PPP Lesson 6

• The Five Classes of Motions (The Five Types of Motions)

  • Main Motion
  • Subsidiary Motion
  • Privileged Motion
  • Incidental Motion
  • Motion for Consideration and Reconsiderations
• Motion


  (from the Parliament of Australia) any proposal made for the purpose of eliciting a decision of the House
• Motions


  • They enable an organization to accomplish business efficiently and smoothly
  • They are the means of bringing business before the assembly, disposing of it quickly, and resolving matters of procedure and urgency
  • They help the members accomplish what they have come to the meeting to do
• Three Category Classes of Motions

  • 1ST CLASS
  • 2ND CLASS
  • 3RD CLASS
• Main Motion


  There are two forms: 1) Introduces new business to the assembly, 2) Incidental Main Motion deals with procedural questions arising out of pending motions or business
• Main Motion (New Business)


  • It needs a second, is debatable and amendable, and takes a majority vote to adopt
  • It is phrased in the positive
  • Only one main motion can be pending at a time
  • It is the lowest ranking of all the motions
• Main Motion (Incidental)


  • It is made while no pending business and does not introduce new business
  • It deals with procedure
  • Key words to identify it include ratify, adopt, limit, and recess
• Subsidiary Motion


  Helps the assembly dispose of the main motion
• Privileged Motion


  Does not relate to the pending main motion but relate to special matters of immediate importance that may come up in the business meeting
• Levels of Privileged Motion (upon ranking)


  • Fix the Time to which to Adjourn
  • Adjourn
  • Recess
  • Raise a Question of Privilege
  • Call for the Orders of the Day
• Incidental Motion


  Deals with questions of procedure arising from the pending business but they do not affect the pending business
• Levels of Incidental Motion (no ranking)


  • Point of Order
  • Appeal
  • Division of the Assembly
  • Requests and Inquiries
  • Suspend the Rules
  • Division of the Question
• Motion for Consideration and Reconsideration

  The purpose is to bring a motion back before the assembly for its consideration
• Discharging a committee takes a motion out of committee before the committee has made its final report and puts it back into the hands of the assembly
• 2nd Class

  • Subsidiary Motion
  • Privileged Motion
  • Incidental Motion
• Ladder of Motions in Order of Rank

  • Fix the Time to which to Adjourn
  • Adjourn
  • Recess
  • Raise a Question of Privilege
  • Call for the Orders of the Day
  • Lay on the Table
  • Previous Question
  • Limit or Extend Limits of Debate
  • Postpone to a Certain Time
  • Refer to a Committee
  • Amend
  • Postpone Indefinitely
  • Main Motion
• 1st Class

  
  

  Main Motion
• 3rd Class

  
  

  Motion for Consideration and Reconsideration - Motions that bring a question again before the assembly.
• one item of business at a time requires that main motions, subsidiary motions, and privileged motions are assigned a rank
• go up the ladder when making the motions
• go backward down the ladder when voting on the pending motions
• When the main motion is pending (being discussed), someone can make a motion of higher rank
• Membership has the right to know beforehand that important motions are going to be presented at the meeting.

  
  

  Giving Previous Notice
• Ex. of motions that need previous notice

  
  

  amending the bylaws and rules of order.
• Several ways members can give previous notice:

  1. submits a written notice to the secretary
  2. give notice orally at the previous meeting
• MOTIONS THAT BRING A QUESTION AGAIN BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY (Motion for Consideration and Reconsideration)

  
  

  rescind the action or amend something previously adopted

  
  

  if no previous notice has been given, it requires a 2/3 vote to rescind
• MOTIONS THAT BRING A QUESTION AGAIN BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY

  
  

  one other motion: to discharge a committee
• Discharging a committee

  • need a second and are debatable
  • take from the table is not debatable
  • protects the rights of the members who are not at the meeting to vote against the change
• Incidental motions

  • usually not debatable and must be decided upon immediately
  • no rank because they are taken up immediately when made
• Privileged motions

  
  

  FIX THE TIME TO WHICH TO ADJOURN - (set another time to continue the meeting)

  ADJOURN - (end meeting now)

  RECESS - (take a break)

  RAISE A QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE - (welfare of individual/assembly)

  CALL FOR THE ORDERS OF THE DAY - (stick to the agenda)
• Privileged motions

  
  

  do not relate to the pending main motion

  relate to special matters of immediate importance

  are of higher rank and take precedence over subsidiary motions

  undebatable, but some are amendable

  assigned an order in which they can be made and voted on

  when a motion of lower rank is pending, only a higher-ranking motion can be made

  highest-ranking is fix the time to which to adjourn
• Subsidiary motions

  
  

  highest-ranking is lay on the table
• Subsidiary motions

  
  

  LAY ON THE TABLE - (set aside temporarily)

  PREVIOUS QUESTION - (stop debate)

  LIMIT OR EXTEND LIMITS OF DEBATE - (shorten or lengthen debate)

  POSTPONE TO A CERTAIN TIME - (put off to another time)

  REFER TO A COMMITTEE - (let a committee investigate)

  AMEND - (change a motion)

  POSTPONE INDEFINITELY - (kill a motion)
• SECONDARY MOTIONS

  • enable more than one motion to be pending at a time
  • follow the principle of taking up business one item at a time
  • help the assembly decide what to do with the main motion or get things done
  • discussed and voted on before a pending main motion
  • considered the immediately pending motion once proposed
  • members can make motions of higher rank while a motion of lower rank is pending (BUT NOT vice versa)
• motion to ratify is a useful motion
• ratify action taken in the absence of a quorum, or recess when no business is pending
• assembly can only ratify what it would have had the right to do in advance, not that goes against the bylaws or other governing documents
• Incidental main motion is amended by substituting the motion to censure
• Censure is a way for the members to show displeasure
• Motion to censure is debatable