PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES

Introduction

Parliamentary procedures is a set of well proven rules designed to move business along in a meeting
while maintaining harmony and order. Its purpose is to help groups accomplish their tasks through an
orderly, democratic process. Parliamentary procedures is not intended to inhibit a meeting with
unnecessary rules or to prevent people from expressing their opinions. It is intended to facilitate the smooth
functioning of the meeting and promote cooperation and harmony among members.

Parliamentary procedures is key to turning your unproductive, frustrating meetings into a concrete
and definite step to achieving your group’s target.

Let’s begin by identifying what you know about this topic and what other things you may want learn.

Overview of Parliamentary Procedures1

In general, parliamentary procedures is developed around the principles of fairness and transparency as
everyone in the group is assumed to have the right to participate in the discussion before anyone may
speak the second time around and have the right to know what is going on at all times. It also ensures that
majority will rule and protects the right of the minority and the absentees. To ensure order in the conduct
of the meeting, only urgent matters may interrupt a speaker and only one thing or motion can be discussed
at a time.

Before we continue, it is worth noting that parliamentary procedures require that each decision to be
made by an assembly be presented in the form of a Motion which is expressed by saying:

“I move that…”

o A motion that needs action of the assembly requires a second that is expressed by saying:

“I second the motion.”

o No second is required for requests by a member.

o Motions from a committee are assumed to be seconded by a committee member.

Order of the Meeting

1. Call to Order
o It is the term used to formally announce that the meeting shall begin.
o The chair calls the meeting to order by saying:

“Good morning/afternoon/evening! It is (state the time) and I shall call the (date) meeting
of the (name of the organization/group) to order. Roll call, please.”
2. Roll Call/Determination of a Quorum
o A quorum is the number of members that can be depended on to attend a meeting as
determined by a governing document such as a charter, constitution and by-laws or
standing orders of the organization.
o If the quorum is not reached, the meeting is adjourned.
o The secretary calls each member by name, noting their presence or absence at the meeting
then announces to the chair:

“Honorable Chair, we have a quorum/we do not have a quorum”

3. Adoption of the Agenda

o An agenda is essentially a proposed program or listing of the events and items to discuss in
the meeting. Each item in the list can be called an agendum (singular), hence you can also
say that, for example, the list contains three agenda (plural).
o The agenda has to be decided before the meeting and must be circulated to all members.
o The agenda may be amended either before or after they are adopted. The agenda in the
list remain to be a proposal until the meeting adopts them.
o Before the adoption, the motion to make changes in the agenda (i.e. add, delete or
rearrange) can be made but it must have the approval of simple majority (more yes than no)
to pass.
o After the adoption, the motion to make changes in the agenda (i.e. add, delete or rearrange)
can be made but it must have the approval of larger majority or two-thirds of the members
to pass.
o Each item on the agenda will come before the meeting unless time runs out. A motion to
discuss the agenda at the next meeting can be made.
o The chairperson shall call for a motion to adopt the agenda.
o To adopt/add/delete/rearrange the items of business on the agenda, say:

“I move that the item/s (specify) on the agenda be adopted.”

“I move that… be added to the agenda.”
“I move that the item/s (specify) on the agenda be deleted/removed.”
“I move that the item/s (specify) be rearranged as follows…”

o A seconder is always needed before the voting for approval is done.

4. Reading and Approving of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting

o The minutes of the previous meeting shall be read by the secretary if copies are not
distributed to the members to check for errors in or omissions from the minutes.
o If there are no mistakes, a member should make the motion to approve the minutes by
saying:

“I move that the minutes of the (date) meeting of the (name of the organization/group) be
approved as printed/read.”

o Should any member notice mistakes in the minutes, it would be proper to point them out.
The secretary then would make the necessary correction. The motion will then be:

“I move that the minutes of the (date) meeting of the (name of the organization/group) be
approved as amended.”
5. Reports of Officers
o In some cases, the summary of the minutes of the previous meeting of the executive
committee are read by the secretary to inform the membership on the matters it handled.
Any member may raise a question that the executives will deal with in their next meeting
or will be set as one of the agenda in the next general meeting. This is unusual yet a positive
indication of the necessary subservience of the executive committee to the membership as
a whole. Finally, the minutes of the executive meeting is for information only and not for
adoption during a general meeting.
o The chairperson can call upon the treasurer to present a report on the finances of the
organization. This may include disbursements, bills and the balance of money held in the
account. A more detailed report is required during the annual meeting where the audited
annual report shall be properly adopted.
o The secretary, in consultation with the chairperson, reads the prepared summary of
correspondence sent to the organization. Those that require action by the meeting may be
delayed until “New Business” or may be discussed after reading as respectively
determined by the chairperson. Each letter that requires action will need a separate
motion. Letters that do not require action is usually summarized and will just need one
motion to be received and be filed.

6. Unfinished Business
o The chairperson shall remind the members of the history of an unfinished (or old) business
before discussion begins. This business is postponed from a previous meeting or pending
when the last meeting adjourned.

7. Reports of Standing or Ad hoc Committee

o All reports must be included in the agenda. The order of reporting is determined by the
chairperson according to importance.
o The committee reports should be read from a written form that can be placed in the
organization’s files.
o The adoption of the agenda guaranteed that the report will be heard, hence there is no
need for motion to receive a committee report.
o However, amendments may be recommended by any member and the committee chair
may move any recommendation on behalf of the committee.

8. New Business
o Only the items on the agenda are discussed after all the unfinished business has been
disposed of.
o Various motions usually occur in this part of the meeting (see list below).

9. Program (if applicable)

o A special speaker is sometimes invited to the meeting of the organization. The talk,
however, may be held before the official business begins to save the speaker from staying
too long at the meeting. In some cases, the chairperson may assign a program chairperson
at this point.
 10. Announcements
o Committee chairs and others may be given the opportunity to make special
announcements by the chairperson.

11. “Good of the Order”

o Any member may state an observation or compliments and criticisms about the conduct
of the meeting by the organization.

12. Adjournment
o To adjourn is a “privileged” motion that is neither amendable nor debatable and is
expressed by saying:

“I move that the motion be adjourned.”

o The motion has to be seconded before the chairperson formally declares that:

“The meeting is adjourned.”

Motions
Only one motion may be on the floor at a time, but more than one secondary motion may be on
the floor. Pending motions must be disposed of in descending order of precedence.
• Main Motion. It introduces business to the meeting and can only be made when there is no
pending motion. The purpose of the main motion is to propose a new idea or action to the group.
A member should be recognized before saying:

“Honorable chair, I move that (state your idea or proposed action).”

There are also main motions that bring back a matter from the previous or present session. These are:

o Take from the Table. Its purpose is to resume consideration of a motion laid on the table in the
same meeting or the previous one. After being recognized, the member can say:

“Honorable chair, I move that the motion made earlier to (state the motion) be discussed.”

o Reconsider. It is the motion to reopen and debate a matter after it is voted upon in the same
meeting. It can only be done by a member who voted on the prevailing side. In effect, it can
postpone the action on the motion until another decision is made during the same meeting. The
member making the motion can say”

“Honorable chair, I move that the motion to (state the motion) be reconsidered (reason may be
added).”

o Rescind (Annul or Repeal) or Amend Something Previously Adopted. This motion requires
two-thirds vote to pass the repeal or amendment of an action taken that is too late for
reconsideration. This motion does not work on actions that cannot be reversed. When deemed
proper, a member can say:

“Honorable chair, I move that the motion to (state the motion) be

rescinded/repealed/annulled/amended for the reason that (state the reason).”
• Subsidiary Motion. It is the motion that changes or affect how the main motion is handled because
the subsidiary motion is voted on before the main motion. It may be a motion to:
o Postpone Indefinitely. It is the subsidiary motion to be made when the group does not
want to make a decision hastily about the concern of the main motion because it is either
vague or too serious that it needs further discussion. After being recognized, the member
can say:

“Honorable chair, I move to postpone indefinitely the motion to (state the motion).”

o Amend. The purpose of this motion is to change the wording of the main motion for clarity
or correctness before it is voted on. Acceptance or rejection of the amendment leaves the
main motion pending. When the amendment totally changes the main motion, the
chairperson must call for Motion to Substitute instead. When the Motion to Substitute is
passed, the substitute is open to another subsidiary motion or debate and must be the one
to be voted upon. To make the motion, a member can say:

“Honorable chair, I move that the motion be amended by adding the following words
(specify the words and their proposed position in the statement).”
“Honorable chair, I move to amend the motion by striking out the following words
(specify the words and the phrases where they can be found).”
“Honorable chair, I move to amend the motion by replacing the words (specify the words)
with (state the replacement).”

o Secondary Amendment. An amendment can undergo second modification through this

motion. However, a third amendment is not allowed.

o Refer (Commit). It sends a pending motion to a standing or ad hoc committee and may
include specific tasks to be done by the committee members identified by the same person
who made the Motion to Refer. The member can say:

“Honorable chair, I move that the question/matter be referred to a committee made up of

(enumerate the members)”

o Postpone Definitely. It is the motion to delay action until a specific time but not beyond
the next regular meeting. After being recognized, the member can say:

“Honorable chair, I move to postpone the question/matter until (state the specific time)”

o Limit or Extend Debate. When the speeches permitted need to be decreased or increased
in number and time, the motion to Limit or Extend Debate is made, which requires two-
thirds vote to pass. After being recognized, the member can say:

“Honorable chair, I move to limit the discussion to two minutes (or any specific time) per
speaker.”
 o Previous Question (Call for the Question). It is the motion that immediately closes a
debate on a pending proposal when two-thirds vote in its favor. It is done when the
discussion goes on for too long and voting is necessary. To make the motion, a member can
say:

“Honorable chair, I move that we now vote for the motion.”

o Lay on the Table/Table the Motion. It is the motion to temporarily set aside a motion
because something more urgent arises. However, it is out of order if its intention is to avoid
relevant scrutiny of the pending motion. A member can say:

“Honorable chair, I move to table the motion.”

• Privileged Motion. It puts the focus on a new but urgent matter without the need for debate. It
can be:
o Call for the Orders of the Day. Any member can interrupt a speaker to Call for the Orders
of the Day that requires the assembly to conform to the agenda or discuss a special order.
To make the motion, a member can rise and say:

“Call for orders of the day.”

o Raise a Question of Privilege. It is the motion made to ensure that the rights of the
assembly or any of its members are duly exercised. To be recognized, say:

“Point of personal privilege, Honorable Chair.”

The chair shall respond: “State you point.”

The member shall state the point. For example:

“There is too much noise, Honorable Chair.”

“Honorable Chair, the interruption is eating up my time to speak.”

o Recess. It is used to request a session break. To make the motion, a member can say:

“Honorable chair, I move to recess for five minutes.”

o Adjourn. It is the non-debatable motion to immediately end the meeting. Say:

“Honorable Chair, I move to adjourn the meeting.”

“Honorable Chair, I move that the meeting be adjourned.”

o Fix the Time to which to Adjourn. It is the motion to schedule the time and place of the
next regular meeting.

“Honorable Chair, I move to set the next meeting on (state the details).”
• Incidental Motion. These motions are made when there is a question about the procedures, hence it
must be addressed before other motions.
o Point of Order. Its purpose is to call out a violation of the rules of the procedures. Say:
“Point of order, Honorable Chair.”
The chair shall respond: “State your point.”
The member can state the matter. For example: “Honorable Chair, the speaker has been
talking for 18 minutes.”

o Appeal. It is used to challenge the decision of the chair when a member believes that a
violation of the procedures occurred with regard to the decision made. To make the motion,
a member can say:
“Honorable Chair, I move to appeal the decision because (state the reason).”

o Suspend the Rules. This motion requires the vote of larger majority and can only be used
when the constitution and bylaws of the organization has provisions to temporarily make
a rule inoperative in a certain situation such as that of the meeting. A member can say:

“Honorable Chair, I move to suspend the rules.”

o Withdraw. It allows the motion to be withdrawn by the one who makes it. The member
can say:

“Honorable Chair, I ask permission to withdraw my motion.”

o Point of Information. This is a request in the form of a question to the chair or a member
thru the chair to clarify the business at hand. When the question is about parliamentary
procedures or rules about handling the business at hand, it is called Parliamentary
Inquiry. A member can rise and say:

“Point of information, Honorable Chair.”

The chair shall respond: “State your point.”

The member can state the point. For example: “The respectable speaker was only given
two minutes, Honorable Chair. I believe the body agreed to set the time to three minutes.”

o Objection to the Consideration of a Question. The purpose of the motion is to do away

with irrelevant and inappropriate discussions. It must be done immediately and requires
two-thirds vote. A member can say:

“Honorable Chair, I move to drop the discussion and proceed with the next business.”
 o Division of the Assembly. It is the motion to ensure that votes are properly counted. A
member can ask for vote by actual count when voice vote is inconclusive and say:

“Honorable Chair, I call for a division of the house.”

o Division of a Question. The purpose of this motion is to divide a motion that has two or
more propositions to ensure that each is decided properly. This motion is made by saying:

“Honorable Chair, I move to divide the resolution so as to consider separately…”

“Honorable Chair, I move that the resolution be divided into two, such as (state the two
resolutions formed) so that we can separately consider each for voting.”

Procedures for Handling a Motion

• A member can state a motion when given the floor by the chair.
• The motion must be seconded before it is considered.
• Modification or rejection of the motion can be proposed by another member before the motion is
seconded or restated by the chair. The proposition can be stated without being recognized or
seconded.
• If the motion is already in order, the chair shall restate it and open the debate when necessary.
• The maker of the motion is given the first turn in the debate.
• When the discussion ends, the chair shall restate the motion and clarifies the consequences of
affirmative and negative votes.
• The chair shall call for a vote and shall announce the result.

General Rules of Debate

• Members are allowed to speak after being recognized by the chair.

• All discussion must be relevant to the immediately pending question.
• A member cannot speak for a second time unless everyone who wishes to speak has been given
the turn.
• A member can only speak up to two times to each motion.
• A member has a maximum of 10 minutes per turn.
• Cross debated is not permitted, hence all remarks must be addressed to the chair.
• A member shall not criticize one’s own motion but can vote negatively against it.
• Personal attacks are not permitted.
• The chair cannot participate in the debate unless the role is temporarily dropped. The role cannot
be reassumed unless the pending main motion is acted on.
• The chair shall ideally give the floor to the affirmative and negative alternately.
• A list of speakers prepared by the chair is necessary when the number members who wish to speak
is too large.
• No member shall disrupt the assembly.
• The rules of debate can be changed when approved by a two-thirds vote.
Roles of the Presiding Officer

• Remain impartial
• Participate only in vote by ballot, otherwise vote only to break or create a tie
• Determine that a quorum is present before starting the business
• Ensure proper order of business
• Recognize speakers
• Determine if a motion is in order
• Keep the discussion germane to the pending motion
• Put motions to a vote and announce the results
• Employ unanimous consent
• Maintain order

Voting

• Majority Vote. It refers to the votes of more than half of the members present who are allowed to
vote excluding abstentions
• Two-thirds Vote. It is the two-thirds of the members present and are allowed to vote excluding
abstentions.
• Voting by the Chair. It is the vote coming from the chair that creates or breaks a tie or that is
permitted during voting by ballot.

Methods of Voting

• Voice vote. This method of voting is typically done when a large difference in voting results is
expected. The chair states the motion and asks first those in favor to say “aye”. Then, the chair asks
those who oppose to say “nay”. Finally, the decision will be done by the chair based on estimate
of the count.
• Show of hands or rising vote. This method of voting is done when a motion requires two-thirds
vote or to verify an inconclusive voice vote.
• Ballot. It is usually done for election of officers or when approved by a majority vote.
• Roll call vote. It is done to record how each member votes as approved by a majority vote or when
the bylaws specify.
• Proxy voting. It is a vote cast by a member on behalf of another. It is usually prohibited unless
allowed by the bylaws.