CMC Meeting Administration & Parliamentary Procedure 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Robert's Rules of Order, what is the minimum number of members required to conduct business at a meeting?
- A majority of the total membership
- A quorum as defined in the bylaws or governing law (Correct answer)
- At least two-thirds of the governing body
- Any number of members who choose to attend
Correct answer: A quorum as defined in the bylaws or governing law
A quorum is the minimum number of members required to transact official business, as defined in the organization's bylaws or applicable law.
Question 2: Which motion takes precedence over all other motions and is not debatable?
- Motion to Postpone Indefinitely
- Motion to Table
- Motion to Adjourn (Correct answer)
- Motion to Refer to Committee
Correct answer: Motion to Adjourn
The Motion to Adjourn is a privileged motion with the highest precedence and is generally not subject to debate.
Question 3: When a council member wishes to speak against a motion they previously seconded, what must they do?
- They may not speak against a motion they seconded
- They must formally withdraw the second before speaking against it
- They may speak against it without restriction since seconding only shows interest in debate (Correct answer)
- They must obtain unanimous consent to change their position
Correct answer: They may speak against it without restriction since seconding only shows interest in debate
Seconding a motion only indicates that another member wants the motion considered; it does not commit the seconder to supporting it.
Question 4: What is an 'executive session' in the context of municipal meetings?
- A session conducted exclusively by the mayor or executive branch
- A closed, non-public meeting to discuss confidential matters permitted by law (Correct answer)
- A special meeting for budget and financial approvals only
- A session where only elected officials may vote
Correct answer: A closed, non-public meeting to discuss confidential matters permitted by law
An executive session is a closed meeting where the governing body discusses matters exempt from open meeting requirements, such as personnel or litigation.
Question 5: The motion 'to lay on the table' is properly used to:
- Kill a motion without a direct vote on its merits
- Temporarily set aside a motion when urgent business arises (Correct answer)
- Refer a motion to a subcommittee for further study
- Postpone a motion to a specific future date
Correct answer: Temporarily set aside a motion when urgent business arises
Tabling a motion temporarily suspends its consideration so the body can address more urgent matters, with the intent to resume it later.
Question 6: Under most state open meetings laws, what must a public body do before meeting in executive session?
- Obtain a court order authorizing the closed session
- Pass a motion in open session stating the legal basis for closing the meeting (Correct answer)
- Provide written notice to all media outlets 48 hours in advance
- Receive written consent from at least two-thirds of members
Correct answer: Pass a motion in open session stating the legal basis for closing the meeting
Governing bodies must typically adopt a public motion announcing the specific legal exemption justifying the executive session before going into closed session.
Question 7: A 'substitute motion' in parliamentary procedure is one that:
- Replaces a member who has been removed from the dais
- Proposes to replace an entire motion or a portion of it with different language (Correct answer)
- Temporarily stands in for the main motion while it is being amended
- Allows a non-member to speak in place of an absent member
Correct answer: Proposes to replace an entire motion or a portion of it with different language
A substitute motion proposes entirely new language to replace the original motion or a paragraph thereof, and is treated as an amendment.
CMC Meeting Administration & Parliamentary Procedure 2
Under Robert's Rules of Order, what is the minimum number of members required to conduct business at a meeting?