StandingOrders for the Conduct of General Meetings

BCS

Inc. Regulation No. 2:

Standing

Orders for the Conduct of General Meetings and
Meetings
of the Committee of Management of the Association

1.

This Regulation was made by a resolution of the
Committee of Management of the Association, in
accordance with Rule 27 of the
Constitution, at its meeting on 12th
June 2003, under the common seal of the Association.
The purpose of this Regulation is to provide for the
orderly conduct of General Meetings, a Committee of
the Whole thereof, and Meetings of the Committee of
Management of the Association.

2.

These Standing Orders shall be applicable to all
General Meetings and Committee Meetings unless a
contrary intention is expressed, and shall be
construed subject to the Constitution.

3.

Meetings shall, subject to the presence of a quorum,
start at the time set out on the notice, and shall,
subject to the discretion of the meeting, continue
until all business on the Agenda is disposed of.

4.

All business on the Agenda of a meeting that has
lapsed for want of a quorum shall be included on the
Agenda of the next meeting and shall take precedence
over new business.

5.

Any member desiring to speak at a General Meeting
shall rise in his or her place and when called upon
by the Chairman shall address the Chair. If two or
more members rise simultaneously, the Chairman shall
call upon the member that was noticed first.

6.

When the Chairman rises to speak any member standing
shall resume his or her seat.

7.

Except in meetings of the Committee of Management,
no member other than the mover of a motion or an
amendment shall speak to it until it has been
seconded. A motion or amendment lapsing for want of
a seconder need not be recorded in the minutes.

8.

A motion or amendment before the Chair shall not be
withdrawn except by its mover and by leave of the
meeting. No motion shall be withdrawn while any
amendment is being discussed or has been adopted.

9.

If required to do so by the Chair, the mover of any
motion or amendment shall submit it in writing.

10.

A motion or amendment before the Chair may be
reworded by the mover subject to leave of the
meeting.

11.

Except at meetings of the Committee of Management,
no member shall speak more than once to any
question, except that the mover of a motion (but not
of an amendment) shall have a right of reply, which
reply shall close the debate. An amendment shall
constitute a separate question from the original
motion and from any other amendment.

12.

A member moving a motion or amendment, and a member
seconding a motion or amendment, without speaking to
it may reserve the right to speak to it
subsequently.

13.

When an amendment is before the Chair discussion
shall be confined to that amendment. No further
amendment shall be moved until the amendment before
the Chair has been disposed of, but a member may
foreshadow further motions or amendments. If there
are several foreshadowed motions or amendments they
must be put in the order in which they were
foreshadowed.

14.

The Chairman shall, as far as practicable, call on
speakers for and against a motion or amendment
alternately, subject to the right of the seconder to
speak immediately after the mover. If two
consecutive speakers have both argued for or against
a motion or an amendment, and there is no member
wishing to argue the opposite view or, in the case
of a motion, to move an amendment, the motion or the
amendment shall (subject, in the case of a motion,
to the mover’s right of reply) be put without
further debate.

15.

Any member may raise a point of order, which shall
take precedence over all other business, and which
shall be open to discussion. The point must be
raised at the time the alleged irregularity
occurred. An explanation or contradiction shall not
constitute a point of order.

16.

Any member disagreeing with the Chairman’s ruling on
a point of order may move dissent. The Chairman
shall then vacate the Chair and such motion shall be
put forthwith without debate.

17.

On an equality of voting, the Chairman shall declare
the question resolved in the negative.

18.

A member who has not already participated in the
debate may at any time, whether another speaker has
the floor or not, move, “That the question be now
put”, which motion, if accepted by the Chair, shall
be put without amendment or debate. The Chairman
shall have absolute discretion to accept or refuse
the motion. The Chairman may also of his own
volition put the question if he feels that adequate
discussion has taken place. In either case the mover
of a motion shall retain his right of reply. If an
amendment is before the Chair, the closure motion
shall be deemed to close the debate on the amendment
only.

19.

A member may at any time move, “That the speaker be
no longer heard” or, “That the speaker be heard for
a further (specified) period only”. Such motions
shall be put without amendment or debate. No other
motion, except the closure motion or a motion
dealing with the speaker’s time,
shall be moved while a speaker has the floor.

20.

During the discussion of a motion (but not of an
amendment), a member who has not already
participated in the debate on the motion may move,
“That the question be not now put”. This motion
shall be open to debate, and shall be debated
together with the original motion. If carried, the
original motion shall not be dealt with further. If
lost the original motion shall be put forthwith,
subject to the mover’s right of reply. The motion
may be foreshadowed while an amendment is before the
Chair, but in no case shall it be put until all
amendments have been disposed of.

21.

A member may move, “That the debate [or meeting] be
now adjourned”. Discussion shall be in order, but
only amendments as to time or place shall be
permitted. The motion shall take precedence over
other business before the Chair except points of
order.

22.

A General Meeting may at any time during the
discussion of a motion or an amendment resolve
itself into a Committee of the Whole.

23.

Standing Orders 1-21 or any of them may be suspended
by a majority of those present. A motion to this
effect shall be open to debate.

24.

No member shall reflect on the vote of a meeting,
except on a motion for the rescission of any
resolution previously adopted. No member shall
reflect on a Section of the Constitution or a
Standing Order, except on a motion (of which due
notice was given) to amend or repeal such Section or
Order.

25.

Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, any
decision made by a validly-constituted meeting shall
not be void by reason only of a departure from these
Standing Orders that was not detected until after
the decision had been made.

26.

Any matters not dealt with in the above Standing
Orders shall be governed by the principles set out
in the latest available edition of the book Guide for Meetings and
Organizations by Nicholas E. Renton.

———————-

……………………A.

Cerbasi……………………………..

President

L. S.

……………………R.

Morris……………………………… Secretary