Meeting Rules

Through November 15, 2021

These meeting rules apply to virtual meetings as well as in-person meetings. To ensure members are aware of the rules, the Secretary should include them in the email sent to members and approved guests prior to the meeting and the chair should read them at the start of the meeting.

The Parliamentarian should be prepared to support the President in incorporating the meeting rules into a virtual meeting. Additionally, the Parliamentarian and President should be prepared for the meeting to take a little longer than usual and meeting attendees behave differently in this temporary meeting environment.

• The chair gives the chance to speak to every member who wishes it. Pro and con speakers should be given alternating opportunities to speak, if possible, and all speakers should tactfully be kept to rules of order and to the question.
• Each member has two opportunities to speak to the motion. A member may exercise his or her first opportunity to speak and, then, after every other member has the chance to speak, may speak only once more.
• All statements must be addressed to the chair and not to another member.
• The chair recognizes a member who has not previously spoken to the motion in preference to one who has spoken.
• The chair does not enter into discussion. Should the President wish to debate, the chair must ask the Vice President to preside. He or she does not resume the chair until after the final disposition of the question under discussion. The President may vote when the vote would change the outcome (to make or break a tie) or when the voting is by ballot.
• Debate continues until no one wishes to speak or until someone moves to close debate.
• Members cannot close debate by shouting, “Question.” A member must seek recognition and make the motion properly and requires a 2/3 vote to pass. (“I move the previous question.”)

⇒ Additional Links

Virtual Meeting and Elections Guidelines through November 15, 2021

Guidelines for Executive Board, Committee, Membership, and Events through November 15, 2021