Meeting Management & Presiding Skills Flashcards

During a meeting a non-member guest asks permission to speak on a pending motion. Under standard parliamentary procedure the proper way to grant this is:

Answer: A simple majority vote to suspend the rules or grant unanimous consent

Allowing a non-member to speak requires either a suspension of the rules or unanimous consent of the assembly.

A series of amendments to a main motion are pending. In what order must the chair put them to a vote?

Answer: From the most recent (secondary amendment) back to the earliest

Amendments are voted on in reverse order of introduction: the secondary (amendment to the amendment) is voted first, then the primary amendment, then the main motion.

An executive session has been called. Which statement about executive sessions is CORRECT?

Answer: The proceedings are confidential and typically limited to members

An executive session is a closed meeting whose proceedings are kept confidential and attendance is normally restricted to members.

The presiding officer is in the middle of presenting a report when a fire alarm sounds. The most appropriate action is:

Answer: Declare an emergency recess and direct members to exit safely

Safety emergencies supersede parliamentary protocol; the chair should immediately declare a recess and ensure the safety of members.

A motion to 'rescind' a previously adopted motion differs from 'reconsider' primarily because:

Answer: Rescind can be made at any future meeting while reconsider is limited to the same or next meeting session

Rescind may be moved at any subsequent meeting to nullify a prior action, whereas reconsider must be moved during the same session the vote was taken.

When no agenda has been formally adopted, a meeting typically proceeds according to:

Answer: The standard order of business prescribed in the parliamentary authority

When no agenda is adopted, the assembly follows the standard order of business outlined in its parliamentary authority (e.g., Robert's Rules).

A presiding officer who repeatedly rules in favor of one faction and refuses to recognize opposing members may be removed from the chair by:

Answer: A two-thirds vote on a motion to remove the officer from presiding for the remainder of the session

An assembly may remove a presiding officer from the chair for the remainder of a session by a two-thirds vote, separate from any formal disciplinary process.