Professional Documents
Culture Documents
District Six
2. Basic principles
a. The organization is paramount.
b. Decisions are generally final.
c. Power is in the hands of the voting members.
d. A quorum is necessary to make decisions.
e. All members have equal rights—to make motions, debate and vote.
f. Members have the right to vote – or not. Silence means consent.
g. Majority rules.
h. Discuss only one item at a time.
i. Only one person speaks at a time.
j. Personal remarks are never in order.
3. Time Savers.
a. Use a consent agenda
b. Use unanimous consent or general consent
c. Stay on topic.
d. Send minutes out ahead of the meeting.
New Business
“Is there any new business?” (Members can make motions to introduce new business.)
“Is there any further new business?”
Announcements
“The chair has the following announcements…Are there other announcements?”
Program
“The Program Committee will now present the program” or”…will introduce our speaker.”
Adjournment
“Is there any further business? (pause) Since there is no further business, the meeting is
adjourned.”
Remember that:
. The minutes should contain what was done, not what was said.
. Include the name of the maker of a main motion but not the seconder.
. When the vote is counted or by ballot, record the number of votes for each side
. Do not use “respectfully submitted”
. The approved minutes are the only official permanent record
. The secretary should sign the minutes and they can be signed by the president, too, if the group
wishes
. When the minutes are approved, the word Approved, with the secretary’s initials and the date,
should be written below them
. Minutes can be corrected at any time, even years later, by using the motion to amend something
previously adopted.
(1) Unexecuted part may be reconsidered. (2) 2/3 vote if made a special order.
(3) Only if committee has not started work. (4) If applied to a debatable motion.
RESOURCES
Books
1. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th edition.; Henry M. Robert III, Daniel H.
Honemann, and Thomas J. Balch; with Daniel E. Seabold and Shmuel Gerber; DaCapo
Press; Philadelphia, PA. 2011
2. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief; Henry M. Robert III, Daniel H. Honemann,
and Thomas J. Balch; with Daniel E. Seabold and Shmuel Gerber; DaCapo Press;
Philadelphia Pennsylvania. 2011
Websites