Source: http://jimslaughter.com/Brainteasers--Roberts-Rules-of-Order-QA-pre2000-Archive-2.cfm
Timestamp: 2018-05-27 21:04:52
Document Index: 529375481

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 49', '§ 12', '§ 61', '§ 41', '§ 20', '§ 59', '§ 27', '§ 48', '§ 8', '§ 12', '§ 61', '§ 14', '§ 13', '§ 35', '§ 45', '§ 24', '§ 45', '§ 21', '§ 12', '§ 57', '§ 59', '§ 48']

Brainteasers - Robert's Rules of Order Q&A (pre-2000 Archive 2)
Robert's Rules of Order Q&A
Parliamentary Procedure Brainteasers (Archive 2)
For current parliamentary procedure brainteasers, visit www.jimslaughter.com/brainteasers.cfm
Answer: Under The Standard Code, “The motion to reconsider can be applied only to the main motion. The same result is accomplished for all other motions by more simple and direct means. Other motions that have lost can be proposed again or renewed as soon as, in the judgment of the presiding officer, the vote might result differently. Other motions that have carried can be changed easily by procedural motions." The Standard Code, page 39.
Answer: "One way of remembering the general rule that no appeals can be taken from the Chair's rulings which arise out of known Facts, evident Truths, established Rules or operative Laws, but can be taken only from rulings which are based on his personal Judgment, Opinion or Discretion, is by the first letters thereof: F,T,R,L and J,O,D." Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law, page 131."
Question: Your organization's bylaws provide that the executive director is an "ex-officio member of the board of directors," but give no other guidance. Is the executive director allowed to vote and to make motions during meetings of the board of directors? The parliamentary authority of the organization is Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition).
Answer: Unless expressly stated differently in the bylaws, an ex-officio member has all rights of membership--including the right to participate in debate and to vote. "In the executive board of a society, if the ex-officio member of the board is under the authority of the society (that is, if he is a member, an employee, or an elected or appointed officer of the society), there is no distinction between him and the other board members." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 49, p. 483.
Answer: No. The motion to amend by striking out certain words can be amended only by striking out words from the primary amendment. "As a consequence of the rule stated at the beginning of this paragraph, a primary amendment to strike out a single word cannot be amended." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 12, p. 147.
Answer: No. "Although the chair has no authority to impose a penalty or to order the offending member removed from the hall, the assembly has that power." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 61, p. 646.
Question: A motion to recess is made at a meeting while no other question is pending. What type of motion is this and what are its characteristics? The parliamentary authority is Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 41 (p. 356).
Answer: A motion to recess made while no question is pending is an incidental main motion. It is debatable, amendable, and requires a majority vote. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 20, p. 230.
Answer: "Any standing rule of a convention (except one prescribing the parliamentary authority) can be suspended for a particular specified purpose by a majority vote, even if the rule required a two-thirds vote for its adoption. Under such a suspension, however, the applicable rules in the parliamentary authority prescribed by the bylaws (or by a rule of the convention) come into force--as if the standing rule had not been adopted." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 59, p. 621.
Answer: None. "[O]ne or more of the several resolutions must receive separate consideration and vote at the request of a single member, and the motion for Division of a Question is not used." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 27, p. 274-75.
Question: The members at a meeting review the minutes of the prior meeting. An error in the minutes is noted and corrected. Where does Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) suggest that corrections to the minutes be noted?
Answer: "Any correction approved by the assembly is made in the text of the minutes being approved; the minutes of the meeting making the correction merely state that the minutes were approved “as corrected,” without specifying what the correction was." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 48 (p. 469).
Question: Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) describes a situation in which the chair, without objection, simply permits a brief pause, without a declaration of a recess. What is the term describing such action?
Answer: To "stand at ease." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 8 (p. 82).
Question: A large board with a parliamentary authority of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) is considering a proposal to "construct a new facility at a cost not to exceed $100,000." During debate, it becomes apparent that different members have different thoughts on the amount of money to spend on the facility. A member moves "to create a blank by striking out of the pending motion the sum '$100,000'" so that an unlimited number of proposal can be considered at the same time. Is the motion to create the blank debatable? Are suggestions to fill the blank debatable?
Answer: While the motion to create a blank is undebatable (and requires a majority vote), proposals to fill a blank in a debatable motion are debatable. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 12 (p. 164).
Question: A nonmember begins to disrupt the monthly meeting of an organization that follows Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). The chair orders the offending nonmember to leave the hall. If the nonmember does not feel that the order is fair, what can she do about it procedurally?
Answer: "Nonmembers, on the other hand—or a particular nonmember or group of nonmembers—can be excluded at any time from part or all of a meeting of a society, or from all of its meetings. Such exclusion can be effected by a ruling of the chair in cases of disorder . . . . Members, however, can appeal from the decision of the chair. . . ." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 61 (p. 644-645).
Question: Your board of directors meets three times each year and follows Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). A member wishes to delay the consideration of a matter until more information can be obtained. Can the motion to Postpone to a Certain Time be used to delay the matter until the next board meeting?
Answer: No. "In a case where more than a quarterly time interval (see pp. 89-90) will elapse between meetings (for example, in an annual convention of delegates or in a local society that holds only an annual meeting), a question cannot be postponed beyond the end of the present session." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 14 (p. 183).
Question: According to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), there are three variations of the motion to Commit whose object is not to turn the main question over to a smaller group, but to permit the assembly's full meeting body to consider it with the greater freedom of debate that is allowed in committees--that is, with no limit on the number of times a member can speak. What are these three forms?
Answer: "These forms of the motion are: (a) to 'go into a committee of the whole'; (b) to 'go into quasi committee of the whole' (or, to 'consider as if in committee of the whole'; and (c) to 'consider informally.'" Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 13 (p. 168).
Question: According to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), which of the following parliamentary steps could be in order while the privileged motion to Adjourn is pending?
Question: A motion is being debated at the monthly meeting of an organization that follows Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). After some discussion, the maker and seconder of the motion realize that a small wording change should be made to the motion. Do they have this right?
Question: A committee has voted 8 to 3 in favor of presenting a motion to the assembly for adoption? May a committee member who does not agree with the report speak against the motion before the assembly, according to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition)?
Question: You are in a meeting that follows Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). You make a motion to reconsider an item that was discussed and adopted several meetings before the present one. The chairman notes that because no notice of the motion to reconsider was given and because of some members not being present at the meeting, a two-thirds vote will be required to adopt the motion to reconsider. What type of meeting are you attending?
Question: You are a delegate to an annual convention that follows Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). You wish to delay consideration of the pending resolution until next year's annual convention. What motion should you use?
Question: According to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), this is a committee that is appointed, as the need arises, to carry out a specified task, at the completion of which the committee automatically ceases to exist. What is this type of committee called?
Question: A new edition of the most popular parliamentary authority was released in 2011. What is the full title of the book?
Question: Your organization follows Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). Is it permitted for a member to speak against her own motion? Can she vote against it?
Question: You are a member of an organization that follows Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). At last week's meeting, a motion was adopted that you now wish to repeal. However, you were not present at that meeting. Can you make the motion to Rescind?
Answer: Yes. There are no restrictions on who may move the motion to Rescind (unlike the motion to Reconsider). Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 35 (p. 307).
Question: A member realizes just after the result of a vote is announced that she accidentally voted on the wrong side of the question. If the organization’s parliamentary authority is Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), what must the member do to change her vote?
Answer: “A member has a right to change his vote up to the time the result is announced; after that, he can make the change only by the unanimous consent of the assembly granted without debate, immediately following the chair’s announcement of the result of the vote.” Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 45 (p. 408).
Question: A member appeals from a decision of the chair at a regular monthly meeting of an organization. After debate on the appeal, the chair states the question as follows: "The question is: 'Shall the decision of the chair be sustained?'" The vote is 89 affirmative and 90 negative. If the organization’s parliamentary authority is Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), can the chair (who is a member of the assembly) vote on the appeal and will the chair's vote have any effect on the outcome of this appeal?
Answer: “A majority or tie vote sustains the decision of the chair on the principle that the chair's decision stands until reversed by a majority. If the presiding officer is a member of the assembly, he can vote to create a tie and thus sustain his decision.” Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 24 (p. 258).
Question: If your parliamentary authority is Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), can a member "explain" his vote during voting?
Answer: “A member has no right to "explain his vote" during voting, which would be the same as debate at such a time.” Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 45 (p. 408).
Question: You are a delegate to a national convention that follows Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). According to the adopted program, the time for adjournment of a particular session is at 4:00 pm. A motion is made at 3:15 to adjourn the session. You wish to speak against the motion to Adjourn. Is the motion to Adjourn debatable?
Answer: Yes (if the motion to Adjourn is in order at all, given the parliamentary situation). "Under any of conditions (1) through (3) above [(2) reads as follows: "When a time for adjourning is already established, either because the assembly has adopted a motion or a program setting such a time, or because the order of business, the bylaws, or other governing rules prescribe it."], a motion to adjourn is not privileged and is treated just as any other main motion." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 21 (p. 234).
Question: The parliamentary authority for your organization is Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). A main motion is under discussion. The Previous Question is moved, seconded, and ordered by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting. A member then obtains the floor and asks that the main motion be divided into two questions. Is the motion to divide in order procedurally?
Question: What is the "Gordian Knot motion" and which authority discusses this parliamentary maneuver?
Answer: The "Gordian Knot motion" is a use of the motion to Suspend Rules in order to get a fresh start. The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure 4th Edition discusses the process at page 86.
Question: Your organization is considering a main motion. If your parliamentary authority is Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), is it in order to move to strike out one word at the beginning of the motion and one word at the end of the motion in the same motion to amend?
Answer: No. "When a motion to strike out certain words is made, it can be applied only to consecutive words . . . . To strike out separated words, the best method is to make a motion to strike out the entire clause or sentence containing the separated words and insert a new clause or sentence as desired. Separated words can also be struck out by separate motions." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 12 (p. 139).
Question: Your organization follows Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). A proposed amendment to the bylaws is pending that will require a two-thirds vote for adoption. If an amendment from the floor is proposed to the bylaws amendment, what vote is required for adoption according to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition)?
Answer: Majority vote. "While amendments to a proposed bylaw amendment can be made in both the first and the second degrees (as applicable) and can be adopted by a majority vote without notice, they are subject to restrictions on the extent of the changes they propose." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 57 (p. 594-595).
Question: According to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), the motion to create a blank by striking out is what type of motion?
Answer: Incidental motion. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) Table of Rules Relating to Motion, p. 10.
Question: If your parliamentary authority is Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), what vote is required on the motion to Suspend the Rules when the rule is a convention standing rule?
Answer: "Any standing rule of a convention (except one prescribing the parliamentary authority) can be suspended for a particular specified purpose by a majority vote, even if the rule required a two-thirds vote for its adoption. Under such a suspension, however, the applicable rules in the parliamentary authority prescribed by the bylaws (or by a rule of the convention) come into force--as if the standing rule had not been adopted. To suspend a convention standing rule and also the general parliamentary rule normally applying to the same situation requires a two-thirds vote, just as to suspend the general rule when no standing rule is involved." Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 59 (p. 620-621).
Question: According to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition), what should be stated in the last paragraph of minutes?
Answer: The hour of adjournment. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition) § 48 (p. 470).