Appendix
E - Draft branch standing orders
These draft
standing orders are intended to assist members and chairs
in doing union business efficiently. Small branches may
be able to use the less formal procedure of committee work.
Large branches will find standing orders useful in saving
their meetings from long discussions on procedure.
1. The quorum
for a branch meeting shall be (number).
2. The agenda
shall be read aloud by the chair at the opening of the meeting.
3. The secretary
shall read the minutes of the previous meeting but no discussion
shall be allowed except on a challenge to their accuracy.
When the minutes have been signed questions may be asked
for information.
4. The first
motion on any subject shall be the original motion and succeeding
propositions on that subject taken as amendments. An original
motion that has been amended shall become the substantive
motion, and shall be open to further amendment. Procedural
motions (see S.0.12) shall be treated as amendments, but
shall take precedence over other amendments. (See footnote.)
5. The mover
of an original motion shall have the right of reply to the
debate on that motion, or if an amendment is discussed to
the debate on the first amendment to his/her motion, unless
the debate is terminated by carrying "Next business"
(see SO. 12). If he/she replies, the chair shall take the
vote immediately after his/her speech without further discussion
or question.
Note: Motions for a delegate meeting agenda. When a branch
is considering whether to send any notice of motion for
a delegate meeting agenda, a proposal by a member of the
branch to put down an amendment to a union rule shall be
treated as an original motion. Similarly, when the branch
is considering the preliminary agenda of a delegate meeting,
a proposal to put down an amendment to a notice of motion
on that agenda shall be treated as an original motion.
6. The seconder
of a motion or an amendment may second formally and reserve
his/her speech until later in the debate.
7. The chair
shall not accept more than one amendment at a time to any
original or substantive motion, but after any amendment
has been moved and seconded and before it has been put to
the vote, he/she may accept notice of a further amendment.
Nevertheless a procedural motion (see SO 12) may be moved
during any debate and if it is accepted that debate shall
be suspended for consideration of the procedural motion.
8. When an
amendment to an original motion has been carried, the resulting
substantive motion shall be put to the meeting unless a
further amendment, of which notice has been given, is carried;
and in every case (except when "Next business"
has been carried) the substantive motion in its final form
shall be put to the vote before the meeting proceeds to
the next business.
9. No original
motion or amendment which has been moved and seconded shall
be withdrawn, nor shall any words be added to or deleted
from it, without the consent of the meeting, and if the
meeting consents to any modification the chair shall formally
announce the motion in its modified form.
10. The chair
shall not accept any motion or amendment that contravenes
SO 11. Nor shall he/she accept a motion or amendment that
repeats the substance of a proposition previously voted
on by the meeting.
11. No motion
to rescind a resolution of the branch shall be accepted
unless a notice of rescission, stating the terms of the
resolution proposed to be rescinded, has been circulated
to members with the notice calling the meeting at which
the motion to rescind is to be voted upon.
12. A debate
may be brought to an end by a motion:
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(a)
That the vote be now taken (the vote);
(b) That the meeting proceed to next business (the next
business);
(c) That the discussion or the meeting be adjourned
(the adjournment).
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No
member who has already spoken on the motion or amendment under
debate may move any of these motions. The motion to adjourn
must state the period of the adjournment. To end the debate
without committing the meeting to a decision for or against
the proposition a member must move "Next business".
The chair shall not accept any of these motions if in his/her
opinion the effect of carrying it would be unfair. If the
chair accepts "The vote" and it is seconded, he/she
shall put it to the meeting without debate. If it is carried,
he/she shall put the motion under discussion to the vote without
further debate unless the mover of the original motion is
still entitled to reply. If the chair accepts "The next
business" and it is seconded, he/she shall put it to
the meeting without debate. If it is carried, the original
motion, together with any amendments that have been carried,
shall be of no effect, and the meeting shall proceed to the
next item on the agenda. If the chair accepts "The adjournment",
and it is formally seconded, he/she may allow one speech for
and one against. If it is carried, the debate shall be resumed
as it stood at the adjournment, and the chair or the secretary
shall then remind the meeting of the terms of the original
motion and of any amendments that have been discussed. The
motion known as "The previous question" shall not
be accepted at any branch meeting.
13. Speakers
shall address the chair. Any member called to order by the
chair shall resume his/her seat.
14. Any member
wishing to raise a point of order shall rise and address
the chair. If another member is speaking he/she shall immediately
give way and await the chair’s ruling. No member shall
raise a point of order for the purpose of controverting
any speaker or making a speech himself/herself. A point
of explanation is not a point of order, but if the chair
believes that a brief examination will help the conduct
of business, he/she may permit it.
15. The chair’s
ruling on a question of order or procedure shall be final
unless challenged by three members. In that case the secretary
shall immediately put the motion: "That the chair’s
ruling be upheld." He/she shall declare this motion
carried unless the number of those who vote against it is
at least double the number of those who vote for it.
16. Except
as specified in the rules, voting shall be by a show of
hands unless a motion to take a ballot on a motion or election
is moved and carried before the vote on that motion or election
is taken. Only persons entitled under the rules shall vote.
17. Any standing
order may be suspended upon the motion of a member duly
seconded if the number of those voting for is at least twice
the number of those voting against. Standing orders shall
come into force again automatically after the vote has been
taken on the business for the conduct of which they were
suspended.
18. These
standing orders shall be amended only at the annual meeting
of the branch and after the terms of any proposed amendment
have been duly circulated by the branch secretary with the
notice of the meeting.
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