CONDUCTING BUSINESS
at the
AREA 39 ASSEMBLY
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Click here for a printable copy of these procedures
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PRIMARY MOTION
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Motion Made & Seconded
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Discussion
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Secretary Re-reads Motion
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Vote
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Minority Opinion
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See if Anyone was Swayed
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If so, option to move, second & vote to reconsider. If nobody was swayed, motion closed.
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If Motion to reconsider passes, we reopen Discussion and Revote.
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AMENDMENT TO MOTION
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Amendment Motion Made & Seconded
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Discussion *only on amendment*
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Secretary Re-reads Motion
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Vote *only on amendment*
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Minority Opinion *only on amendment*
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See if Anyone was Swayed *only on amendment*
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See if Anyone was Swayed *only on amendment*
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If so, option to move, second & vote to reconsider. If nobody was swayed, motion closed, return to primary motion
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If Motion to reconsider passes, we reopen Discussion *only on amendment*
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Revote *only on amendment*
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Motion closed, return to Primary Motion
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Only the person who submitted the motion can change or amend the motion
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When Robert´s Rules Doesn´t Work:
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Someone hears conflicting viewpoints, their patience runs thin, feels frustrated
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Person rushes to the Microphone to make a Motion
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Ill-Prepared Motion has Unforeseen Errors, Understatements and/or Overstatements
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Motion is Seconded and Discussed.
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Motion is Misconstrued, Partially Understood.
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Someone Amends the Motion to Account for Errors, Misstatements, etc. (Sometimes the amendment is hasty as well, with its own Errors, Misstatements, etc.)
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Discussion and Confusion Abound
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Cigarette Break,
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Very Creative Expletives
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Vote on the Amendment, People mistakenly think we voted on the original Motion
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Vote, People wonder why we voted twice
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Minority Opinion, Issues of Form rather than Substance dominate the Conversation
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Total Breakdown, Chair wipes the Slate Clean, restates motion in a hopefully-concise way (best-case!) and we start all over.
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People Express Confusion and Lack Faith in our Process & Group Conscience
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Business closes, We Adjourns, Chair Tries to Convince Anyone-and-Everyone to Go Home.
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When Robert´s Rules Do Work:
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Assembly member talks with Chair prior to Agenda Prep to discuss having an item on the agenda. Person then writes the motion, pauses, considers all the ways the motion could be misconstrued, retools it
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Bounces its exact wording off of experienced folks
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Retool the motion again to account for unforeseen errors, understatements or overstatements (This is all *prior* to the assembly Weekend)
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New Business at the Assembly: Motion Made & Seconded
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Discussion
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Vote
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Minority Opinion
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See if Anyone was Swayed
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If so, move, second & vote to Reconsider. If not, motion closed.
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If passes, Discussion
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Revote
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Motion closed
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Order is Last In First Out. Amendments handled first.
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Robert´s Rules is an effective tool when it is used slowly and deliberately
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When it ceases to be effective as a tool, we abandon it and seek instead to fulfill on the intent of the conscience
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Again, this all pertains to the small sliver of what we do here, which is the business part
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Please don´t let this distract from the Communications Function of the Area
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