Robert's Rules
SURVIVAL
TIPS
on Parliamentary
Procedure

According to
Robert's
RULES OF
ORDER

California State Association of Parliamentarians

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Survival Tips on
Robert's Rules of Order

A Motion Can Be Adopted; Yet Still Not Be Final

For every means of disposing of a motion, there is a means of returning the motion to the assembly, (with certain slight limitations)! You would think that once a motion is adopted (or is voted down), the question of the motion would be settled. To someone armed with Parliamentary Procedure knowledge, it does not mean any such thing!
    For example ...
  1. Move To Lay on the Table: Anyone can Take from the Table, once the immediate urgency has been dealt with.

  2. Move To Refer to a Committee: Anyone can move to discharge the committee with previous notice. The motion could again return to the assembly.

  3. Move to Rescind (annul or repeal): Anyone regardless of how he voted and without time limitations (but with previous notice) may move to annul a motion already adopted.

  4. Move to Amend Something Previously Adopted: Even after the assembly long debated and heatedly amended a controversial motion, anyone with previous notice can later move to amend it some more. This is the strange case of amending a motion that is not pending.

  5. Move to Postpone Indefinitely: Any motion which is killed may be reintroduced (as a new motion) in a subsequent session of the assembly.

  6. Move to Reconsider the Vote on... : If a member votes on the prevailing side, he may Move to Reconsider the Vote at that same meeting. The result is that he will paralyze the majority's will by suspending all action which could have resulted from the adopted motion.

Robert's Rules of Order base Parliamentary Procedure on the potential of the majority to change its mind; to need to correct a hasty, and ill-advised action; or to need to take into account a changed situation since a voting. How thorough!

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