‘Citizens’ Duty To Understand Meeting Procedure’

Press, Volume C, Issue 29516, 18 May 1961, Page 2

‘Citizens’ Duty To Understand Meeting Procedure’

“Every citizen must understand the correct procedure for conducting a meeting, before complete co-operation between the chairman and those attending can be gained,” said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr G. Manning) in Christchurch yesterday. He was giving a lecture on conducting meetings, in a course on able membership and confident leadership, now being held by the Adult Education Department of the University of Canterbury’. Several executive members of women’s organisations attended.

“The two great principles of our democracy are freedom of expression and association. Provided they are not marred by libel or sedition, they lead to opportunity for creative thought,” Mr Man inng said.

Because these freedoms enriched the individual and society, everyone should aim at the greatest efficiency in attaining results at a meeting, he said. Every organisation should have a printed set of rules of debate and procedure. with which every member should acquaint himself.

Mr Manning outlined the following procedure for conducting a meeting: "At a public meeting, the convener first states the purpose for which it was called, then asks for nominations for a chairman.” he said. "At a regular meeting of an organisation, the secretary provides the chairman with an agenda, before the chairman declares the meeting open.” Before any topic of business can be discussed, it must be moved in a motion, and seconded. The chairman states the motion to the meeting. when it immediately becomes the possession of the meeting. The motion may be accepted, modified or rejected, but a time limit should be imposed on the proposer for stating his arguments. Seconding Pro Forma A seconder may vote and speak against a motion if he wishes, provided he gives warning by saying, “Mr Chairman. I second the motion pro forma.’’ This is to encourage discussion of the question by the meeting.

A motion may be amended by inserting, deleting, or substituting words. Words may be added to the amendment, but no further amendment may be made after this is done.

Anyone wishing to withdraw a motion must ask the chairman if he may do so, with the leave of the meeting. The chairman puts this to the meeting and the motion may not be withdrawn unless there is a majority vote. There is no limit to the number of amendments which may be made to a motion, provided they do not overlap.

If a person wishes to give notice of motion that a motion carried at a previous meeting be rescinded, it must be passed in writing, and signed, to the secretary of the organisation five days before the next meeting is due. This is so that it maybe circulated among all members. Speakers’ Rights In the course of a meeting, if a discussion is getting out of hand or is getting too long, only a person who has not so far exercised his right to speak may move that the meeting do now proceed to the next item on the agenda. Although the motion so becomes shelved for that meeting, it may be raised again on further occasions. Similarly, a person who has not hitherto exercised his right to speak, may move that the question “be now put” If a point of order is raised, it takes precedence over the speaker, who must

resume his Seat until the chairman has given a ruling on the point. A point of order may be raised if a speaker is using personalities, and the chairman can make the ruling without anyone else raising the point. Nominations for executive positions do not require a seconder, unless it has been made a requirement in the organisation’s constitution. “This practice is only a habit,” Mr Manning said. A point of explanation may be made by a speaker to defend a remark, made in a speech and which has been queried, but he must wait until the person making the query has resumed his seat.