Parliamentary Procedure Jean Gamester, DTM & Monica Horten - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Jean Gamester, DTM & Monica Horten District 91 September 2017 Parliamentary Procedure

Who’s Who in our “Lowerarchy”?

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Our “Lowerarchy”

Who are the members of the District Council? What are their responsibilities?

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District Council

The district council serves as the administrative governing body of the district, operating with powers delegated to the district council by the Board of Directors of Toastmasters International.

District Council Business – Key Areas Finances Appointments and Elections Assignment of Clubs to Areas and Divisions Reports

Who are the members of the District Executive Committee? What are their responsibilities?

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The DEC – Our District Leaders

Who is the representative of Toastmasters International in the District?

District Director

Who is held to account for what District Leaders do in the District?

District Director

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The District Director

• Is the representative of

Toastmasters International in the District

• Has responsibility for the running
• f the district and is accountable

for achieving the district mission

• Is accountable for what district

leaders do

• All other roles report to the District

Director

• All district appointments are made

by the District Director, some of them need to be confirmed by the DEC and Council

• Chairs the Council and the DEC

True or False? “I’ve been elected to my

role, it’s totally up to me how I do it.” False

True or False?

The DEC and the Council have total freedom to decide for themselves through voting on motions

• n how things will be run

in the District. False

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• Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of

Toastmasters International

• District Administrative Bylaws
• Club Constitution for Clubs of Toastmasters

International

• Policy and Protocol
• District Leadership Handbook
• And Robert’s Rules of Order

We are governed by

“It ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it”

“It ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it”

What is Parliamentary Procedure?

In Toastmasters – Parliamentary procedure means Roberts Rules of Order

Principles of Roberts Rules

• Parliamentary procedure facilitiates the

transaction of business in fairness & good faith

• All members have rights including absent

members

• to free & fair debate
• to know meaning of a motion and what its effect will

be

• Minority opinions have the right to be heard
• Majority has right to decide
• Votes are counted equally – no member votes

twice, no member’s vote counted more than

• nce

Motion

Process 1. Member proposes a motion ▪ Raise hand & wait for recognition ▪ Chair recognises by stating name 2. Another member seconds the motion ▪ Seconder agrees the motion should be considered, but does not have to be in favour & does not have to be recognised by chair 3. Presiding officer places motion before group ▪ Repeats the motion as stated & ▪ Motion now open for debate & is now property of group 4. Motion is open for debate ▪ Chair invites proposer to speak first, then others invited to speak ▪ For /against alternate - chair may ask who wishes to speak for/against ▪ No-one speaks twice until all those who wish to have spoken once ▪ Debate must be on merits of proposal and germane to topic 5. Motion is put to a vote

A formal proposal by a member that certain action be taken. Specific - what, when, who, (financial value).

• Main motion
• Proposer

/Second

• May not interrupt
• Debateable
• Amendable
• Majority vote

Deciding the motion

• Are there any objections?

Motion decided by unanimous consent. If no objections, the Chair declares the matter agreed. If even one objection, a vote is held.

• Are you ready to vote?
• The vote is taken in the following order:
• Voice : all those in favour say aye or no. If

the outcome is not clear or there is disagreement then

• Hand signal, and counted. If the outcome

is not clear or there is disagreement then -

• Secret ballot

Chair announces result

The ‘aye’s have it. 14 in favour, 12 against.

Decisions by email are not recommended by Roberts Rules.

Amendments

• Modify wording
• Insert, add or strike out text
• If Amendment is rejected (falls) then
• riginal motion may be voted
• Must be germane to the Motion
• can alter the intention
• Amend the Amendment (Secondary

Amendment) – it it falls, primary Amendment is voted

• Only 1 primary & secondary Am. at

a time

Proposer & Seconder Subsidiary motion May not interrupt Debateable - on merits of Am Majority vote

Divide the motion

Motion to divide a motion so as to consider two parts of it separately Not debateable - adopted by majority vote E.g. motion is venue and time of conference - vote separately on where to hold it, & what date. If vote agrees to divide, then Chair then states the first part of the Motion and puts to vote

Proposer & Second Incidental motion May not interrupt speaker Amendable Not Debateable Majority vote

Motion to limit or extend debate

• Limit number of speakers or time per

speaker on a given Motion

• E.g. move to have 2 speakers for & against,

for 3 mins each

• Place maximum time limit on motion
• E.g move to close debate at 8.30pm & a vote

taken on the motion

• Motion to limit debate is outranked by

motion to close debate, and by motion to adjourn

Proposer & Seconder Subsidiary motion May not interrupt Amendable Not debateable 2/3 vote

Point of order

• A point of order may be raised where:
• Not germane to motion
• Personal attack or derision
• Interrupting the speaker
• Speaking over time
• Failure to hear all views
• Objections outstanding /not addressed
• Meeting procedure is not being

correctly followed

• Enforcement of the rules
• May be raised by anyone
• Does not require Second
• May interrupt a speaker
• Not debateable
• Incidental motion
• Ruled on by the Chair

Appeal a decision of the chair

• May be raised by

anyone

• Requires Second
• May interrupt a

speaker

• Is debateable but not

amendable

• Majority vote
• Incidental motion
• A member who disagrees with a

ruling by chair may appeal :

• Relates to decision not the person
• Motion is “Shall the decision of the

Chair be sustained?”

• Takes the matter from the Chair to the

group for decision

• Is debateable but no member may

speak more than once

Request for information

• Request for information relevant to

business at hand

• Usually supplementary & readily

available

• Directed to Chair
• E.g. Please ask the Finance Officer

to give us the end of year balance?

Proposer No Second Incidental motion Not Debateable No vote

Some final words