer reports (Treasurer, etc), committee reports, unfinished or old business, new business, and adjournment. Most of the time I find that meetings are conducted in this order; it is not necessarily the case all the time.
Calling the Meeting to Order
Most meetings should be called to order by the President or Chairperson rapping the gavel and stating “The monthly meeting of the _____ will now come to order.”
Unfinished Business
Unfinished Business is sometimes referred to as old business. It is the part of the meeting where you bring up anything that was talked about at the last meeting, especially if you tabled or postponed a motion. Although most groups have the chair or members bring up the items for unfinished business, it is actually the Secretary who should report any items that need to be brought up from the last meeting. If the items had been tabled, then you would have to have a motion to bring the item from the table, before you can actually vote on the motion.
New Business
New Business is the part of the meeting where your group conducts any business that has not been brought before the group previously.
Motions
New and unfinished business requires motions. Motions require a member addressing the chair and then moving to do something. The motion then gets a second from another member or it will die for lack of a second. If seconded, then the motion is repeated by the president or chair and opened up for discussion from the group. After discussion has abated, the president or chair asks for a vote on the motion. Commonly votes are the raising of hands or calling out aye. As the leader of the meeting, you will always call for any opposing votes and then announce that the motion has passed or failed. The motion passes if there were more votes for the motion than against.
Here is a typical motion example:
Member 1 rises and says “Madam President.”
The President then calls on the member.
Member 1 still standing states “I move that we donate $50 to the Fireman’s Charity.” He then sits.
Member 2 then stands and calls “I second the motion.”
Next the president will inform the group of the motion by saying the following: “It has been moved and seconded that we donate $50 to the Fireman’s Charity. Is there any discussion?”
Member 3 calls “Madam President” and when recognized will state her discussion point. This will continue until there is no more discussion or until some “Calls for the Question” which ends debate and makes the group vote.
After debate is over, the President will then announce the vote by saying “Seeing no more discussion we will proceed to vote. All in favor of donating $50 to the Fireman’s Charity say aye.” After a slight pause to allow for voting, continue the vote by saying “All opposed same sign.”
After everyone has voted, the president then announces, “The motion has passed.”
Adjournment
At the end of the meeting when all the business before the group has been conducted, the President or chair should ask for a motion for adjournment. A member should then “Move to adjourn the meeting.” After which it should be seconded and then voted on without asking for discussion.
Although parliamentary procedure sometimes seems formal and unnecessary, if you use the basic principals it does help a meeting and group run smoother and get things done.