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Conducting Meetings
4-H Volunteer Leaders' Series
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Conducting Meetings
4-H Volunteer Leaders' Series
Basic Parliamentary Procedure
Presiding at
Meetings •
Directing Meetings •
Making Motions •
Respecting One Another • Things
To Do
When your club or group comes to a meeting, they will need
someone to be in charge. The person who presides at a 4-H club is the president.
The president may be referred to as chairman or chairperson.
Presiding at Meetings
The main responsibility of the president is to conduct meetings
properly. Everyone has the right to speak. For every member to have the right to
speak, the president must insist that people have permission to speak. If
everyone talks at once, no one will be heard and nothing can be decided. A good
president guides his/her group in making decisions. He or she leads the group in
orderly discussion to reach conclusions the majority agrees upon. A good
president is faithful to his or her duties, understands the problems the group
is discussing and has the leadership ability to guide the group to a decision.
Directing Meetings
The president should direct the business of the meeting in an
orderly manner. There are "Parliamentary Rules" which help groups to conduct
business. It is important that the president understands these rules.
Parliamentary procedure gives each member the right way to make
a motion, to second a motion and to amend a motion. Robert's Rules of Order is
the oldest and most
recognized set of rules on the ways to conduct business
meetings. The rules were first printed in 1876 by General Henry M. Roberts of
the Engineering Corps, United States Army. If you will follow these rules, they
will help keep your group orderly and help you reach decisions with less
confusion. If your president is fair in using these rules, both the majority and
minority in your clubs and groups will be heard and respected.
The size of the group will usually determine how strictly the
rules are followed. In larger groups, it will be necessary to follow the rules
very carefully. Small, informal groups will need to use only the basic rules for
making motions, seconding motions and amending motions.
Making Motions
A motion is a formal way of getting an idea, proposal or plan of
action before a group. Motions are part of the orderly way of conducting a
meeting. Motions call for discussion and action by the group.
How a motion is made and handled by the group:
A. Addressing the chair
The member wishing to present an item of business, discuss a
motion, ask a question or give information related to the subject must first
address the presiding officer. The member will say "Mr. President" or "Mr.
Chairman" or "Madame President" or "Madame Chairman" or use a special title if
he or she has one, but never use a personal name.
In small, informal groups, the person who wants to be recognized
will not need to stand to address the Chair. In large, formal groups, the person
wanting to speak will need to rise, give his or her name and any other
identification necessary so the Chair will know who is speaking. The correct way
to address the Chair is, "Mr. or Madame Chairman, (your name)."
B. Chair recognizes speaker
The president will recognize the person by calling his or her
name or by saying, "The Chair recognizes the person in the front row." After the
person is recognized, he or she is free to speak.
C. Motion is made
The person recognized by the Chair makes a motion by saying, "I
move that Saturday be set as the time for our 4-H party." "I move" are the
proper words to use in presenting a motion or item of business.
D. Motion is seconded
All ordinary motions must be seconded. This is to show the group
that two people want the subject discussed. A motion should receive a second
soon after it is made. If it does not receive a second, the motion is dead and
cannot be acted upon by the group. The member wishing to second the motion does
not have to be recognized by the Chair. In small groups, the member wishing to
second the motion does not need to stand but says, "I second the motion" or "I
second it." In large, formal meetings, it is proper to stand and say, "Mr.
Chairman or Madame Chairman, I second the motion."
E. Motion is restated
Before a motion is voted on by the group, the Chair will restate
the motion and then ask, "Are you ready for the question?" The motion is
restated so that everyone understands before they begin discussing.
F. Motion is discussed
After the president has restated the motion, it is open for
discussion. Any member of the group has the right to discuss the motion after
they receive permission from the president to speak. All discussion must be
about the motion or the speaker can be ruled out of order by the president. An
example of each step in the proper way to present a motion follows:
Tom Rushing: (rising) "Mr. President, Tom Rushing."
Chairman: "Mr. Rushing."
Mr. Rushing: "I move that our club set the last Saturday in the
month as Community Clean Up Day."
Mr. Young: (without rising) "I second the motion."
Chairman: "lt has been moved and seconded that our club set the
last Saturday in the month as Community Clean Up Day. Is there any discussion?"
G. Motion is voted on
After the members have discussed the motion, the president "puts
the motion to a vote." The president will say, "Is there any further
discussion?" The motion is then voted upon. Both the affirmative (aye) and
negative (no) votes must be taken. The president will say, "All those in favor
of the motion (the motion is repeated) say "Aye." All those opposed say, "No."
If the vote is close, the president may call for a count. The
Chair will then ask members to stand or raise their hands and count them.
H. Results are announced
After the vote has been taken, the president will then announce
the results. The president may say "The 'ayes' have it, and the motion is
carried," or "The 'nos' have it, and the motion is lost." Once the results have
been announced by the president, the group can deal with another motion or other
matters of business.
Respecting One Another
In addition to knowing how to make and amend motions, there are
some rules of courtesy members should follow in every meeting.
1. Only one subject or item of business can be before the group
at one time. No new item of business can be introduced or discussed until the
one being discussed is voted on.
2. Every member of the group has an equal right to speak and be
heard.
3. The will of the majority must be carried out, but the rights
of the minority must also be protected.
4. Every member has the same rights as any other member. Every
member can introduce a motion, debate a motion and vote on a motion.
5. The business and discussion should follow good rules of
courtesy. Before you speak, you should receive permission from the Chair. Do not
talk to other members when someone else has the floor.
Things To Do
1. Invite a person to your group to speak on parliamentary
procedure. Ask the person to speak on making and disposing of motions, ways to
amend motions and the various kinds of motions. Make out a simple test after the
talk and let the members take the test. Afterwards, have a club discussion on
what has been learned.
2. Plan a mock meeting in which members of your group rotate in
presiding. Appoint someone as parliamentarian (an adult leader); then let
members of the group practice making motions. In this way, you can have fun
while you sharpen your skills in both presiding over a meeting and making
motions.
 This material was taken from Exploring
Citizenship, Unit III, My Clubs and Groups. It was prepared by the Southern
Regional Citizenship Literature Committee through a grant from the Coca-Cola
Company.
| Author: |
Darlene Z. Baker Ph.D., State Leader - 4-H
Youth Development |
DR. DARLENE Z. BAKER is state leader - 4-H youth
development, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, Little Rock.
4HCH2-PD-10-02RV
|
