Annual Meeting 2008
Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ
University of Maine, Farmington
June 20 - 22, 2008

It's Who We Are!
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PARLIAMENTARY POINTERS & PRINCIPLES

Principles of parliamentary law are:
1. Courtesy
2. Justice to individuals, and to the group
3. Handling one thing at a time
4. Respecting the right of the minority to be heard
5. Respecting the right of the majority to establish its will and make the decision

To expedite business, these are mandatory:
1. Be on time for meetings
2. Use the microphone for speaking and remember to identify yourself by name, church or represented body
3. Don't take time to repeat points of discussion that have already been heard by the meeting
4. Stay on the subject, and confine your discussion only to the immediately pending question.
5. Note and abide by the standing rules adopted for the meeting

Initiating Consideration
1. In making motions, begin with:  " I move that________" or "I move the adoption of _______"
DO NOT use "I make a motion" OR "I want to make a motion" or "I so move." State your motion clearly and concisely.
2. If you feel that your motion was ill timed or is now inappropriate ask for permission to withdraw it.
3. If you wish to change the wording in a motion, move to AMEND. "I MOVE TO AMEND by striking out the words _____. (and give location), and inserting the words ________in the same place."
4. You may amend the initial amendment by moving to change some of its words. This second amendment applies only to the wording in the initial amendment and not to any other part of the main motion. NO other amendments are allowed at this time.
Thus if the pending montion is defeated, a delegate may announce that he or she plans to offer another motion to amend and may briefly indicate its nature.

Expediting Consideration
1. If you wish to set a certain item of business aside temporarily in order to take up something more urgent, say, "I move to TABLE the motion."
2. Then after the urgent business is handled, any delegate may say, "I move to TAKE THE MOTION regarding...FROM THE TABLE."
3. The motions to "TABLE" and "TAKE FROM THE TABLE", may not have any time indicated, are undebatable, and require a vote to carry
4. If you want to stop debate, say, "I move the PREVIOUS QUESTION", or you can say, "I move to STOP DEBATE AND VOTE IMMEDIATELY ON_____". This takes a 2nd and requires a 2/3 vote to carry.  If carried, the vote is taken immediately on the pending as an individual are ready to vote. It should not be used, and will be ignored by the chair.
5. A motion to LIMIT DEBATE in any way, or otherwise modify rules of debate, requires a 2/3 vote.
6. If it is your wish to POSTPONE something to another session of this meeting move to "postpone this matter (or motion) to the Saturday (or...) evening session of this meeting."
7. If you want a main motion killed, without having a direct vote on the main motion, move to POSTPONE IT INDEFINITELY.

Priority of Subsidiary Motions
1. It should be noted that the motions to:
Lay on the Table HIGH RANK
Previous Question
Limit Debate
Postpone to a Certain Time
Refer to a Committee
Amend
Postpone Indefinitely LOW RANK
have rank within this subsidiary group of motions. In other words, while a motion to refer a matter to a committee is being discussed, a motion to postpone indefinitely is not in order because it is lower in rank. However, the motion to table the matter would be in order.

Questioning Vote or Procedure
1. If you doubt the result of a close voice vote, call for a DIVISION OF THE HOUSE or just for a DIVISION. The chair will then ask for a rising vote to verify the result. To order a counted vote takes a majority vote of the meeting.
2. If you think the rules are being disobeyed, rise to a POINT OF ORDER.
3. If you wish to do this, it must be called at the time the violation occurs. If you don't understand, or want to accomplish something and aren't sure how to do it, just ask. The chair will try to be of help.

Adapted from document of Fletcher Lutz and Bonnie Ploeger
Provided by: Northeast New Jersey Communities United for Progress (CUP), 116 North Oraton Parkway, East Orange, New Jersey 07017, (201)673-4120

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