ROBERT’S RULES AND MOTIONS AT A BOARD MEETING

Question 1

Main Motion

Answer 1

• A Main Motion is a new proposal that the Board takes certain action or expresses itself as holding certain views.
o Debates on a motion must be germane, or relevant to, the subject of the pending motion

Question 2

Subsidiary Motion

Answer 2

• A Subsidiary Motion is used to assist the Board in dealing with the main motion and deal directly with the disposition of the main motion. Types of subsidiary motions include: Postpone Indefinitely, Amend, Refer to Committee, Postpone Definitely, Limit Debate, Previous Question, and Table

Question 3

Privileged Motions

Answer 3

• Privileged Motions pertain mostly to the rights of the Board or member rights, and they are not debatable. Some may interrupt pending business or speakers. Privileged motions include: Orders of the day (to return to the order of business or set timeline), Question of Privilege (to protect the rights of the Board or individual Board members when something interferes with their participation in the meeting), Recess, Adjourn, and Fix Time to Adjourn.

Question 4

Incidental Motions

Answer 4

• Incidental Motions arise out of another question that is or has just been pending, and deal with actions of the Board in relation to pending business. They cannot be debated, except the motion to appeal. Two types of incidental motions: Incidental main motions when no motion is pending, or Incidental motions relating to actions of the Board during consideration of a pending question. Incidental motions include: Point of Order (to address a breach of assembly rules), Point of Information, Suspend the Rules (for suspending order of business or rules of the assembly, but not bylaws), Division of Assembly (for a recount of votes), Method of Voting, Division of the Question (to divide a motion into different a distinct parts), Appeal Decision of the Chair, and Withdraw.

Question 5

Bring Back Motions

Answer 5

• Bring Back Motions allow reconsideration of actions taken by the Board, and include: Take from the Table, Rescind/Amend Something Previously Adopted, Reconsider (to bring back an item for further consideration, and only on the same day as the adoption of the original motion), Discharge a Committee (to remove a committee from consideration of a question assigned to them), and Ratify (to approve emergency actions taken without a formal meeting).