parlpro 101

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irish

Cards (86)

Parliamentary procedure is a set of rules for conducting business
meetings and public gatherings.
Parliamentary procedure allows the conduct of business
meetings and public gatherings to be
democratic and their processes to be
flexible, and to hear the opinions of
everyone and to protect the rights of
the minority. It used in the Senate, House of Representatives,
in
voluntary
organizations, and in the conduct of
personal businesses.
Anglo-Saxons 
A tribunal who migrated to a British house in the 15th century AD
Great Council 
Leaders of shires and burrows invited to discuss the state of the rim, the kings, along with other nobles
Parliament 
Divided into the House of Commons and the House of Lords
In the next 200 years, there was not really a modification in the rules and procedures of the Parliament until Sir Thomas Mead, in the 16th century, wrote some parts of rules and procedures of the House of Commons
Sir Thomas Mead didn't really intend to write the house rules, he just mentioned some parts of it in his published work
George Petyt wrote the first book
about
Parliamentary
Procedures,
Lex
Parliamentaria, which was a
pocket book of manuals
prepared for the members of
the Parliament.
Lex Parliamentaria enumerated some of the
most fundamental procedures such as:
There should be alternation between
opposite points of view in assignment of
the floor
2. It is always required for the chair to call
for the negative vote
3. Decorum and avoidance of personalities
in debate
4. Confinement of debate to the merits of
the pending question
5. Division of a question
Americans
As the Brits were discovering new lands, Columbus reached the soils of America and soon established colonies in the new world America along with the Parliamentary Procedures
The Virginia House of Burgesses 
1. Founded in 1619
2. Colonies founded their own governing assemblies based on their own experience in the Old European countries
The British wanted to tax American colonies 
The American colonies refused and decided to convene the first ever Continental Congress in 1774
When American colonists were declaring war
They called upon a 2nd Continental Congress to frame the declaration of independence
Their experiences led to the framing of the constitution and state legislatures which have their own rules
Parliamentary procedure 
The weapon of the founding fathers of America to expedite the businesses and resolve disagreements among the delegates
A Manual of Parliamentary Practice for the Use of the Senate of the United States - the first American book on parliamentary practice and procedure written by Thomas Jefferson in 1801. Jefferson observed how the Senate did not codify a set of rules. He saw that power could be easily abused and developed a set of parliamentary procedures based on the English works regarding the British Parliament.
Cushing’s Manual - a set of rules for voluntary organizations.
Robert’s Rules of Order - in 1863, Henry Martin Robert was tasked to preside over a meeting. During the meeting, he learned that there was little information about parliamentary practice. He realized the need for a standard in Parliamentary procedure and wrote Robert's Rule of Order. The book was based on the rule of Congress but is general enough for any society to adopt it while allowing the society to adopt for itself any special rules of order that they may need.
Basic rules of parliamentary procedures
THE RIGHTS OF THE ORGANIZATION SUPERSEDE THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
ALL FULL MEMBERS ARE EQUAL AND THEIR RIGHTS ARE EQUAL
A QUORUM MUST BE PRESENT TO DO BUSINESS
THE MAJORITY RULES
SILENCE IS CONSENT
TWO-THIRDS VOTE RULE
ONE QUESTION AT A TIME AND ONE SPEAKER AT A TIME
DEBATABLE MOTIONS MUST RECEIVE FULL DEBATE
ONCE THE QUESTION IS DECIDED, IT IS NOT IN ORDER TO BRING UP THE SAME MOTION OR ONE ESSENTIALLY LIKE IT AT THE SAME MEETING
PERSONAL REMARKS IN DEBATE ARE ALWAYS OUT OF ORDER
THE RIGHTS OF THE ORGANIZATION
SUPERSEDE
THE
RIGHTS
OF
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS - the organization
has the right to create its own rules that must
be observe by its own members so joining
an organization means you abide by the
customs and rules of the organization.
Should the conflict arise about the rights of
the members and rights of the organization,
the rights of the organization should always
prevail.
ALL FULL MEMBERS ARE EQUAL AND THEIR RIGHTS ARE EQUAL - A member is equivalent to one vote. Each member has the right to attend meetings, right to make a motion, right to speak in debates, right to nominate, the right to vote and call office
A QUORUM MUST BE PRESENT TO DO BUSINESS - A quorum is a number of members who are present to legally conduct business. The number is usually stated by law. In committee or in a small board room, it is the majority of its members, the simple majority is 50%+1. The purpose of a quorum is to prevent an unrepresentative group from taking action in the name of the organization. The requirement of a quorum is a protection against totally unrepresentative action in the name of the body and an unduly small number of persons.
THE MAJORITY RULES - This rule is basic to the democratic process, the minority has the right to be heard but once a decision is reached by the majority of its members present in voting, the minority must respect and abide by that decision.
SILENCE IS CONSENT - Not voting a “no” is considered “yes.” There are members who do not vote to agree to go along with the decision of the majority by their silence and will be considered to be agreeing to that decision.
TWO-THIRDS VOTE RULE - 2/3 vote is necessary whenever you are giving or taking away the rights of the members or whenever you are changing something that has already been decided. It is also called the “will of the supermajority."
ONE QUESTION AT A TIME AND ONE SPEAKER AT A TIME - No motion is in order which does not directly relate to the question under consideration. Once a member has been recognized by the chair, he is granted the floor and others may not interrupt him. Although there is a caveat regarding this depending on the rules of the organization.
DEBATABLE MOTIONS MUST RECEIVE FULL DEBATE - The presiding officer may not put a debatable motion to vote as long as the members still wish to debate on it. Debate can only be suspended by a 2/3 vote of the members present.
ONCE THE QUESTION IS DECIDED, IT IS NOT IN ORDER TO BRING UP THE SAME MOTION OR ONE ESSENTIALLY LIKE IT AT THE SAME MEETING - Such motions should be ruled out by the chair or the presiding officer as out of order. It also has a caveat on it, however, there’s a special class motion that can be brought up.
PERSONAL REMARKS IN DEBATE ARE ALWAYS OUT OF ORDER - The presiding officer must rule personal remarks as out of order.
We can protect the minority by giving them a chance to participate and speak out their opinions regarding particular matters for their position to be considered. However, they should respect what the majority came up with once the decision has been made.
Motion – a formal proposal by a member in a meeting for the assembly to take certain action. The proposed action may be substantive in nature or it may express a certain view or direct that particular investigation that has been conducted and the findings that have been reported to the assembly for possible further action and the like
Obtaining the floor - one cannot make a motion without obtaining the floor. Before one can make a motion, he must first be recognized by the presiding officer for them to be granted the exclusive right to be heard. While the member still has the floor, no other member can be heard unless they are recognized by the presiding officer. The mover shall then express his motion, and the chair shall consider his motion.
Three (3) basic steps in considering the motions brought before the assembly: 1. Members debate on the motion unless no other members claim the floor for that purpose. 2. The chair would question the vote. 3. The chair would announce the result of the vote whether the motion is carried or rejected.
Main Motion - sets a pattern from which all other motions are derived. The motion is the main motion while no other motion is pending.
Original main motion – a motion to introduce a new topic or business or consideration that requires action from an assembly or from a board
Incidental main motion
To accept or adopt a report a subject not referred to the committee
Adjourn at or to a future time
Motion to adjourn - to adjourn when the effect is to dissolve the assembly with no permission of its reconvening
To appoint the time and place for the next meeting - if introduced with business pending
To amend constitution, bylaws, rules, or resolution that was already adopted
To ratify or confer the action taken
To rescind or rebill the action taken
Subsidiary Motion – it is a type of motion in which a board deals directly with a main motion prior or instead of voting on the main motion itself. Every subsidiary motion ranks higher than the main motion and lower than the privileged motions. Subsidiary motions can be applied on the pending subsidiary motions made on the main motion depending on their ranks
The subsidiary motion must have all five of the
following characteristics:
Applied with other motions while it is
pending to aid in the treating or
disposing of it.
2. Can be applied to any main motion.
3. Fit into an order of precedence
4. Out of order if another member has the
floor.
5. In order during the entire time that a
motion to which they can be applied is
pending, unless the debate has been
limited or extended, or call for the
previous question has been made.
Examples of Subsidiary Motion
Motion to lay on the table
Motion to previous question
Motion to limit or extend the debate
Motion to postpone to a certain time
Motion to refer to a committee
Motion to lay on the table – it lays a pending question to the side temporarily when something urgent has arisen