Parliamentary Procedure: Rules for Meetings

Parliamentary Procedure

• Sets of accepted rules that govern meetings and assemblies
• Ensures order and fairness in discussions and decision-making

Historical Context

• Originated in the 16th-century English Parliament
• The American Congress adopted and modified the rules
• The Philippines incorporated parliamentary proceduresDuring American rule

Sources of Law

• U.S. Constitution
• Rules of the U.S. Congress
• Decisions of the presiding officer
• Jefferson's Manual

Philippine Context

• Constitution
• Rules of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives
• U.S. Congress rules (supplementary sources)
• Jefferson's Manual (as needed)

Fundamental Principles

• Equal rights and obligations for all members
• Majority rule (50% + 1) for valid decisions
• Minority rights to express opinions
• Singularity of subject (one issue at a time)
• Full and free debate

Motions

• Must be voted upon
• Group interest over individual preferences
• An impartial presiding officer must enforce rules

Meetings and Sessions

Definition of a Meeting

• A gathering for deliberation
• Lasts from assembly convenes to adjourns
• Short recesses do not break a meeting

Types of Meetings

• Regular: Scheduled, no notification
• Special: Called for specific purposes, business specified in the notice
• Adjourned: Continuation of an earlier meeting

Sessions

• Single or series of meetings over a period
• Legislative bodies adjourn sine die (without reconvening date)

Importance of Meetings

• Official group decisions through deliberation
• Conducted via formal motions

Motions Defined

• Formal proposal for consideration
• Typically introduced "I move that..."

Types of Motions

• Privilege: Urgent matters affecting members
  • Example: Raising a Question of Privilege
• Subsidiary: Modify/delay a main motion
  • Example: Postpone Definitely
• Main: Introduce new business
  • Example: Adopt a Resolution
• Incidental: Address procedural questions
  • Example: Point of Order

Presiding officer role

• Ensures rules are followed and maintains order
• Does not use "I" in statements and refers to themselves by title
  • Calling the meeting to order
  • Recognizing speakers
  • Ruling on points of order
  • Maintaining decorum
  • Conducting votes
  • Clarifying issues
  • Announcing results
  • Adjourning the meeting

Secretary Role

• Records minutes and ensures accuracy
• Temporary replacement if absent

Quorum

• Minimum number of members for legal business.
  • Majority of members are required, if not specified
  • The quorum is restricted to active members

Order of Business

• Standard sequence for meetings
  • Call to Order
  • Invocation (Optional)
  • National Anthem (If applicable)
  • Roll Call (Optional)
  • Reading and Approval of Minutes
  • Reports of Standing Committees
  • Reports of Special Committees
  • Unfinished Business
  • New Business
  • Announcements (Optional)
  • Adjournment

Handling Meeting Procedures

Call to Order

• The presiding officer(Chair) initiates the meeting with a gavel.

Invocation and Roll Call

• Depending on tradition they are considered optional.

Reading of Minutes

• Members may propose corrections upon reading of documents.

Committee Reports

• Standing committees report first, followed by special committees.

Unfinished Business

• Includes matters resumed from the previous meeting.

New Business

• Introduces new topics for discussion

Announcements

• Shared before adjournment to avoid interruptions.

Adjournment

• Chair declares with consent or a motion.

Deviations

• Adjustable if necessary
• Changes fixed order requires a two-thirds vote

Resolutions

• Official actions and temporary ones are documented.

Essential Parts of a Resolution

• Resolution Number
• Title or Caption
• Author
• Justifications (Whereas Clauses)
• Conclusion (Resolved Clauses)
• Addressees
• Movant and Seconders
• Date of Passage
• Certification by Secretary
• Approval by Presiding Officer

Quorum and Business

• Quorum is the minimum members required for business, otherwise no decision can be made
  • Organizational bylaws define quorum parameters
  • Parliamentary law states that a majority is needed if unspecified
  • Some groups use a fraction of their total members

Computing the Quorum

• Based on live members, excluding those deceased, incapacitated or absent
• Only members in good standing count
• Formal action needed to drop delinquent rules

Walkouts

• If the quorum is present, business continue otherwise cease and desist
• Repeated quorum cannot be enacted to cause delay

Adjournment

• Chair cannot unilaterally declare adjournment
• Motion needed unless agenda is complete
• Officers must be in agreement

Presumption

Presumption of Quorum

• If a quorum was present, it is presumed to exist regardless of record
• This presumption is dismissed if votes shows less participation

Quorum Determination

Member Inquiry

• Any member can request for quorum presence: "Mr Chairman is there a Quorum present?"
• The chair then verifies using a headcount procedure
• Any unnecessary repeated challenges is not permitted

Order of Business

• Ensures meetings are well managed and efficient

Standard order:

• Call to order
• Invocation and Role Call (Optional)
• Reading and disposition of meeting minutes
• Committee reports
• Unfinished Business -New Business

Call to Order

• Chair calls the meeting by rapping the gavel.

Invocation and Roll call

• Optional depending on the association

Reading and Minutes

• Minutes of previous meeting should be read but may be pushed by majority vote.

Committee Reports

• Follows standing committees, special committees and informative purposes only

Unfinished Business

• Matters that are left unresolved
• The presiding officer raises pending matters for the member

New Business

• Introduces any new matter
• If no new arises the meeting proceeds to announcement

Announcements

• Sharing updates and information for member

Adjournment

• Informs the end of meeting, avoiding unnecessary disturbances

Debate

• Should there be no objection, can be adjusted but require 2/3 vote or motion to suspend
• Each member has the write to seek, but not absolute however
• Chair has the rights to ensure respect is maintained

Motions of Debatability

• Some allow open discussion, while others do not so it does not interrupt the workflow

Undebatable Motions(Decisions Without Discussion)

• Enacted to ensure order during meetings

Common examples

• Motion to lay an issue, suspend the top
• Question for previous to force a vote
• Clarification for meeting procedures

Time Limit for Debate

• Debate should not extend beyond reason for effective process
• Organizations may have fixed time limits
• The assembly can put a limit on it

Classes for Votes

Majority Vote

• Votes are cast based on requirements to determine

At Least One-half

• 1 exclusion of blank votes, 2 Includes all valid and invalid vote. 3 based purely on members

Relevancy

• Discussions must stay on top and connected
• A speaker can not undermine their motion

Decorum

• Speakers must convey themselves with respect.

Votes and Voting

Importance of votes

• Assemblies mandate a vote unless specified otherwise
• 5 types of votes (Majority, Percentage, Plurality, Tie, Unanimous)

Filling Banks

When multiple names are give

• An announcement of such is presented

Announcing

• Formally announced to the Chair
• And any related updates

Learn about parliamentary procedure, the sets of accepted rules that govern meetings and assemblies. This ensures order and fairness in discussions and decision-making. Explore its historical context and fundamental principles.