49:1 The essential characteristics of a board are stated in 1:22–23. All of the material under the heading Types of Deliberative Assembly in 1:9–23 should be read in connection with this section.
49:2 The authority by which a board is constituted commonly prescribes the times at which it shall hold regular meetings, and the procedure by which special meetings of the board can be called; or the board can establish such provisions to the extent that it has the authority to adopt its own rules (see 49:15).
49:3 Except in the simplest and smallest local societies, or those holding very frequent regular meetings, it is generally found advisable to provide in the bylaws for a board to be empowered to act for the society when necessary between its regular meetings, and in some cases to have complete control over certain phases of the society’s business. Such a board is usually known as the executive board, or—in organizations where there is an executive committee within and subordinate to the board as described below—the board of directors, board of managers, or board of trustees. Any such body is referred to in this book as an executive board, however—regardless of whether there is an executive committee—in cases where the distinction is immaterial.
49:4 If a society is to have an executive board, the bylaws should specify the number of board members and how they are to be determined, should define the board’s duties and powers, and should make provision for meetings of the board as stated above. An executive board commonly consists of those of the society’s officers (47) who also have duties apart from the board, together with a number of directors, managers, or trustees who may or may not have other duties such as the chairmanship of important standing committees (50). (See Sample Bylaws, Article IV, Section 1 (56:62) and Article VI, Section 1 (56:64).) The directors usually should be elected in the same way and at the same time as the other officers of the society. Frequently it is provided that a specified percentage of the directors shall be chosen periodically in such a way that their terms of office overlap those of the others—as when, for example, there are six directors and it is provided that two shall be elected at each annual meeting for three-year terms.
49:5 A society has no executive board, nor can its officers act as a board, except as the bylaws may provide; and when so established, the board has only such power as is delegated to it by the bylaws or by vote of the society’s assembly referring individual matters to it.
49:6 The amount of regular power delegated to an executive board under the bylaws varies considerably from one organization to another. If the society as a whole usually meets less often than within quarterly time intervals (9:7), or if its main purpose is other than to transact business, the entire administrative authority of the society is best left to the board between the society’s meetings. Usually in organizations meeting monthly or oftener, and sometimes in those meeting quarterly, the board is not given so much power, since the society can attend to much of its business at its regular meetings. (For appropriate wordings for the governing provision in the bylaws in each of these two cases, see 56:43, 56:64(2).)
49:7 In any event, no action of the board can alter or conflict with any decision made by the assembly of the society, and any such action of the board is null and void (see 56:41 and 23:9). Except in matters placed by the bylaws exclusively under the control of the board, the society’s assembly can give the board instructions which it must carry out, and can rescind or amend any action of the board if it is not too late (see 35). It should be noted, however, that exactly the opposite condition prevails in connection with boards of business corporations, in which the board has exclusive power and authority to operate the business.
49:8 Frequently boards include ex-officio members—that is, persons who are members of the board by virtue of an office or committee chairmanship held in the society, or in the parent state or national society or federation or some allied group; or—sometimes in boards outside of organized societies—by virtue of a public office. 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. If the ex-officio member is not under the authority of the society, he has all the privileges of board membership, including the right to make motions and to vote, but none of the obligations—just as in a case, for example, where the governor of a state is ex officio a trustee of a private academy. The latter class of ex-officio board member, who has no obligation to participate, is not counted in determining the number required for a quorum or whether a quorum is present at a meeting. Whenever an ex-officio board member is also ex officio an officer of the board, he of course has the obligation to serve as a regular working member and is therefore counted in the quorum.
49:9 When an ex-officio member of a board ceases to hold the office that entitles him to such membership, his membership on the board terminates automatically.
49:10 Concerning ex-officio members of committees, including the president, see 50:16.
49:11 A board that is not an instrumentality of a parent assembly or membership body is organized as any deliberative assembly, with a chairman1 or president, a secretary, and other officers as may be needed. In general, such a board elects its own officers if the authority under which the board is constituted makes no other provision as to how the officers are to be determined. A board that is to elect its officers should meet for this purpose as soon as possible after the selection of its members (see also 49:22). In ordinary societies having executive boards, on the other hand, the president and the secretary of the society serve in the same capacities within the board (and the executive committee, if there is one), unless the bylaws provide otherwise.
49:12 As a general principle, a board cannot delegate its authority—that is, it cannot empower a subordinate group to act independently in its name—except as may be authorized by the bylaws (of the society) or other instrument under which the board is constituted; but any board can appoint committees to work under its supervision or according to its specific instructions. Such committees of the board always report to the board.
49:13 Executive Committee. In a society where the board is large or its members must travel from a distance to meet, it is usual for the bylaws to establish an executive committee composed of a specified number of board members, which shall have all or much of the power of the board between meetings (just as the board has all or much of the power of the society between the society’s meetings), but which cannot alter any decision made by the board (just as the board cannot alter any decision made by the society). The executive committee is thus in reality a “board within a board” and operates under the rules in this book applicable to boards rather than those applicable to committees. Usually the membership of the executive committee is specified in the bylaws, rather than being left to the choice of the full board. It is advisable that the executive committee be small and, unless it has been authorized to conduct electronic meetings (see 9:30–36), that its members live near enough to each other to be able to hold frequent regular meetings and also special meetings when necessary. The executive secretary, if there is one, should work closely with the executive committee, but should be appointed by the parent body or at least by the board. A board cannot appoint an executive committee unless the bylaws so authorize.
49:14 Committees of a Board. Where an organization is local—for example, a society for sustaining a foster home for children—the executive board usually divides itself into committees having charge of different branches of the work during the interval between the monthly or quarterly meetings of the board. At the board meetings these committees report on the fulfillment of their assigned responsibilities. In such cases the committees are genuinely subordinate to the board and must ordinarily report back to it for authority to act (in contrast to an executive committee, which usually has power to act as the board, and in contrast to standing committees of the society, which are not subordinate to the board unless made so by a provision in the bylaws). Any board can appoint committees of the kind just described without authorization in the bylaws.
49:15 General Procedure. The executive board of an organized society operates under the society’s bylaws, the society’s parliamentary authority, and any special rules of order or standing rules of the society which may be applicable to it. Such a board may adopt its own special rules of order or standing rules only to the extent that such rules do not conflict with any of the rules of the society listed above. It may protect itself against breaches of order by its members during board meetings, and against annoyance by nonmembers, by employing the procedures outlined in 61:10–21, but the maximum penalty which may be imposed upon a disorderly member of the board is that he be required to leave the meeting room during the remainder of the meeting. A board that is not a part of a society can adopt its own rules, provided that they do not conflict with anything in the legal instrument under which the board is constituted.
49:16 Under the general parliamentary law, business is transacted in large boards according to the same rules of procedure as in other deliberative assemblies. In smaller boards, these rules apply as far as practicable, with the exceptions noted below. In any case, a board can transact business only in a regular or properly called meeting of which every board member has been sent any required notice (see 9:2–5, 9:13–16)—or at an adjournment of one of these meetings2—and at which a quorum (see 40:5) is present. The personal approval of a proposed action obtained separately by telephone, by individual interviews, or in writing, even from every member of the board, is not the approval of the board, since the members lacked the opportunity to mutually debate and decide the matter as a deliberative body. (See also Electronic Meetings, 9:30–36.)
49:17 A record of the board’s proceedings is kept by the secretary, just as in any other assembly. Only members of the board have the right to examine the minute book kept by the secretary (cf. 47:36), unless the board orders otherwise (see next paragraph). Board members are, however, free to share the content of the minutes with others, except for any content protected by the secrecy of an executive session that has not been lifted (see 9:26–27).
49:18 The board can order that any specified person(s)—including, for example, all members of the society—be permitted to view, or be furnished with copies of, board minutes. A motion to do so is an incidental main motion, which can be adopted by a majority vote if the minutes are not protected by executive-session secrecy. If they are protected by such secrecy, the motion requires a two-thirds vote, the vote of a majority of the entire membership of the board, or a majority vote if previous notice has been given.
49:19 Whether or not board minutes are protected by the secrecy of an executive session, the assembly of the society can adopt a motion granting such permission, or can order that the board’s minutes be produced and read at a meeting of the assembly, by a two-thirds vote, the vote of a majority of the entire membership of the assembly, or a majority vote if previous notice has been given.
49:20 At regular board meetings the executive committee, if there is one, should be required to make a report of its activities since the last board meeting. No action need be taken on this report, which is generally intended as information only.
49:21 Procedure in Small Boards. In a board meeting where there are not more than about a dozen members present, some of the formality that is necessary in a large assembly would hinder business. The rules governing such meetings are different from the rules that hold in other assemblies, in the following respects:
1) Members may raise a hand instead of standing when seeking to obtain the floor, and may remain seated while making motions or speaking.
2) Motions need not be seconded.
3) There is no limit to the number of times a member can speak to a debatable question.3 Appeals, however, are debatable under the regular rules—that is, each member (except the chair) can speak only once in debate on them, while the chair may speak twice.
4) Informal discussion of a subject is permitted while no motion is pending.
5) When a proposal is perfectly clear to all present, a vote can be taken without a motion’s having been introduced. Unless agreed to by unanimous consent, however, all proposed actions must be approved by vote under the same rules as in larger meetings, except that a vote can be taken initially by a show of hands, which is often a better method in small meetings.
6) The chairman need not rise while putting questions to a vote.
7) If the chairman is a member, he may, without leaving the chair, speak in informal discussions and in debate, and vote on all questions.4
49:22 Effect of Periodic Partial Change in Board Membership. In cases where a board is constituted so that a specified portion of its membership is chosen periodically (as, for example, where one third of the board is elected annually for three-year terms), it becomes, in effect, a new board each time such a group assumes board membership. Consequently, when the outgoing portion of the board vacates membership, all matters temporarily but not finally disposed of (see 9:8–11, 38:8), except those that remain in the hands of a committee to which they have been referred, fall to the ground under provision (c) in 21:7. (See also 50:30, regarding the continuity of matters that have been referred to a special committee appointed by the board.) If the board is one that elects its own officers or appoints standing committees, it chooses new officers and committees as soon as the new board members have taken up their duties, just as if the entire board membership had changed. The individual replacement of persons who may occasionally vacate board membership at other times, however, does not have these effects.
50:1 A committee, as understood in parliamentary law, is a body of one or more persons, elected or appointed by (or by direction of) an assembly or society, to consider, investigate, or take action on certain matters or subjects, or to do all of these things. Unlike a board, a committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly.
50:2 Although the term committee commonly implies a relatively small number of persons appointed to give a task more detailed attention than is possible in a body the size of the assembly, this characteristic more accurately describes what are known as ordinary committees. An assembly can also designate all of its members present to act as a committee, which is called a committee of the whole and is distinguished from an ordinary committee. In large assemblies, the use of a committee of the whole is a convenient method of considering a question when it is desired to allow each member to speak an unlimited number of times in debate. Committees of the whole are treated separately in 52. The statements in this section apply principally to ordinary committees.
50:3 Ordinary committees are of two types—standing committees (which have a continuing existence) and special committees (which go out of existence as soon as they have completed a specified task).
50:4 Generally the term committee implies that, within the area of its assigned responsibilities, the committee has less authority to act independently for the society (or other constituting power) than a board is usually understood to have. Thus, if the committee is to do more than report its findings or recommendations to the assembly, it may be empowered to act for the society only on specific instructions; or, if it is given standing powers, its actions may be more closely subject to review than a board’s, or it may be required to report more fully. Also, unlike most boards, a committee in general does not have regular meeting times established by rule; but meetings of the committee are called as stated in 50:21–22. Some standing committees, however—particularly in large state or national organizations—function virtually in the manner of boards, although not designated as such.
50:5 When a committee is appointed “with power,” this means with power to take all the steps necessary to carry out its instructions.
50:6 In large assemblies or those doing a great volume of business, much of the preliminary work in the preparation of subjects for consideration is usually done by committees. In many such bodies, in fact, it is advisable to have every main question go to a committee before final action on it is taken by the assembly.
50:7 Standing committees are constituted to perform a continuing function, and remain in existence permanently or for the life of the assembly that establishes them. In an ordinary society, the members of such a committee serve for a term corresponding to that of the officers, or until their successors have been chosen, unless the bylaws or other rules otherwise expressly provide. Thus, a new body of committee members is normally appointed at the beginning of each administration.
50:8 A standing committee must be constituted by name (a) by a specific provision of the bylaws or (b) by a resolution which is in effect a special rule of order and therefore requires for its adoption either previous notice and a two-thirds vote or a vote of a majority of the entire membership, if any of the following conditions are to apply:
• if the committee is to have standing authority to act for the society on matters of a certain class without specific instructions from the assembly;
• if all business of a certain class is to be automatically referred to the committee; or
• if some other rule of parliamentary procedure is affected by the committee’s assigned function.
50:9 If a standing committee’s assigned function does not affect a rule of parliamentary procedure in any of these three ways, it can be established by a standing rule adopted by a majority vote without notice, although, even in such a case, the committee is frequently constituted by name in the bylaws as indicated above. If certain standing committees are enumerated in the bylaws, no standing committee aside from those enumerated can be established without amending the bylaws, unless the bylaws also include a provision authorizing the creation of additional standing committees (see also 56:44–48). A standing committee of a society reports to the assembly of the society, and not to the executive board or board of directors, unless the bylaws provide otherwise. In some societies, standing committees in effect have charge of certain branches of the organization’s work, in which case these committees are really in the nature of boards.
50:10 A special (select, or ad hoc) committee is a committee appointed, as the need arises, to carry out a specified task, at the completion of which—that is, on presentation of its final report to the assembly—it automatically ceases to exist. A special committee may not be appointed to perform a task that falls within the assigned function of an existing standing committee.
50:11 Methods of Appointment. In an assembly or organization that has not prescribed in its bylaws or rules how the members of its committees shall be selected, the method can be decided by unanimous consent or by majority vote at the time the committee is appointed, as described in 13:13; or (in the case of a special committee) the method can be specified in the motion to establish the committee. The power to appoint a committee carries with it the power to appoint the chairman and to fill any vacancy that may arise in the committee. The two paragraphs headed Designating the Committee Chairman, 13:17–18, should be read in connection with the five methods of appointing a committee described below.
50:12 It is possible for persons who are not members of the assembly or the society to be appointed to committees—even to the position of committee chairman—but control over each such appointment is reserved to the assembly in the individual case. From this principle, it follows that, referring to these five methods of appointment, non–assembly members may be appointed to committees by methods (a), (b), (c), and (e), as listed below. When method (d) is used and the chair appoints either a standing or a special committee, however, the governing rule regarding the appointment of non–assembly members is as stated under Naming Members to a Special Committee, in 13:15–16.
50:13 Methods by which committees can be appointed are as follows:
a) Election by ballot. This method is principally applicable to important standing committees having extensive powers. Under this procedure, nominations for committee membership can be made by any of the methods described in 46; then the nominees are voted on by ballot just as in an election of a board, a majority vote being necessary to elect. In the event that more, or less, than the required number receive a majority, places on the committee are filled as explained in 46:33. If it is the assembly’s practice—or its wish in the particular case—to select the committee chairman (rather than leave it to the committee to do so; cf. 13:18), the chairmanship can be treated as a separate position to be voted for on the same ballot with the other committee members; or, in a smaller assembly, if preferred, the chairman can be elected from among the committee’s members on a second ballot, after their names have been announced.
b) Nominations from the floor (open nominations) with viva-voce election (usually called simply “nominations from the floor”). This is a common method of appointing members to a committee when the assembly wishes to reserve the selection to itself without requiring secrecy in the voting. When this method has been decided upon, the chair says, “Members will please nominate,” or, “Nominations for the committee are now in order.” The chair announces each nomination as he hears it, as shown in 46:8. No one has a right to nominate more than one person to membership on the committee until every other member has had an opportunity to nominate a candidate; and thus the nomination of more than one person at a time by a single member can be entertained only by unanimous consent.
If no more than the prescribed number of committee members are nominated, a vote is unnecessary since the fact that no more than the required number are nominated shows that there is unanimous consent that the committee should consist of these persons, which the chair declares as follows: “Messrs. A, B, and C, Mrs. D, and Mrs. E are nominated. Are there any further nominations?… Since there are no further nominations, the committee is composed of the persons just named [or he repeats the names if he feels it advisable].”
If there are more nominees than the required number of committee members, then, when there are no further nominations, the chair repeats all of the names in the order in which they were nominated, and in the same order puts the question on the election of each nominee—one at a time until the proper number have been elected—as described for viva-voce elections (46). For reasons explained in 46:37–39, those nominated last in such a case have less chance of being elected.
After the selection of committee members has been completed, the assembly can elect a committee chairman from among them, if desired; or a chairman can be elected separately, first.
c) Nominations by the chair (with confirmation by voice vote). This method is used when the assembly wishes to take advantage of the chair’s knowledge and judgment as to suitable appointees, yet wishes to have veto power. In this case, the chair names the same number of persons as there are to be members of the committee, always naming his choice of committee chairman first, thus: “The chair nominates Mr. X as chairman, Mrs. Y, and Mr. Z.5 The question is: Shall these persons constitute the committee?” Any member can then move to strike out one or more names—but not to insert new ones, which the chair must do if such a motion to strike out is adopted. After any changes in the original names have thus been made, the chair repeats the proposed names as they stand and puts the question on the entire list: “Mr. X, Mrs. Y, and Mr. W are nominated. Those in favor of these persons constituting the committee, say aye.… Those opposed, say no.…, etc.”
d) Appointment by the chair. In the absence of special conditions, appointment of committees by the chair, or by the regular presiding officer, is usually the best method in large assemblies, and it is the ordinary procedure in many smaller societies as well. The president cannot assume such power, however, unless it is given to him by the bylaws or by action of the assembly in the individual case (13:8(c), 13:13, 13:15, 56:46).
When the bylaws provide that the president shall appoint all committees, this power does not transfer to the chair if someone else presides. A clause in the bylaws assigning to the president the duty of appointing all committees should therefore contain appropriate provision for its own suspension if necessary (for example, if there is occasion to appoint a special committee during a meeting from which the president is absent). In addition, a clause conferring on the president such power of appointment should exclude the nominating committee, and it may be advisable for such a clause also to exclude all disciplinary committees.
Whenever it is stated in the bylaws (with or without the proper exceptions just noted) that the president “shall appoint all committees,” this means that the president shall select the persons to serve on such committees as the bylaws prescribe to be established or the assembly may direct to be appointed; it does not mean that the president can himself decide to appoint and assign a task to a group and thereby give it the status of a committee of the society.
When the chair appoints a committee, no vote is taken on the appointees, except any who are not members of the assembly in cases where there is no prior authorization for the chair to appoint non–assembly members to the committee—either in the bylaws or in a motion directing the appointment of the particular committee (see also 13:15, 56:46). But the chair must announce the names of the committee members to the assembly, naming the chairman of the committee first, as in (c) above; and until such announcement is made the committee cannot act. If the assembly orders the appointment of a special committee and it is desired to let the chair select the committee members after adjournment, this delay must be authorized by the assembly; the names of the committee members must then be announced at the next meeting and recorded in the minutes.
e) Appointment by adoption of a motion naming members of a committee. This method finds use in the case of special committees when the rules or particular conditions do not dictate the use of another procedure. The names of the proposed committee members can be included in the motion proposing to appoint the committee, either as it is originally offered or by way of an amendment. Or, if the motion to appoint the committee is adopted without prescribing the manner of appointment, a second motion can be made “That the committee be composed of Mr. X, Mr. Y,…” In either case, the motion naming the committee members can specify the committee chairman or not as the assembly wishes. If other names (intended to replace one or more of those in the motion) are proposed while the motion is pending, all such names and those in the motion are treated as nominations and are voted on as in the case of an election (see also 13:8(c), 13:10–18).
50:14 Unless the bylaws or other governing rules expressly provide that committee members shall serve “… and until their successors are chosen” or for a fixed period, as “… for a term of two years” (in which case the procedure for their removal or replacement is the same as that for officers described in the second bulleted item in 62:16), committee members (including the chairman) may be removed or replaced as follows: If appointment was as provided in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), or (e) above, the removal or replacement of a committee member requires the same vote as for any other motion to Rescind or Amend Something Previously Adopted. If appointment was by the president acting alone under paragraph (d), he may remove or replace committee members by his own act (see 13:23).
50:15 A committee (except a committee of the whole, 52) can appoint subcommittees, which are responsible to and report to the committee and not to the assembly. Subcommittees must consist of members of the committee, except when otherwise authorized by the society in cases where the committee is appointed to take action that requires the assistance of others.
50:16 The rules affecting ex-officio members of committees are the same as those applying to ex-officio members of boards (49:8–9). When the bylaws provide that the president shall be ex officio a member of all committees (or of all committees with the stated exception of those from which the president is best excluded; see 56:47), the president is an ex-officio member who has the right, but not the obligation, to participate in the proceedings of the committees, and he is not counted in determining the number required for a quorum or whether a quorum is present at a meeting.
50:17 The resignation of a member of a committee should be addressed to the appointing power, and it is the responsibility of that power to fill the resulting vacancy (cf. 47:57–58).
50:18 Proper Composition of Committees. The members of a standing committee should be chosen so as to provide the strongest possible group for the handling of any task that may arise within the province of the committee. In the case of a special committee, the purpose for which it is appointed affects the desirable size and composition, as follows:
• When a special committee is appointed to implement an order of the assembly, it should be small and should consist only of those in favor of the action to be carried out. If anyone not in sympathy with the action is appointed, he should ask to be excused.
• When a special committee is appointed for deliberation or investigation, however, it should often be larger, and it should represent, as far as possible, all points of view in the organization, so that its opinion will carry maximum weight. When such a committee is properly selected, its recommendations will most often reflect the will of the assembly. By care in selecting committees, debates on delicate and troublesome questions in ordinary societies can be mostly confined to the committees. The usefulness of the committee will be greatly impaired, on the other hand, if any important faction of the assembly is not represented.
50:19 Information, Instructions, and Referred Papers. Upon the appointment of a committee, it is the duty of the secretary of the society to see that all persons appointed are notified, and to furnish a list of the members of the committee to its chairman or, in the chairman’s absence, to some other authorized committee member. When a subject or item of business is referred to the committee (normally at the time of its appointment if it is a special committee, or at any time if it is a standing committee), the secretary provides the committee chairman or his representative with copies of the papers, motion, or other matter formally referred to it, and whatever instructions the assembly has given. Upon the committee’s request, any other papers or books necessary for the proper performance of its duties must be made available to it by the appropriate officers of the society, who can first consult with the president if in doubt whether the requested papers or books are indeed needed by the committee.
50:20 A committee should take care to preserve the papers referred to it from the society, since, after its assignment is completed, they must be returned in the same condition as when received. If the committee wishes to write on copies of the documents, therefore, it must obtain its own photocopies, unless it has been provided with extra copies specified in its instructions as for that purpose. In any case, amendments prepared for recommendation to the assembly when the committee reports should be drawn up on a separate sheet.
50:21 Committee Meetings. When a committee has been appointed, its chairman (or first-named member temporarily acting—see 13:18) should call it together.6 If some members of the committee believe that the chairman has failed to call this initial meeting or any subsequent meeting when necessary, a meeting of the committee may be called by any two of its members, unless (such as for very large committees) the assembly’s rules or instructions prescribe, or empower the committee itself to require, a larger number. It is the responsibility of the person or persons calling a committee meeting to ensure that reasonable notice of its time and place is sent to every committee member. The quorum in a committee is a majority of its membership unless the assembly has prescribed a different quorum (40).
50:22 Adjournment; Provision for Future Meetings. When a committee intends to reconvene, it can simply adjourn, or adjourn to meet at a later time. In the first case—when it adjourns without appointing a time for another meeting—the next meeting is called as provided in the previous paragraph. In the second case—when it sets an adjourned meeting—notice of the adjourned meeting is not required (although it is desirable to give such notice if feasible), but reasonable efforts must be made to inform absent members of its time and place.
50:23 All of the meetings of a special committee constitute one session (8). When a special committee has finished with the business assigned to it, a motion is made for the committee to “rise”—which is equivalent to the motion to adjourn sine die (or without day)—and for the chairman or some other member to make its report to the assembly. The motion to rise is never used in standing committees, or in special committees until they are ready to go out of existence.
50:24 Committee Procedure. In small committees, the chairman usually acts as secretary, but in large ones and many standing committees, a secretary may be chosen to keep a brief memorandum in the nature of minutes for the use of the committee.
50:25 The informalities and modifications of the regular rules of parliamentary procedure listed in 49:21 for use in small boards are applicable during the meetings of all standing and special committees, unless the committee is otherwise instructed by the society (see next paragraph below); also, the rules governing the motions to Rescind, to Amend Something Previously Adopted, and to Reconsider are modified as stated in 35:2(7) and 37:35. In committees, the chairman is usually the most active participant in the discussions and work of the committee. In order that there may be no interference with the assembly’s having the benefit of its committees’ matured judgment, motions to close or limit debate (15, 16) are not allowed in committees.7
50:26 Committees of organized societies operate under the bylaws, the parliamentary authority, and any special rules of order or standing rules of the society which may be applicable to them. A committee may not adopt its own rules except as authorized in the rules of the society or in instructions given to the committee by its parent assembly in a particular case. If a standing or special committee is so large that it can function best in the manner of a full-scale assembly, it should be instructed that the informalities and modifications of the regular rules of parliamentary procedure listed for small boards in 49:21 are not to apply to its proceedings. The parent assembly may adopt such instructions to the committee by majority vote.
50:27 When a committee is to make substantive recommendations or decisions on an important matter, it should give members of the society an opportunity to appear before it and present their views on the subject at a time scheduled by the committee. Such a meeting is usually called a hearing. During actual deliberations of the committee, only committee members have the right to be present.
50:28 A standing or special committee may protect itself against breaches of order by its members during committee meetings, and against annoyance by nonmembers, by employing the procedures outlined in 61:10–21, but the committee, instead of itself imposing any penalty on a disorderly member, can only report such behavior to the committee’s parent body, which may then take such action as it deems advisable. However, if there will be no opportunity for this to occur within the time needed to effectively resolve the problem and enable the committee to complete its assigned tasks, the committee may protect itself against such disruptive behavior by requiring the disorderly member to leave the meeting room during the remainder of the meeting.
50:29 Continuity and Conclusion of Committee Assignment. Since members of standing committees in ordinary societies are appointed for a term corresponding to that of the officers, such a committee is generally required to report at least once a year, usually at the annual meeting, on its activities and everything referred to it during the year. When a standing committee submits such a report at the conclusion of its members’ term, the committee is not discharged from further consideration of referred matters on which it reports partially at that time, unless the assembly so votes (36); thus such matters normally go over to the new committee. The members of the old committee continue their duties until their successors are chosen.
50:30 A special committee—since it is appointed for a specific purpose—continues to exist until the duty assigned to it is accomplished, unless discharged sooner (see 36); and it ceases to exist as soon as the assembly receives its final report. The fact that an annual meeting intervenes does not discharge a special committee. But in a body which ceases to exist or in which the terms of some or all of its members expire at a definite time, like a convention of delegates, a city council, or a board of directors, a special committee expires with the body that appointed it, unless it is appointed expressly to report at a later time. If it does not report, its life expires with that of the body to which it was to report.
51:1 A report of a subordinate board or a committee is an official statement formally adopted by, and submitted in the name of, the reporting body, informing the parent assembly of action taken or recommended, or information obtained.
51:2 Limitation of Report Content to What Has Been Properly Agreed To. Except as noted in this paragraph, a report of a board or committee can contain only what has been agreed to by a majority vote at a regular or properly called meeting of which every member has been notified (or at an adjournment of one of these meetings, 9:17–19)—where a quorum of the board or committee was present. A presentation of facts or recommendations made merely upon separate consultation with every member of a board must be described thus to the parent assembly, and not as an official report of the board (see also 49:16). In the case of a committee, however, if it is impractical to bring its members together for a meeting, the report of the committee can contain what has been agreed to by every one of its members. (See also Electronic Meetings, 9:30–36.)
51:3 Types of Reports. For convenience in the discussions in this section, reports may be divided into two general categories as follows:
a) Annual or periodic reports of boards or standing committees are usually submitted in accordance with requirements in the bylaws, are primarily for information, and should summarize important work done by the board or committee during the year or other period covered by the report. They may also contain recommendations—which may relate to general policy to be followed by the organization, or may propose specific action by its assembly (see next paragraph).
b) Reports relating to single items of business arising during the year fall into a number of particular forms—which are described for the case of committees in 51:30ff. As will be seen from examples there, these reports can often be quite brief unless special circumstances or instructions to the reporting body call for a detailed presentation of facts.
51:4 Recommendations in a Report. In any report of a subordinate board or a committee (of type (a) or (b) above), specific recommendations for immediate action by the parent assembly should be grouped at the end—repeating them if they have already been noted at separate places in the report—and should generally be cast in the form of one or more proposed resolutions. Although it is possible for a report, in the circumstances just described, to present recommendations which are not in the form of resolutions or motions, the “adoption” of such recommendations by the parent assembly may, depending on their wording or that of the motion to adopt, lead to confusion as to whether their adoption authorizes action, or only has the force of a declaration of intent (requiring the adoption of subsequent resolutions for implementation). A board or committee is usually best fitted to prepare resolutions to carry out its recommendations, and it should never leave this responsibility to others.
51:5 When a report is made for the purpose of presenting recommendations on a single subject—especially if it is the report of a committee to which the subject was referred—it is often best for the formal report to be confined as much as possible to the recommendations, whether they are in the form of resolutions or otherwise (see examples in 51:30–51). If this approach is followed and it is desired to bring supporting reasons to the attention of the assembly, the reporting member (that is, the person who presents the report) can include brief oral explanations with his presentation. Or, supporting reasons can be explained at greater length during debate on the report—by the reporting member, who has the right to the floor first in debate, and also by other members of the board or committee, if appropriate, as the debate progresses.
51:6 In the foregoing connection, it should be noted that under parliamentary conditions the inclusion of supporting facts or reasoning in a report proposing certain action may tend to work against the taking of that action, since some members who might otherwise have been willing to accept the proposals may be led to vote against them if they disagree with the factual background as reported or the reasoning of the reporting body.
51:7 Form of Detailed Report. If special conditions dictate that a report devoted to a single subject and presenting recommendations should include a full account of the details involved in the case, the body of the report is best organized according to the following topics, as applicable:
1) a description of the way in which the reporting body (usually a committee in such cases) undertook its charge;
2) the facts uncovered or information obtained;
3) the findings or conclusions derived from the facts or information; and
4) resolutions or recommendations.
If for any reason one or more resolutions or recommendations are placed within this type of detailed report before its conclusion, they should be repeated at the end, as stated above. In this way they can be more easily dealt with apart from any implied endorsement of reported facts and reasoning which some members may not accept.
51:8 Presentation and Reception of Reports. A report of a board or committee to an assembly is presented at the proper time by a “reporting member” of the board or committee. For the report of a board whose chairman is also the presiding officer of the assembly, the secretary or another one of its members acts as reporting member. In the case of a committee, the committee chairman is the reporting member unless—because he does not agree with the report or for any other reason—he does not wish to give it, in which event the committee chooses another one of its members.
51:9 A reporting member makes or presents a report on behalf of a board or a committee when, having been assigned the floor for such a purpose in a meeting, he does one of the following things (depending on the nature of the report and other conditions): (a) renders the report orally, if it is not in writing; (b) reads the report to the assembly and passes it to the chair or the secretary; or (c) announces that he is submitting it and passes it to one of these officers to be read by a reading clerk. When the assembly hears the report thus read or orally rendered, it receives the report. The terms presentation and reception accordingly describe one and the same event from the respective viewpoints of the reporting member and the assembly.
51:10 Motions for Action on Reports. Immediately after receiving a board’s or a committee’s report—unless it is a report containing only information on which no action is taken (51:53)—an assembly normally considers whatever action may be recommended in or arise out of the report. In the remainder of this section, it is explained how such action under various conditions may involve the introduction of motions—to implement recommendations or, occasionally, to adopt the entire report.
51:11 Motions to implement recommendations. When a report contains recommendations—except in cases where the recommendations relate only to the adoption or rejection of question(s) that were referred while pending (13) and consequently become pending again automatically when reported (51:37–43)—the reporting board or committee member usually makes the necessary motion to implement the recommendations at the conclusion of his presentation, provided he is a member of the assembly (see examples in 51:31–35 and 51:44–51, in which it is generally assumed that the “reporting member” is a member of the assembly). If the report is read by the secretary or a reading clerk in such a case, the reporting member resumes the floor for the purpose of making the motion immediately after the reading is completed. No second is required in these cases, since the motion is made on behalf of the board or committee (see 4:11).
51:12 If the person presenting the report is not a member of the assembly or for any other reason does not make the required motion to implement the recommendations as just described, any member of the assembly can do so; but the motion must then be seconded. Or, when the proper motion is a matter of clear-cut procedure and must necessarily be introduced to resolve the case, the chair may sometimes expedite matters by assuming the motion—that is, stating the question on it without waiting for it to be made.
51:13 Motion to adopt an entire report. In rare instances after an assembly has received a report, it may have occasion to adopt the (entire) report; an affirmative vote on such a motion has the effect of the assembly’s endorsing every word of the report—including the indicated facts and the reasoning—as its own statement (see also 10:52–53). Unlike motions to take the action recommended in a report as described above, a motion “to adopt the report” should be made by someone other than the reporting member and requires a second. Adoption of an entire report is seldom wise except when it is to be issued or published in the name of the whole organization.
51:14 Equivalence of Terms; Incorrect Motions. As applied to an assembly’s action with respect to board or committee reports or any of their contents, the expressions adopt, accept, and agree to are all equivalent—that is, the text adopted becomes in effect the act or statement of the assembly. It is usually best to use the word adopt, however, since it is the least likely to be misunderstood.
51:15 A common error is to move that a report “be received” after it has been read—apparently on the supposition that such a motion is necessary in order for the report to be taken under consideration or to be recorded as having been made. In fact, this motion is meaningless and is therefore not in order, since the report has already been received. Even before a report has been read, a motion to receive it is unnecessary if the time for its reception is established by the order of business, or if no member objects (see also below).
51:16 Another error—less common, but dangerous—is to move, after the report has been read (or even before the reading), that it “be accepted,” when the actual intent is that of the mistaken motion to receive, as just explained, or of a legitimate motion to receive made before the report is read. If a motion “to accept” made under any of these circumstances is adopted and is given its proper interpretation, it implies that the assembly has endorsed the complete report.
51:17 Applicability of Regular Rules to Questions Arising out of Reports. When a board or committee report has been received and the chair has stated the question on the adoption of the motion, resolution(s), recommendation(s), or report—whether the question became pending automatically, or the proper motion was made or was assumed by the chair as explained above—the matter is treated as any other main question, is open to debate and amendment, and can have any of the subsidiary motions applied to it. Similarly, if a committee to which the main question was referred has recommended that it be amended or definitely or indefinitely postponed, the motion to take such action is debatable and (for primary amendment or definite postponement) amendable, under the regular rules for these motions.
51:18 In the foregoing connection it should be noted that the consideration of a matter that was referred to a board or committee cannot be objected to (26) when it is reported on—regardless of whether the matter was referred as a pending question (13) or as a subject on which no question was pending. The reason is that an Objection to the Consideration of a Question can be raised only against an original main motion at the time of its introduction; and the reported matter in no case has this status since (a) if it was referred as a pending question, it was introduced at an earlier time, or (b) if it was referred as a subject on which no question was pending, the main question introduced following the report is an incidental main motion (see 10:4–6).
51:19 Conditions for Amendment of a Report by the Assembly Before Its Adoption. An assembly that is to adopt an entire report which it has received can amend the report, but the text as published or recorded must not make the reporting board or committee appear to say anything different from the wording that was actually reported. For this reason, the published or recorded text must show clearly the reported version and the changes that the assembly has made—for example, by enclosing in brackets all that was struck out and underlining or putting in italics all that was inserted, and including a note explaining this notation at the beginning of the report (see also 51:13, 51:22).
51:20 Occasion and Manner of Preparation. The executive board (or board of directors) of a society reports to the assembly annually on the work done during the year, and at such other times and upon such subjects as the bylaws may prescribe or the society’s business may require.
51:21 A board report is usually drafted by the president or secretary, and this draft often passes through the executive committee first, if there is one, before it comes up for consideration and adoption by the board at one of its meetings (see also 51:1–3). A board report should be signed by the president or chairman of the board and its secretary only.
51:22 Reception and Disposition of Board Reports. In meetings at which the executive board is to make a report, the chair calls for it at the time provided in the order of business, or, if there is no such provision, before committee reports are received or unfinished business is taken up. After the reading of the report, the reporting member moves the adoption of any resolutions included in it, which, as indicated above, should be grouped or repeated at the end. If the annual report of the board is to be formally adopted by the society before being published, an appropriate wording for the minutes in such a case is the following: “The Executive Board [or “Board of Directors,” etc.] submitted its report, which, after debate and amendment [if any], was adopted as follows, the words in brackets having been struck out and those underlined [or, “in italics”] having been inserted before the report was adopted.” A society need not endorse the report of its board, and can even decline to allow the report to be printed, or it can adopt only a part; but whatever it prints or records from the report must show any changes clearly marked.
51:23 General Form of Committee Reports. All committee reports should be submitted in writing, except as noted (for particular types of brief reports in a small assembly) in 51:60–62. In the case of such exceptions, a report can be given orally only if it is brief enough that the secretary can record its complete substance in the minutes on hearing it given—which he must do if no written copy is submitted for file.
51:24 Usually a written committee report is not addressed or dated. It is understood to be addressed to the assembly, and its date is that on which it is presented in a meeting of the assembly as recorded in the minutes.
51:25 A committee report should always be worded in the third person—that is, as shown in the next paragraph (not “I report…” or “We recommend…”). Similarly, in an assembly a committee report is always spoken of by the chair and others as, for example, “the report of the Finance Committee” or “the report of the committee to which was referred… [stating the subject].” It should never be spoken of as “the report of the chairman of the Finance Committee” and never as “Mr. Smith’s report,” even though it is usually presented by the committee chairman and even if he may have personally drafted it or done most of the work reported.
51:26 A committee report should begin with an identification of the committee submitting it—the name of the committee in the case of a standing committee, or the subject that was referred in the case of a special committee; thus:
The Committee on… wishes to report [or, “reports”] that… [or, “submits the following report:…”].
Or:
Report of the Committee on…:
[For a special committee:]
The committee to which was referred [stating the subject] reports [or “recommends”] that…
Or:
The committee appointed to [stating the purpose] reports that… [or, “submits the following report:…”].
51:27 If a written committee report is of considerable importance, it should be signed by all the members concurring.8 Otherwise, the committee can authorize its chairman to sign the report alone, in which case he adds the word Chairman after his signature. By so signing, the committee chairman certifies that the report has been adopted by the committee as explained in 51:2. When all concurring members sign the report, it is customary for the chairman to sign first, but this is not obligatory. In any case, he should not place the word Chairman after his name except when he signs alone on behalf of the entire committee. The use of the words Respectfully submitted preceding the signature(s) on a committee report is unnecessary and no longer customary.
51:28 Reception of Committee Reports. Reports of committees are called for or can be presented in a meeting as follows:
• If, as is usually the case, a place has been provided in the order of business for the reports of committees, the chair calls for the reports of standing committees first, in the order in which they are listed in the bylaws or other rules; after that he calls for the reports of the special committees, in the order of their appointment. (The chair omits calling for the report of any committee that he knows has no report to make; see also 41:13.) As each report is called for, the committee chairman or other reporting member rises, addresses the chair, and presents the report.
• Or, if the order of business makes no provision for committee reports, the committee chairman or other reporting member seeks to obtain the floor when no business is pending and, addressing the chair, informs the assembly that the committee has agreed upon a report which he is prepared to submit. If the chair thinks that the assembly wishes to hear the report, the chair directs the member to proceed. If anyone objects to the report’s reception or if the chair is in doubt as to whether the report should be received at that time, the chair asks if there is a motion to receive the report, or the chair assumes such a motion and puts the question to the assembly:
CHAIR: The question is, “Shall the report be received now?” Those in favor of receiving the report now, say aye.… Those opposed say no.…, etc.
This question requires a majority vote and is neither debatable nor amendable. If the vote is in the negative, a later time for the reception of the report should be set, either by unanimous consent or by a vote on an incidental main motion setting such a time. The manner of presenting the report is the same as described above.
51:29 (For the reception of “minority reports,” see 51:69–70.)
51:30 The proper method of presenting and disposing of different types of committee reports is explained below, with sample reports being given in certain cases. Whenever a motion by the reporting member is a normal part of the procedure in the examples, it is assumed that this member actually makes the motion rather than leaving it to the chair to state the question without a formal motion (see 51:10–13).
51:31 A Report at the Initiative of a Standing Committee Recommending Action. If a standing committee wishes on its own initiative to recommend action by the assembly on a matter within the committee’s concern, it is generally desirable, as stated above, for the report to consist of or conclude with one or more proposed resolutions embodying the committee’s recommendations. Such resolutions should always be in writing. Although the reporting member in a small assembly may sometimes give accompanying explanations orally, it is usually better to submit a formal written report if it is to contain anything other than the resolutions themselves. In any event, after giving or reading the report, the reporting member moves the adoption of the resolution(s). He may make such a presentation, for example, as follows:
REPORTING MEMBER (reading written report):
The Buildings and Grounds Committee wishes to report that the clubhouse roof was extensively damaged by the hurricane last week. The committee therefore recommends the adoption of the following resolution: “Resolved, That the Buildings and Grounds Committee be authorized to request bids for repair of the clubhouse roof and to award a contract for the same, provided that, without further authorization, the cost shall not exceed $5,000.”
George Wilson, Chairman
Mr. President, by direction of [or “on behalf of”] the committee, I move the adoption of the resolution just read.
51:32 The chair then states the question on the resolution, and it is considered just as any other main motion. If the report contains more than one resolution, the reporting member makes a single motion for the adoption of them all, and the rules given in 10:25 apply.
51:33 Although it is not generally the best procedure, a report may sometimes contain recommendations not in the form of motions or resolutions. In any case, as stated above, the recommendations should be placed at the end of the report even if they have been given separately before. Sometimes also, in this connection, it is moved “to adopt the committee’s recommendation(s),” although, as noted in 51:4, this can lead to confusion as to the precise effect of the motion. A better method of treating a committee recommendation that is not in the form of a resolution—in a case, for example, where the recommendation is to authorize a $2,000 expenditure for a personnel consultant’s fee—is to offer a motion like this: “In accordance with the recommendation in the committee’s report, I move that the expenditure of $2,000 for a personnel consultant’s fee be authorized.” The reporting member can make such a motion after reading the report, or another member can obtain the floor to do so. In cases where the committee has offered no resolutions embodying its recommendations and the drafting of satisfactory resolution(s) covering them is likely to require the further attention of a committee, another member can move to refer the matter to the same or another committee for this purpose.9
51:34 A Report on a Referred Subject on Which No Resolution or Motion Was Pending. If a subject on which no resolution or motion was pending has been referred to a committee for recommendations, the report usually should conclude with one or more resolutions, unless the committee recommends that no action be taken. The committee’s report on the subject referred to it may be presented, for example, thus:
REPORTING MEMBER (reading written report):
The committee that was appointed to recommend a suitable recreational facility for the Club to donate to the new Runnymede Park project finds that no provision has been made for tennis courts. The committee therefore recommends the adoption of the following resolution: “Resolved, That the Club underwrite the cost of two tennis courts to be constructed in Runnymede Park.”
Howard Ford, Chairman
Mr. President, on behalf of the committee, I move the adoption of the resolution just read.
51:35 The resolution is treated as any other main question, just as in the preceding case dealing with the recommendation of a standing committee. Recommendations not in the form of resolutions are also handled as described in the preceding case.
51:36 A Report on a Resolution Previously Referred to a Committee. When a committee reports on a resolution or other main question which was referred to it (13) or which the rules require to be considered by it before coming before the assembly with the committee’s recommendation, the form of the report and the type of action depends on the nature of the case, as follows:
51:37 Recommending adoption, or rejection, or (when a majority of the committee fail to agree) making no recommendation. Such a report in a small assembly can be given orally (provided that the secretary records it in the minutes); for example, thus:
REPORTING MEMBER: The committee to which was referred the resolution “Resolved, That the Federation endorse the so-called Farnsworth Plan for financing the proposed new school construction program” recommends that the resolution be adopted [or “not be adopted”].
Or:
The committee to which was referred… has been unable to arrive at a recommendation.
51:38 If the resolution is too long to fit into the form given above, a form such as the following may be used:
REPORTING MEMBER: The committee to which was referred the resolution relating to governmental reorganization reports it with the recommendation that it be adopted as referred.
51:39 The reporting member then hands to the chair or the secretary the copy of the resolution that was turned over to the committee.
51:40 When the presentation of the report is concluded in each of the above cases, the resolution or main question becomes pending automatically and the chair states the question accordingly, no motion being necessary. If the committee recommends adoption or makes no recommendation, the chair, as soon as the reporting member has resumed his seat, proceeds:
CHAIR: The committee to which was referred the resolution on… recommends its adoption [or, “is unable to arrive at a recommendation”]. The resolution is… [reading it]. The question is on the adoption of the resolution.
51:41 The question is always stated and put on the adoption of the resolution (that is, so that a vote of aye is a vote in favor of it). Thus, when the committee’s recommendation is in the negative, the chair states the question as follows:
CHAIR: The committee to which was referred… recommends that it not be adopted. The resolution is… [reading it]. The question is on the adoption of the resolution, the recommendation of the committee to the contrary notwithstanding. [Or, simply, “The question is on the adoption of the resolution,” in which case the chair may add, “The committee recommends that the resolution be rejected.”]
51:42 Recommending action on a resolution and an amendment that were pending when referred. If an amendment was pending when the resolution was referred, the report can be given orally in a small assembly provided that it is recorded in the minutes; and it should first state the committee’s recommendation as to the disposition of the amendment, then as to the disposition of the resolution. For example:
REPORTING MEMBER: The committee to which was referred the resolution “Resolved, That the proposed expansion of the yacht basin be authorized,” together with the pending amendment “to add the words, ‘at a cost not to exceed $150,000,’” recommends that the amendment be adopted and that the resolution as thus amended be adopted.
51:43 As in the preceding case, no motions are necessary, and the chair states the question first on the amendment, and after it is voted on, then on the resolution. The same principles apply if a primary amendment and a secondary amendment were pending when the resolution was referred. The report states the committee’s recommendations first on the secondary amendment, then on the primary amendment, and finally on the resolution; and the chair states the questions in that order.
51:44 Recommending definite or indefinite postponement. If a resolution or other main question is referred to a committee while a motion to postpone it indefinitely is pending, that motion to Postpone Indefinitely (11) is ignored by the committee and by the assembly when the committee reports. But whether or not such a motion was pending at the time of referral, the committee can report the main question with a recommendation that it be postponed indefinitely or that it be postponed to a certain time (14). Thus, if (a) no amendment was pending at the time of referral, or if (b) an amendment was pending and the committee recommends postponement to a certain time, the reporting member makes a motion for the postponement at the conclusion of his presentation. But if (c) an amendment was pending and the recommendation is for indefinite postponement, the motion to Postpone Indefinitely cannot be made until after the amendment has been voted on (see Order of Precedence of Motions, 5). In each of the three cases, the report can be given orally in a small assembly, provided that it is recorded in the minutes, as follows:
a) If no amendment was pending at the time of referral:
REPORTING MEMBER: The committee to which was referred the resolution “Resolved, That…” recommends, and on behalf of [or “by direction of”] the committee I move, that the resolution be postponed until… [or “be postponed indefinitely”].
The chair then states the question first on the postponement, and if that is voted down, next on the resolution.
b) If an amendment was pending and the recommendation is for postponement to a certain time:
REPORTING MEMBER: The committee to which was referred the resolution “Resolved, That…,” together with the pending amendment [stating the amendment], recommends, and by direction of the committee I move, that the resolution be postponed until…
The chair states the question first on the postponement as in (a); but if that is voted down, the question in this case is next on the amendment, and then on the resolution.
c) If an amendment was pending and the recommendation is for indefinite postponement (in which case the motion to Postpone Indefinitely is not in order when the report is made):
REPORTING MEMBER: The committee to which was referred the resolution “Resolved, That…,” together with the pending amendment [stating the amendment], recommends that the resolution be postponed indefinitely.
The reporting member resumes his seat without making a motion, and the chair immediately states the question on the amendment. After it has been voted on, he can state the question on the indefinite postponement (thus assuming this motion), or he can recognize the reporting member to move it by direction of the committee, and the procedure is then as in (a) above.
51:45 Recommending amendments. When a committee reports back a resolution or paper with amendments that it proposes, the amendments, at least, should be in writing unless they are very simple. In a small assembly, depending on the complexity of the case, the amendments can be written out on a separate sheet that is handed to the chair or the secretary at the conclusion of an oral presentation, or a more formal written report can be submitted; the latter procedure should be followed in a large body. In the report, the resolution can be included in full and be followed by a statement of the proposed amendments as in the example below; or, if the resolution or document is long and copies are available to the members, the report can contain only the amendments with enough of the context of the resolution to make them understood.
51:46 If no amendment was pending at the time of referral, the reporting member at the conclusion of his presentation moves the adoption of the amendments proposed by the committee, making a single motion covering them all. But if an amendment was pending at the time of referral, the chair (unless the committee recommends a secondary amendment, whose adoption the reporting member would first move) states the question on the referred amendment first—the reporting member making no motion until after that amendment has been voted on.
51:47 The following example (although equally suitable for treatment by the method of reporting a substitute as in 51:49–51) illustrates the presentation of a written report proposing amendments to a resolution short enough to be read in full, in a case where no amendment was pending at the time of referral.
REPORTING MEMBER (reading written report):
The committee to which was referred the resolution relating to a proposed scholarship in journalism hereby submits its report. The resolution is the following: “Resolved, That the Guild establish a four-year scholarship in journalism at the State University, to be open to sons and daughters of Guild members, the recipient to be chosen annually by the Board of Directors of the Guild.”
The committee recommends that the resolution be amended as follows:
1) by striking out the words “four-year scholarship” and inserting the words “scholarship covering the last three undergraduate years”;
2) by striking out the words “to be open to sons and daughters of Guild members”; and
3) by adding the words “upon the recommendation of the Dean of the School of Journalism”;
and the committee further recommends that, as thus amended, the resolution be adopted.
Milton Roth, Chairman
[Or (see 51:27):]
Milton Roth
John Harley
Elizabeth Norton
Elwood Quinn
Mr. President, by direction of the committee, I move the adoption of the amendments contained in the report.
51:48 After the chair states the question on the adoption of the amendments proposed by the committee, the procedure is by one of the following methods:
a) Normally the chair immediately rereads or calls for a rereading of the first of these amendments, after which it is open to debate and secondary amendment. A vote is then taken on the adoption of the first committee amendment, after which the next one is read, and so on. Until all of the committee’s amendments have been voted on, no other primary amendments are in order, but only secondary amendments as each committee amendment comes up. After all of the committee’s amendments have been acted upon, other amendments which are not precluded by action taken on the committee amendments can be proposed from the floor. When these have been voted on, the chair puts the question on adopting the resolution or paper as amended.10
b) Alternatively, the chair puts a single question on all of the committee’s amendments together, except those for which a member asks for a separate vote,11 thus: “Those in favor of adopting the amendments recommended by the committee, except those for which a separate vote has been asked, say aye.… Those opposed, say no.…” This is called putting the question on the amendments in gross. He then takes up the remaining amendments separately in their order. This alternative, although it is in order whenever a committee reports multiple amendments to a referred resolution, may be most advisable when the amendments may be expected not to occasion debate or secondary amendment—for example, if they are reported from a committee of the whole (52) where they have already been open to debate and amendment.
c) By unanimous consent (4:58–63), the assembly can allow the introduction of a motion to adopt all recommendations in the report, without considering the amendments separately.
51:49 Recommending a substitute. If a committee reports back a resolution with a substitute that it recommends for adoption, at least the substitute should be in writing, just as in the case of any other report proposing amendments.
51:50 If no amendment was pending when the resolution was referred, the reporting member concludes his presentation by making the motion to substitute; for example, thus:
REPORTING MEMBER: The committee to which was referred the resolution “Resolved, That the proceeds from the recent bequest to the Association from the Asquith estate be invested in stock of the Consolidated Development Corporation” recommends that, for the resolution, the following substitute be adopted: “Resolved, That the Executive Board be authorized to retain reputable investment counsel with a view to determining appropriate investment of the proceeds from the Asquith bequest.” On behalf of the committee I move that the resolution last read be substituted for the referred resolution.
51:51 The chair then states the question on the motion to substitute. But if amendment(s) were pending when the resolution was referred, then, before the motion to substitute can be made, the question is first on the secondary amendment if one was pending, then on the primary amendment that was pending. When these amendments have been voted on, the reporting member makes the motion to substitute and the chair states the question on it (or the chair can state the question assuming the motion). In any event, the substitute proposed by the committee is treated as in the case of any other motion to substitute (see 12:69–90). If the motion to substitute is lost, the “original” resolution is open to further amendment; but if the motion to substitute is adopted, the resolution thus substituted can be amended only by adding. (Regarding substitutes proposed by committees, see also 12:77–78.)
51:52 In regard to referred questions reported back, see also Resolutions Committee, 59:67–75, 59:80–83.
51:53 A Report Containing Only Information. Even if a report contains only an account of work done or a statement of fact or opinion for the assembly’s information, it should be in writing. Apart from filing such a report, however, no action on it is necessary and usually none should be taken. (See also Motion to Adopt an Entire Report, 51:13, and Conditions for Amendment of a Report by the Assembly Before Its Adoption, 51:19.)
51:54 Membership and Nominating Committee Reports; Reports of Other Kinds of Committees. When a membership committee reports on names of persons referred to the committee as applicants for society membership, the report can be rendered orally, but a list of the names of the persons recommended for membership should be submitted in writing. When such a report is made, the chair at once states the question on the admission to membership of the candidates recommended by the committee.
51:55 The report of the nominating committee consists of a written list of candidates for office, just as in the case of the membership committee’s report. No vote on the nominating committee’s report is taken, however; the procedure is as described in 46.
51:56 For the handling of the report of an auditing committee, see 48:24–25.
51:57 For the report of a committee on bylaws, see 54 and 56.
51:58 For the reports of the three principal committees that perform parliamentary functions in the organization of a convention—the Credentials Committee, the Committee on Standing Rules, and the Program Committee—see 59.
51:59 For the report of an investigating committee appointed under disciplinary procedures, see 63.
51:60 Summary of Types of Reports That Can Be Rendered Orally in a Small Assembly. As stated in 51:23, committee reports should be submitted in writing, with the permissible exceptions noted in the following two paragraphs (51:61–62), which apply to very brief reports in a small assembly, provided that the secretary records the complete substance of the report in the minutes as it is given orally.
51:61 With respect to a resolution or main question that was referred while pending:
1) If the committee report consists only of a recommendation as to the disposition of the referred resolution or motion, the report can be given orally if implementation of the recommendation involves:
a) no further motion, as when the committee recommends that the referred resolution or motion be adopted, or rejected; or
b) the introduction of a subsidiary motion that can be made orally, as when the committee recommends that the referred resolution be postponed definitely or indefinitely, or be amended by the change of only a few words.
2) If an amendment or a primary and a secondary amendment were pending with a resolution or main question that was referred and the committee has no new amendments to propose, the report can also usually be oral, in which case the reporting member simply states the committee’s recommendation as to the adoption or rejection, first, of the secondary amendment, and then of the primary amendment, and finally its recommendation as to the disposition of the resolution or main motion—all before any of the referred questions are voted on.
3) When the committee wishes to propose amendments, the amendments themselves should always be in writing if they involve more than a few words; but the complete report—that is, the declaration on behalf of the committee that it recommends the amendments—can be oral or written depending on the complexity of statement required by the resulting parliamentary situation.
51:62 If a subject that was not in the form of a pending resolution or motion was referred to a committee for recommendations, and if the committee in its report presents the recommendations in one or more resolutions offered with no comment, only the resolutions need be in writing and the statement that the committee recommends their adoption can be given orally.
51:63 Action Required by a Partial Report. A partial report of a committee is handled in the same way as the final report. If it is a progress report only, with no recommendations or conclusions, it is treated as any other report for information only, and no action need be taken. But if the partial report recommends action, the question is put on adopting its proposed resolutions, or its recommendations, or the report itself, just as if it were the final report. A committee can be discharged (36) by a majority vote at the time at which it makes a partial report.
51:64 Formal Expression of Minority View (“Minority Report”). The formal presentation of a so-called “minority report”—that is, the presentation of an expression of views in the name of a group of committee members not concurring with the committee report—is usually allowed by the assembly when such permission is requested, as explained below. Regardless of whether a minority report is submitted, however, the report adopted by vote of a majority in the committee should always be referred to as “the committee report,” never “the majority report.”
51:65 Nature of committee minority’s rights with respect to reports. As indicated above, the formal presentation of a “minority report” is a privilege that the assembly may accord, not a matter of right—since the appointment of the committee implies that the assembly is primarily interested in the findings of the majority of the committee’s members. But in debate on any written or oral report in the assembly, any member of the reporting committee who does not concur has the same right as any other member of the assembly to speak individually in opposition. No one can make allusion in the assembly to what has occurred during the deliberations of the committee, however, unless it is by report of the committee or by unanimous consent.
51:66 Form of minority report; minority recommendations. A “minority report” in writing may begin:
The undersigned, a minority of the committee appointed to…, not agreeing with the majority, desire to express their views in the case.…
51:67 If the committee report concludes with a proposed resolution, the minority can (a) recommend rejection of the resolution; (b) recommend amendment of it; or (c) recommend adoption of some other suitable motion designed to dispose of the resolution appropriately.
51:68 If the committee report is for information only, the views of the minority may be similarly constructed or may conclude with a motion.
51:69 Reception of minority report. When the minority of a committee wishes to make a formal presentation of its views, it is customary, unless the assembly refuses permission, to receive its report immediately after the report of the committee. In such a case, the member presenting the committee report can properly notify the assembly that the minority wishes to submit its views in a separate report. As soon as the chair has stated the appropriate question on the committee report, he calls for the minority presentation unless someone objects, in which case he puts the question on the report’s being received. A majority vote is required to receive a minority report; the question is undebatable.
51:70 When the minority report is presented, it is for information, and it cannot be acted upon except by a motion to substitute it for the report of the committee. Whether the views of the minority are formally presented or not, however, any member can move that resolutions proposed by the committee be amended, or that they be postponed indefinitely, or that some other appropriate action be taken.
51:71 Indicating Agreement with a Report Except in a Specified Particular. If a written report of a committee is signed by all who concur and a committee member is in agreement with the report except in one particular, he can, after all who agree to the report have signed, add a statement that he concurs with the report except the part that he specifies, and then sign the statement—regardless of whether a minority report is to be submitted. Similarly, a committee member who agrees with most of a minority report can sign it with an added note indicating what he does not agree with, just as in the case of a committee report. If the committee members in the minority do not agree, the assembly can allow more than one minority report to be submitted.
52:1 The committee of the whole and its two alternate forms, the quasi committee of the whole (or consideration as if in committee of the whole) and informal consideration, are devices that enable the full assembly to give detailed consideration to a matter under conditions of freedom somewhat like those of a committee. Under each of these procedures, any member can speak in debate on the main question or any amendment—for the same length of time as allowed by the assembly’s rules—as often as he is able to get the floor. As under the regular rules of debate, however, he cannot speak another time on the same question so long as a member who has not spoken on it is seeking the floor.
52:2 Each of these three devices is best suited to assemblies of a particular range in size and provides a different degree of protection against disorderliness and its possible consequences—which are risked when each member is allowed to speak an unlimited number of times in debate, such risk increasing in proportion to the size of the assembly. With respect to this type of protection, the essential distinctions between the three procedures may be summarized as follows:
a) In a committee of the whole, which is suited to large assemblies, the results of votes taken are not final decisions of the assembly, but have the status of recommendations which the assembly is given the opportunity to consider further and which it votes on finally under its regular rules. Also, a chairman of the committee of the whole is appointed and the regular presiding officer leaves the chair, so that, by being disengaged from any difficulties that may arise in the committee, he may be in a better position to preside effectively during the final consideration by the assembly.
b) In the quasi committee of the whole, which may be convenient in meetings of medium size (about 50 to 100 members), the results of votes taken are reported to the assembly for final consideration under the regular rules, just as with a committee of the whole. But in this case the presiding officer of the assembly remains in the chair and presides.
c) Informal consideration, which is suited to small meetings of ordinary societies, simply removes the normal limitations on the number of times members can speak in debate, as stated in the first paragraph of this section. The regular presiding officer remains in the chair; and the results of votes taken during informal consideration are decisions of the assembly, which are not voted on again.
52:3 The complete rules governing committees of the whole, proceedings in quasi committee of the whole, and informal consideration are given below.
52:4 Although the committee of the whole is not used extensively except in legislative bodies, it is the oldest of the three devices described above and is the prototype from which the other two are derived. Unlike the processes of quasi committee of the whole and informal consideration, a committee of the whole is a real committee in the parliamentary sense. Therefore, during the time that a meeting is “in committee of the whole,” even though the committee consists of the entire body of members in attendance at the assembly’s meeting, it is technically not “the assembly.”
52:5 The parliamentary steps in making use of a committee of the whole are essentially the same as those involved in referring a subject to an ordinary committee. The assembly votes to go into a committee of the whole (which is equivalent to voting to refer the matter to the committee), and a chairman of the committee is appointed. The committee considers the referred matter, adopts a report to be made to the assembly, then votes to “rise and report.” Finally, the committee chairman presents the report and the assembly considers the committee’s recommendations—all as in the case of an ordinary committee.
52:6 Going into Committee of the Whole. As implied above, the motion to go into a committee of the whole is a form of the motion to commit (13). The motion is made as follows:
MEMBER (obtaining the floor): I move to go into a committee of the whole [or, “I move that the assembly now resolve itself into a committee of the whole”] to consider the pending question [or “to take under consideration… (stating the subject)”]. (Second.)
Instructions to the committee of the whole can be included in this motion of referral.
52:7 If the motion of referral to the committee of the whole is adopted, the presiding officer immediately calls another member to the chair—frequently, but not necessarily, the vice-president—and takes his place as a member of the committee. In large assemblies, the secretary may also leave his seat, the committee chairman may preside from that position, and an assistant secretary may act as secretary of the committee. For the committee’s use until it reports, its secretary keeps a temporary memorandum of the business it transacts, but the committee’s proceedings are not entered in the minutes of the assembly. Those minutes carry only the same kind of record of the referral to a committee of the whole, the committee’s report, and the assembly’s action on the report, as if the committee had been an ordinary one.
52:8 Conduct of Business. Like ordinary committees, a committee of the whole cannot alter the text of any resolution referred to it; but it can propose amendments, which it must report in the form of recommendations to the assembly. Amendments to a resolution originating in the committee are in order, however; and if such amendments are adopted within the committee, they are incorporated in the resolution before it is reported to the assembly for action.
52:9 A committee of the whole is under the rules of the assembly, except as follows:
1) The only motions that are in order in a committee of the whole are to adopt (within the committee, for inclusion in its report), to amend (what it is proposed to report), and to “rise” or “rise and report”12—except that, among the incidental motions, a point of order (23) can be raised, an appeal from the decision of the chair (24) can be made, a division of the assembly (29) can be called for, and applicable requests and inquiries (32, 33) can be made.
2) In debate on motions to adopt or amend, unless a limit is prescribed by the assembly before it goes into committee of the whole as explained below, each member can speak an unlimited number of times under the rules given in the first paragraph of this section.13
If the committee of the whole wishes action to be taken which requires the adoption of any motion other than those that are in order in the committee as listed in (1) above, it must vote to rise and report a recommendation that the assembly take the desired action (see below). The motion to rise must be seconded, is undebatable, cannot be amended, and requires a majority vote. It is always in order in committee of the whole, except during voting or verifying a vote and when another member has the floor.
52:10 Among the consequences of the rules stated in the preceding paragraph are the following:
1) A committee of the whole cannot appoint subcommittees or refer a matter to another (ordinary) committee.
2) An appeal from the decision of the chair must be voted on directly, since it cannot be postponed or laid on the table in the committee.
3) The only way for debate to be closed or limited in the committee is for the assembly to specify such conditions before going into committee of the whole. If the committee develops a desire to have debate limited, it can only do so by rising and requesting the assembly to impose the desired limits, as explained below. If debate has been closed at a particular time by order of the assembly, the committee does not have the power, even by unanimous consent, to extend the time.
4) A roll-call vote or a vote by ballot cannot be ordered in a committee of the whole, nor can a counted rising vote be ordered except by the chair.
5) A committee of the whole has no power to impose disciplinary measures on its members, but can only report the facts to the assembly. If the committee becomes disorderly and its chairman loses control of it, the presiding officer of the assembly should take the chair and declare the committee dissolved.
6) A committee of the whole cannot adjourn or recess, but must rise in order that the assembly may do so.
52:11 Rising and Reporting. When a committee of the whole has completed its consideration of the matter referred to it, or when it wishes to bring the meeting to an end, or wishes the assembly to take any other action requiring the adoption of a motion which is not in order in the committee, the committee rises and reports.
52:12 If the committee originates a resolution, it concludes by voting to report the resolution, as perfected. If a resolution was referred to the committee, however, it votes only on any amendments that it will recommend, not on the resolution, which it reports back to the assembly with the recommended amendments. On a motion, or by unanimous consent, the committee rises and the presiding officer of the assembly resumes the chair. The committee chairman returns to a place in the assembly in front of the presiding officer, at which, standing, he addresses the chair:
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Mr. President, the committee of the whole has had under consideration… [describing the resolution or other matter] and has directed me to report the same as follows:…
52:13 The sample reports in the subsection Disposition of Particular Types of Committee Reports (see 51:31–51) may be used as guides for reporting similar cases from a committee of the whole, and the procedures for disposing of such reports as described in the same subsection are likewise applicable. If no amendments are reported, the chair states the question on the resolution that was referred to the committee or that it recommends for adoption; and this question is then open to debate and amendment in the assembly. If amendments proposed by the committee are reported, the committee chairman reads them and hands the paper to the chair, who reads them again or has the secretary do so. The chair then states and puts the question on all of the committee’s amendments in gross (that is, taken together), unless a member asks for a separate vote on one or more of them. If so, a single vote is taken on all of the other amendments, and then the question is stated separately on each of the amendments for which a separate vote was asked. These amendments can be further debated and amended in the assembly, as can the main question after action on all the committee’s amendments—under the same rules as when any other committee reports.
52:14 If the committee, to facilitate completion of its work, wishes the assembly to take an action outside the committee’s powers that requires the adoption of an undebatable motion—for example, to limit debate in the committee—a motion to rise should be made in a form like the following:
MEMBER (obtaining the floor): I move that the committee rise and request that debate be limited… [specifying the desired limitation]. (Second.)
If this motion is adopted, the committee chairman reports to the assembly as follows:
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Mr. President, the committee of the whole has had under consideration… [describing the referred matter] and has come to no conclusion thereon, but asks permission [or “leave”] to continue sitting with debate limited… [specifying the limitation].
The presiding officer then puts the question on granting the request, and if the result is affirmative, the committee chairman resumes the chair.
52:15 A committee of the whole can also rise, before completing its work, to request instructions, in which case the nature or wording of the request needs to be agreed to before the motion to rise is made.
52:16 If the committee wishes to bring its proceedings to an end because it believes the matter can be better handled under the assembly’s rules, or because it wishes the meeting to be adjourned, the motion to rise can be made in this form:
MEMBER (obtaining the floor): I move that the committee rise. (Second.)
If this motion is adopted, the committee chairman then reports:
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: The committee of the whole has had under consideration… [describing the matter] and has come to no conclusion thereon.
With such a report, the committee passes out of existence unless the assembly directs it to sit again. In this connection, however, the committee in reporting can “ask permission to sit again,” with or without specifying a time; and in granting such a request, the assembly can make the sitting a general order or a special order (41) for a particular time. If the assembly grants the committee permission to sit again without specifying a time, the sitting is unfinished business. A committee of the whole cannot itself arrange a future meeting.
52:17 If an hour for adjournment has been preset in the assembly and it arrives while the meeting is in committee of the whole, the committee chairman announces, “The hour for adjournment of the assembly has arrived and the committee will rise.” The committee chairman then reports that the committee has come to no conclusion on the referred matter, as described in the preceding paragraph.
52:18 Quorum in Committee of the Whole. The quorum of a committee of the whole is the same as that of the assembly unless the bylaws provide, or the assembly establishes, a different quorum for the committee. If the bylaws do not provide a different quorum for the committee, the assembly can establish one in the particular case before going into committee of the whole, regardless of the quorum that the bylaws require for the assembly. If at any time the committee finds itself without a quorum, it must rise and report the fact to the assembly. If the assembly itself is thereupon without a quorum, it must then adjourn or take one of the other courses that are open in the absence of a quorum (40:6–10).
52:19 A somewhat simpler version of the committee of the whole, in effect, is the procedure of consideration in quasi committee of the whole (or consideration as if in committee of the whole), which is convenient in assemblies of medium size. In contrast to a committee of the whole, the quasi committee of the whole is not a real committee, but is “the assembly acting as if in committee of the whole.”
52:20 Going into Quasi Committee of the Whole. The motion for consideration in quasi committee is made in a form like this:
MEMBER (obtaining the floor): I move that the resolution be considered in quasi committee of the whole [or “be considered as if in committee of the whole”]. (Second.)
This motion is debatable as to the desirability of going into quasi committee, just as any other motion to Commit. If it is adopted, the chair concludes his announcement of the result of the vote as follows:
CHAIR (after declaring the voting result): The resolution is before the assembly as if in committee of the whole.
52:21 The presiding officer of the assembly does not appoint a chairman of the quasi committee, but remains in the chair himself throughout its proceedings. The assembly’s secretary keeps a temporary memorandum of the business transacted in quasi committee; but, just as in the case of a real committee of the whole, the minutes of the assembly carry only a record of the report from quasi committee and the action thereon, as shown below.
52:22 Conduct of Business. In the quasi committee of the whole, the main question and any amendments that may be proposed are open to debate under the same rules as in a real committee of the whole—each member being allowed to speak an unlimited number of times as explained in 52:1. In contrast to the case of a real committee of the whole, however, any motion that would be in order in the assembly is also in order in the quasi committee, where it is debatable only to the extent permitted under the assembly’s rules. But if any such motion except an amendment or other motion that would be in order in a real committee of the whole is adopted, it automatically puts an end to the proceedings in quasi committee. Thus, for example, if a motion to refer the main question to an ordinary committee is made in quasi committee of the whole, such a motion to Commit would be equivalent to the following series of motions if the matter were being considered in a real committee of the whole: (1) that the committee of the whole rise; (2) that the committee of the whole be discharged from further consideration of the subject; and (3) that the question be referred to an ordinary committee.
52:23 Reporting. The motion to rise is not used in quasi committee of the whole. If the quasi committee is not brought to an end as described in the preceding paragraph, then, when no further amendments are offered in response to the chair’s call for them, the presiding officer immediately proceeds to report to the assembly and to state the question on the amendments as follows:
CHAIR: The assembly, acting as if in committee of the whole, has had under consideration… [describing the resolution] and has made the following amendments… [reading them]. The question is on the adoption of the amendments.
The proceedings in a quasi committee of the whole are thus concluded, and from this point the procedure is the same as in disposing of the report of a real committee of the whole (52:13)—the chair putting the question on the reported amendments in gross, except those for which a separate vote may be asked, and so on.
52:24 As explained above, if a question is considered in either a real committee of the whole or in quasi committee of the whole, the recommendations of the committee or quasi committee must be reported to the assembly and then the assembly must take action on these recommendations. In ordinary societies whose meetings are not large, a much simpler method is to consider the question informally, which in effect only suspends the rule limiting the number of times a member can speak in debate on the main question and any amendments to it.
52:25 When it is desired to consider a question informally, a member makes the motion that this be done:
MEMBER (obtaining the floor): I move that the question be considered informally. (Second.)
This is a variation of the motion to Commit, and can be debated only as to the desirability of considering the question informally. If the motion is adopted, the chair announces the result thus:
CHAIR (after declaring the voting result): The question is now open to informal consideration. There is no limit to the number of times a member can speak on the question or any amendment.
52:26 The “informal” aspect of the consideration applies only to the number of speeches allowed in debate on the main question and its amendments; all votes are formal, and any other motion that is made is under the regular rules of debate. In contrast to the case of a committee of the whole or quasi committee of the whole, the proceedings under informal consideration are recorded in the assembly’s minutes, just as they would be if the consideration were formal. While considering a question informally the assembly can, by a two-thirds vote, limit the number or length of speeches, or in any other way limit or close debate. As soon as the main question is disposed of, temporarily or permanently, the informal consideration automatically ceases without any motion or vote.
52:27 Before the main question is disposed of, the informal consideration can be brought to an end, if desired, by adopting by majority vote a motion “that the regular rules of debate be in force,” or “that the question be considered formally.”
52:28 The more traditional aids to the crystallization of opinion in societies have been, simply, to take a Recess or to refer the matter to a committee—often a large committee composed of members representing differing views in the society, such as a committee of the whole or one of its alternate forms. In more recent years, a practice has developed of establishing breakout groups with every member in attendance being urged to participate in a group. Each breakout group, of which there may be many, is usually kept small—frequently ten or twelve persons—and a moderator is appointed for each group. Often, the groups meet during a recess or adjournment of the assembly. Sometimes, the conclusions reached by the various breakout groups are conveyed to a committee that assembles them and attempts to report a consolidated response to the assembly. At other times, the breakout groups report through their moderators directly to the assembly after it has been reconvened and the matter under consideration is again pending. These reports are in the nature of debate. Whatever method is used, in the end, the pending measure must be returned to the full assembly for final consideration under normal parliamentary procedure—just as in the case of a referred question reported back by a committee—and the assembly must make the final decision, if whatever is to purport to be a product of the assembly is to be valid as the assembly’s act.
1. See 3:10 regarding variations of this term that have come into use.
2. For an adjourned meeting (9:17–19), no additional notice is required—except, of course, when it is to meet at the call of the chair rather than at a specified time—although it is desirable to give such notice if feasible.
3. However, motions to close or limit debate (15, 16), including motions to limit the number of times a member can speak to a question, are in order even in meetings of a small board (but not in meetings of a committee; see 50:25), although occasions where they are necessary or appropriate may be rarer than in larger assemblies.
4. Informal discussion may be initiated by the chairman himself, which, in effect, enables the chairman to submit his own proposals without formally making a motion as described in 4:4–8 (although he has the right to make a motion if he wishes).
5. The first person that the chair names is automatically chairman of the committee unless the assembly rejects that person as a committee member or unless he or she declines the chairmanship; but it is good practice for the chair to mention him or her as chairman (see 13:17).
6. For cases in which it is impractical to bring the members of a committee together for a meeting, the report of the committee can contain what has been agreed to by every one of its members (see 51:2). Also, committees are sometimes authorized to hold “electronic meetings”; see 9:30–36, especially Electronic Meetings in Committees (9:35).
7. If a member abuses his privilege of speaking an unlimited number of times in debate in order to obstruct the business of the committee, such dilatory behavior should be reported to the committee’s parent, which may then remove that member from the committee, adopt an order limiting or closing debate in the committee, or take such other action as it deems advisable. However, if there will be no opportunity for this to occur within the time needed to effectively resolve the problem, it is the duty of the committee chairman to deny such a member any further recognition to speak in debate on the pending question.
8. Regarding signature with an expression of disagreement in a certain particular, see 51:71.
9. The motion to refer in such a case is a main motion, since the matter being referred is not a pending question (see 13:6).
10. The step of taking a vote on the adoption of the entire paper applies only to cases where that paper is pending. This step does not apply in the case of a report on a series of amendments to something previously adopted (35), such as bylaws that are in effect (see also 57).
11. Separate votes may not be demanded on conforming amendments. See 12:14–15.
12. As applied to committees in general, the word rise simply describes the parliamentary step of ceasing to function as a committee, preparatory to making a report. As stated in 50:23, the motion to rise is not used in ordinary standing committees, and in ordinary special committees it is used only when the committee is ready to make its final report and go out of existence. In a committee of the whole, on the other hand, the word rise applies to any case of the committee’s returning to the status of the assembly—whether it is expected to be temporarily or permanently.
13. Appeals in committee of the whole are debatable under the same rules as in the assembly—that is, each member (except the chair) can speak only once in debate on them.