Mr. Chairman : The Fundamentals Of Parliamentary Law (1957)

e [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and finally Mr chairman why should we refer this matter to a committee we're competent to handle it Mr chairman Mr Babar Mr chairman I move that we postpone the question indefinitely the motion is out of order I don't think anyone will question the accuracy of these figures I feel sure I'm afraid I do Mrs Clark may I ask what is the source of your your remarks are out of order Mrs Davis Mr chairman Mr Edwards Mr chairman before we vote to lay the pending motion on the table I have something I'd like to say about it I don't think the members the members remarks are out of order well did those three chairman see seem to be running the meetings with a high hand does a chairman boss a meeting not at all a chairman is simply one of the members chosen by the others to see that the rules are applied everything must be according to rules a century ago I was an instructor in engineering at West Point served in the Civil War and then supervised the building of many Harbor improvements docks Bridges and so on as the Army's chief of Engineers by the way I was a brigadier general by this time you may be wondering why I should be talking to you on this subject well my name is Henry Martin Robert and in 1876 I published a book which deals with this subject a book you probably know Roberts Rules of Order by now there are a lot of books in what is rather grandly called parliamentary procedure which translated into a simple term means how to talk things over and reach decisions you can't do this efficiently and fairly without rules so whether your group is a union local or a town meeting or a summer youth group or a Legion post or a group of Scholars or a Women's Club or any other group trying to function as a unit what you want to do is to adopt as a body the rules as set forth in one of the many available handbooks basically they are all in agreement let's get clear on a few fundamentals the rules exist to make sure of certain things the first is that on any question the will of the majority must Prevail that's obvious but it's just as important that the minority shall have it say freely in other words a well-conducted meeting is a good example of democracy in action another fundamental is that rules are necessary in order to get things done without waste of time let's get down to business and see how the rules work it has been moved and seconded that the club's annual dues be increased to $75 is there any discussion all those in favor say I I all those opposed say no no the motion is carried well if all business could be conducted like that that is if a meeting consisted of just passing one such motion after another everything would be very simple but many things can happen to such a motion before it is put to a vote let's go back and put that same motion before the meeting again it has been moved and seconded that the club's annual dues be increased $75 is there any discussion Mr chairman chairman it looks as if there is to be a good deal of discussion that motion to raise the club's dues is what is called a primary motion that is a motion which if passed will commit the organization to a definite action all motions have an order of priority a primary motion such as the one just made to raise the club's dues has the lowest priority of all it's the first one made but the last one voted on if other motions are made which affect it an amendment to the primary motion and amendments to an amendment have priority over the primary motion because the primary motion must be voted on as amended after amendments are approved now then about 20 motions in all are possible though normally in any meeting only a few of them are actually used at the moment we are dealing with the 10 whose priority it is most important to know about and what do you think has nearly top priority a motion to adjourn that's right unless voting on another motion is actually going on or unless someone is speaking a motion to adjourn is always in order except that unless the time for the next meeting is already established a motion to set the time for it has priority over the motion to adjourn and why this top priority to adjournment simply because it isn't logical to keep a meeting going when a majority of the members want to end it when a majority wishes for any reason reason to avoid voting on a primary motion right away they can do it in any one of several ways they can suspend the meeting briefly by voting for a recess or they can postpone action on a primary motion to a more favorable but unspecified Time by laying it on the table or they can schedule the primary motion for consideration at a later but specific time or they vote to refer the matter to an appropriate committee for study and Report always an important possible motion is this one if a primary motion is under debate and a majority considers it is heard all it needs to hear it can vote to close debate immediately all of these secondary motions are AIDS in determining the will of the majority as to modifying or disposing of the primary motion hence their priority over the primary motion is logical the priorities among them are based on relative urgency and now let's watch some of these priorities in operation here's a meeting of a parent Teachers Association in the town of anywhere at the moment a primary motion is under debate surely the problem of a parking lot for the teachers can be solved without cutting down the size of the playground the playground is too big now but the number of pupils is bound to increase by at least 50% by all means let's pass the motion to petition the school board Mr chairman Mr Gibson Mr chairman I move that consideration of this matter be postponed to the April meeting I second the motion Mr chairman Mr Harris I move that the matter be referred to the committee on policy the motion to refer to a committee is out of order the Chairman's ruling is correct the motion to refer to a committee has a lower priority than the motion to postpone to a definite time which therefore must be dealt with first if all Mr chairman Mr Jackson I move the debate be closed I second the motion it has been moved and seconded the debate be closed all those in favor say I I those opposed say no no having received more than a 23 vote the motion to close debate has passed we will now consider the motion to petition the school board in the matter of the playground Mr chairman Mr Kennedy point of order Mr chairman please State your point of order if I'm not mistaken the motion to postpone this matter to the April meeting is still pending your point is well taken we will now consider the motion to postpone the matter of the playground to the April meeting Mr chairman Mrs Lin I move that we take a 20 minute recess I second the motion well that motion to recess with its high priority is going to delay for 20 minutes any vote and postponing to the April meeting we now see clearly that a good many things can happen to a primary motion besides an immediate vote all the chairman and the more members the better ought to be thoroughly familiar with the priorities of the 10 motions we've been dealing with actually those 10 have to make room for others occasionally for instance I don't think Norris spoke like a loyal member of this Union is he for us or for the management does he see their side because his wife has a job in the front office does he wish he was there himself point of privilege Mr chairman I resent the member's remarks they're insulting and they have no price in this discussion your point is well taken no personalities Mr Mage confine yourself to the merits of the question what I'd like to say is that the library staff is already working hard enough if the member point of privilege Madam chairman State your point please we can't listen to Mrs Owen and Chopsticks at the same time now please have the piano silenced those two cases show why point of privilege has a high priority it is important to protect members from discomfort annoyance discourtesy or abuse and even from Chopsticks in addition to the 10 that are outstanding there is quite an array of subordinate motions in general their priorities are assigned and their meaning clear but when we come to postpone indefinitely let's see how it differs from lay on the table this lady's pet motion has just been postponed indefinitely this really means her motion has been killed without a vote being taken on it a majority of members didn't think it was worth debating and this is the kindest way out our friend here has just had his motion laid on the table but he doesn't mind he is perfectly free to bring it up again at this same meeting if he wants to maybe he moved to lay his own motion on the table himself let's find out what was wrong in those episodes at the beginning when chairman were making those out of order rulings that was because a motion to refer to a committee was under debate and the motion to postpone indefinitely had a lower priority that was because a member wishing to take part in debate must first be recognized by the chairman and must address the chair not another member and that was because a motion to lay on the table is not debatable of course a small organiz ation a mere room full of members can be as informal as they like they need not rise to address the chair matters may be discussed without the making of motions the chairman May participate freely and there may be a generally relaxed approach to the business in hand so long as votes are formally taken and the rights of both majority and minority are fully protected and that Mr chairman is why I disagree with the last two speakers the conference isn't next year it's less than a month from now now referring the matter to a committee is going to put us in a very awkward position I shall vote against the motion while those young people are debating I just wish to say that all I've shown you is the basic part of this subject the fundamental rules and why they are necessary Mr chairman Mr Russell I move we adjourn I second the motion it has been moved and seconded that we adjourn all those in favor of the motion say I I those opposed say no no the eyes have it the motion is carried and the meeting stands adjourned