St. Valentine School Web Site - Organization Bylaws

St. Valentine School Advisory Committee
Constitution and Bylaws

Article I - Name

The name of this body shall be the Saint Valentine School Advisory Committee (SAC).

Article II - Nature and Function

The School Advisory Committee (SAC) is a representative Committee of the St. Valentine Pastoral Council, the purpose of which is to collaborate with the Pastor and School Administrator in developing and recommending policy and to act in an advisory capacity to the Pastor and the School Administrator, according to the established policies and directives of the Office for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

All policies and actions recommended by the SAC are subject to the approval of the Pastor and the School Administrator.

The functions of the SAC are:

To establish and maintain communication and understanding of issues of concern to both school families and the Parish and School Administration.
To review the effectiveness of, and recommend improvements to, the policies and procedures of the School, including the Philosophy and Mission of the School.
To prepare the annual St. Valentine Parish School budget.
To determine tuition rates and other tuition policy (see Appendix I).
To establish standing committees that annually review and report on the objectives set forth to promote an educationally sound and environmentally safe community (see Appendix II).
To establish committees on an ad hoc basis as needed, such as an election committee.
To review policies established by the Archdiocese, evaluate their impact and incorporate them within official School policy as necessary.
To create better understanding and support of Catholic education.

Article III - Membership

Membership
1. The SAC shall consist of nine (9) lay members of the School community, defined as the parents and guardians of students registered in St. Valentine School. The Pastor and School Administrator shall be ex-officio members of the SAC.
2. Members shall serve terms of three (3) years, with three (3) members being elected each year.
Qualifications for membership
1. A minimum age of twenty-five (25) years for all members,
2. Must be a member of the School community for at least one school year at the time of election,
3. A non-Catholic spouse of an active Catholic member of the School community is eligible,
4. No two members from the same household may serve on the SAC simultaneously,
5. Parish Pastoral staff and officers of other Parish or School groups, or their spouses, are not eligible to serve on the SAC unless as noted in this Constitution.
6. Members must be prepared to attend regularly scheduled SAC meetings, held on the fourth Monday of the month from August through May.
Elections
1. An ad hoc election subcommittee shall be formed no later than the March meeting. This committee shall solicit nominations, gather 50-word statements from each candidate for the ballot, prepare the ballot, count the votes and inform the candidates and SAC President of the results of the election.
2. Any qualified member of the School community (see IIIB) may be nominated. All candidates must have the approval of the Pastor and/or the School Administrator.
3. The SAC election shall be held on the Thursday preceding the Memorial Day weekend each May. Candidates and their statements shall be distributed to the School community the week before the election. Voting shall take place at the school. A sufficient number of members shall be elected to fill all Committee vacancies. In the event of a tie, the following guidelines will be used:
  - If the tie is between an incumbent and a new candidate, the incumbent will prevail.
  - If the tie is between two incumbent candidates or two new candidates, the Committee shall abide by the decision of the Pastor.
4. The newly elected members shall be invited to attend and observe the May SAC meeting.
5. The first candidate not elected from the previous election may be requested to fill any vacancy that may develop during the next year. In the event the first non-elected candidate is not available, the other candidates will be requested to fill the vacancy according to the order of the election results. If there are no such candidates available, the Pastor and/or School administrator may appoint a replacement with the concurrence of a majority of the SAC.
Conduct of members
In order to properly represent the interests of the School and Parish, members of the SAC are expected to conduct themselves according to the following guidelines:
1. As representatives of the Parish community, SAC members are expected to welcome and discuss comment on the state and possible improvement of the School from all members of the Parish community.
2. Information brought to the SAC, including, but not limited to, the financial details of the School, details of events that may prompt review and revision of School policy and practice or details of discussions within the SAC concerning any impending SAC action, is to be kept confidential and within the SAC.
Removal of members
1. At any regular or special meeting of the SAC, any one or more members of the SAC may be removed for cause by a vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the total voting membership of the SAC. Examples of cause include violations of Section IIID. This vote shall be by secret ballot. The removed member(s) shall be notified of the decision in writing.
2. Any member who has been removed and who wishes to appeal must do so in writing to the SAC prior to the next regular scheduled meeting.
3. Members may resign from the SAC during their term. All resignations must be made in writing to the Pastor and/or School Administrator.

Article IV - Officers

The officers of the SAC shall consist of President, Vice President and Secretary, all of whom shall be elected annually by the SAC at its first regular meeting of the academic year.
Any member of the SAC, with the exception of the Pastor and School Administrator, is eligible to be an officer. Only members who have served on the SAC for at least one year may be President.
Duties of the officers shall be as follows:
1. The President shall establish and distribute meeting agendas, preside at all regular and special meetings of the SAC, and conduct, receive and dispose of all correspondence as directed and approved by the SAC or, upon emergency, approved by the Pastor and School Administrator. In addition, the President is the main point of contact to the SAC, and is the liaison to the St. Valentine Pastoral Council and the School Improvement Team.
2. The Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President when (s)he is absent or unable to act, and shall record and distribute minutes in the absence of the Secretary.
3. The Secretary shall maintain a written record of all acts of the Committee, record and distribute the minutes of all regular and special meetings.
4. Liaisons to the Parish Pastoral Council, the Parent Teacher Club, the Men's Club and to the School Improvement Team, unless noted above, shall be filled by volunteers from the Committee. Such liaisons are expected to attend the regular meetings of these groups, be prepared to answer questions concerning SAC activities and to provide reports to the SAC.

Article V - Meetings

The SAC shall meet monthly from August through May. Regular meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month. Special meetings may be called by the President as needed.
Members must attend the SAC meetings. No member may miss more than three (3) regular meetings per year. Failure to comply may result in removal from the SAC by Section IIIE.
All official business shall be transacted at regular SAC meetings. A quorum, defined as the majority of the membership plus one, must be present to transact official business. The Pastor or the School Administrator must be present for the transaction of all official business.
A simple majority of those present and voting shall carry a motion unless otherwise specified in this Constitution.
The right of the Parish community to meet with the SAC is limited to written and signed letters, unless agreed upon by the SAC. The SAC has the responsibility to acknowledge all written and signed letters and to search out and pass on any requests for information contained within them.
The rules of parliamentary procedure shall govern meetings of the SAC (see Appendix III). Meetings shall be limited to ninety (90) minutes from the official Call to Order. The SAC may extend the meeting if approved by a simple majority of the SAC members present.

Article VI - Order of Business

Call to Order - Opening prayer
Roll call
Review and approval of minutes
School report (given by the School Administrator)
Reports of standing committees/liaisons
1. Parent Teacher Club
2. School Improvement Team
3. Computer Technology Committee
Correspondence received since the last meeting
Unfinished business
New business
Round table
Adjournment - Closing prayer

Article VII - Amendments

Articles I and II may be amended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the total membership subject only to regulations and policies of the Archdiocese.
Amendments must be distributed to the SAC at least two (2) weeks prior to voting on such.
Articles III through VI and all appendices may be amended by a vote of more than a simple majority of the members present at any regular meeting, providing that there is a quorum present and providing that the amendment had been presented at the previous regular meeting of the Committee.

Adopted: May 28, 2007

Appendix I - Tuition Policies

The following are the policies to be used in determining the tuition rates for St. Valentine School:

Tuition rates are to be set to raise the funds necessary for the continuing and responsible operation of St. Valentine School. The amount of total tuition charged school families is to be the total operating expenses of the school for the budget year, including staff salaries consistent with the salary guidelines from the Archdiocesan Office for Catholic Schools.
Families shall be classified as either "subsidized" or "non-subsidized." A subsidized family is one that is registered with St. Valentine Parish, contributes a minimum amount of money to the financial support of the Parish and participates in the life of the Parish. The minimum annual contribution to qualify for subsidized tuition is $500 and must be paid in the calendar year preceding the academic year in which subsidized tuition is sought. A non-subsidized family is one that does not meet the requirements for a subsidized family. Tuition rates for non-subsidized families shall be higher than for subsidized families by the minimum annual contribution amount plus $200.
Tuition rates are to be determined using the current year school census and proportion of subsidized and non-subsidized families, less the population of the current 8th grade class, plus a good faith estimate of the incoming kindergarten class.
Families with more than one child shall receive a tuition rate discounted by 25% for each additional child enrolled. Children enrolled in kindergarten are included to qualify for these discounted rates.
The following must be reported annually to the school families:
- The minimum contribution amount (e.g. $500), calendar year of contribution (e.g. 2000) and school year affected (e.g. 2001-2002) must be reported by November 30 each year.
- The complete tuition schedule, including both subsidized and non-subsidized rates, must be reported before registration for that academic year.
Tuition and budget timeline
- September: School Administrator, Parish Business Manager and SAC President shall review school registrations, total faculty compensation and other budget line items and revise the school budget as necessary.
- October: School Administrator, Parish Business Manager and SAC President develop initial budget and tuition rates; begin budget discussions at SAC meetings.
- The school budget, including tuition rates, must be finalized by mid-February.
- March: School registration for next academic year, budget delivered to Parish
- April - mid-May: Parish incorporates school budget into parish budget, Pastoral Council approves parish budget.

Appendix II - Standing Committees

Parent Teacher Club

Purpose: The purpose of the Parent Teacher Club is to invite and involve all school families in the task of enhancing the educational experience of the children attending St. Valentine School and to strengthen and support Christian family life among these students and their parents and teachers by offering fellowship, opportunities for communication, education and recreation and involvement in charitable works. This purpose shall be implemented through meetings, working with other Parish organizations, presenting qualified community education speakers and/or films and social activities for the parent families and by fund raising. Funds raised by the Parent Teacher Club shall be used to provide educational programs, purchase equipment, educational aids and/or to fund improvements to enhance the educational experience of the children in the school. In addition, the Parent Teacher Club shall provide parent enrichment opportunities open to the entire St. Valentine Parish community. The Parent Teacher Club is a subcommittee of, and reports to, the School Advisory Committee.

The authority to be established as a school organization is derived from the Pastor and School Administrator and is subject to all policies and regulations of St. Valentine School and the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Membership: The Parent Teacher Club exists as a partnership between the parents and the school, and membership consists of all parents, guardians, and teachers of St. Valentine School.

Funds: The Parent Teacher Club shall raise funds in a manner determined by the School Administrator, Core Group, and Membership. The profits shall be used to maintain any expenses the Parent Teacher Club may incur. In accord with Archdiocesan guidelines, all assets of the Parent Teacher Club are responsibility of, and held by, the Pastor and/or School Administrator.

All disbursements of funds up to and including $200 must be approved by any three of the following officers: President, Vice-President, Treasurer or School Representative; a vote by the General Membership shall not be necessary. All disbursements in excess of $200 must be presented to the General Membership. All such requests must have been previously presented to the Core Group in order to analyze the impact on the Parent Teacher Club budget and provide the framework necessary to lead discussion with the General Membership. A quorum must be present to vote on expenditures; a quorum shall consist of any 12 members of the Parent Teacher Club. The vote shall be by secret ballot. The Vice President shall tabulate the votes and report the totals to the General Membership. A simple majority shall be required for approval of the request.

Officers: There will be elected and appointed members of the Parent Teacher Club, which collectively shall be referred to as the Core Group. The elected members of this Core Group shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Program Director. One member of the faculty shall be appointed by the School Administrator to serve as School Representative. Two members of the Parent Teacher Club shall be named as liaisons to the School Improvement Team (SIT) and shall report the activities of the SIT to the Parent Teacher Club at each general membership meeting. Liaison(s) to the SAC shall be determined by the SAC and shall be available to report on relevant SAC activities at general membership meetings.

All active members of the Parent Teacher Club are eligible to hold office. An active member is defined as a school parent or guardian who has attended at least half of the scheduled meetings and has worked on at least one Parent Teacher Club-sponsored event in the past. Candidates for all offices must have been active members for at least one year; candidates for President must also have previously held another Core Group position.

Election shall be held at the general membership meeting in May, and those elected shall begin their term of office at the close of that school year. The School Representative will be appointed in May and shall officially begin his/her term of office at the close of that school year.

The term of office will be one year for all positions, not to exceed 3 consecutive years in one position. No two members of the same household may be candidates for or serve on the Core Group simultaneously. Core Group members missing three (3) consecutive Core meetings may be replaced.

Duties of the Officers:

The President shall preside over all general membership and Core Group meetings and shall act as the Parent Teacher Club liaison to the School Administrator and other School and Parish groups and organizations as necessary. The President shall also oversee the duties of the other Core Group officers. The President is responsible for the agenda for all Parent Teacher Club meetings. Notice of main agenda items shall be available to the membership no less than three days prior to each general membership meeting.
The Vice-President shall assist the President as necessary and shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence.
The Secretary shall take accurate minutes at each meeting. These minutes shall be prepared and distributed to the SAC liaison and at each general membership meeting for review and approval. Copies of all minutes from the current school year shall be bound and available for inspection at all general meetings. The Secretary shall receive and acknowledge correspondence to the Parent Teacher Club and generate correspondence as necessary from the Parent Teacher Club with the approval of the President or the appropriate Core Group officer, depending on the subject or nature of the correspondence
The Corresponding Secretary shall attend to all correspondence, including; report all incoming correspondence to the club membership at general meetings; prepare cover letters for donation checks; prepare thank you letters to speakers, hosts, contributors, etc., as appropriate; communicate PTC information to the general membership; assume the duties of the recording secretary in her absence; keep track of expenses incurred for reimbursement.
The Treasurer shall receive and account for funds raised by the Parent Teacher Club. (S)he shall prepare and distribute a treasurer's report to the SAC liaison and at each general membership meeting. At least two Core Group members, or other active Parent Teacher Club members designated by the President, shall be present to collect and count funds at each Parent Teacher Club-sponsored event and one of these officers or other designated members shall deliver said funds to the proper person for deposit. The Treasurer will work with the President, the outgoing President and the outgoing Treasurer to plan a budget for the next year. The Treasurer must demonstrate a balanced budget each month. In addition, the Treasurer will have one other Core Group member (other than the President) balance the accounts and sign the monthly bank statement and ledger at every Core Meeting. The Treasurer will keep a current monthly checking ledger with running budget account totals. The Treasurer will file all monthly bank statements and checking ledgers and have them available at all meetings.
The Program Director shall coordinate speakers and/or presentations for meetings or other programs and shall plan and organize Parent Teacher Club-sponsored programs for the school. (S)he will be responsible for refreshments at General Membership Meetings and other social events.
As a member of the Parent Teacher Club Core Group, the School Representative must be present at all Core Group and General Membership Meetings. If the School Representative is unable to attend a meeting, (s)he must notify the School Administrator so a substitute can be found. The School Representative acts in full partnership within the framework of the Parent Teacher Club.

Elections to the Core Group:

A Nominating Committee shall be appointed and announced by the Core Group in February and shall consist of two or more members of the General Membership. No member of the Nominating Committee shall be a candidate for office. At least one member of the Nominating Committee shall have served previously on the Core Group.
It is the responsibility of the Nominating Committee to seek and/or accept nominations for candidates for the various Core Group positions and to present these nominations to the membership.
Nominations shall open at the start of the general meeting in February, and close at the end of the March meeting. The slate of candidates shall be published in time for the April general membership meeting.
Officers for the Core Group shall be elected at the May general membership meeting.
The vote shall take place once the meeting has been called to order during the first 30 minutes of the May general membership meeting. At the close of voting, the Nominating Committee shall immediately count the ballots and report the results to the membership. Persons arriving after the close of voting shall not be allowed to cast a vote and no absentee votes shall be accepted. No votes shall be accepted after the close of voting.
Any intent to alter this Nominating procedure must be presented to the Core Group prior to the January general meeting.
In the event of a vacancy on the Core Group, other than President, the Core Group shall appoint an interim officer to fill that vacancy who shall serve until a special election can be held. In the event that the office of President becomes vacant, the Vice-President shall succeed as President and a special election shall be held for Vice-President.
A special election shall be held in case of a vacancy on the Core Group. Notice of the election shall be given to the general membership at least seven days prior to the election. A Past President (not currently serving on the Core Group) shall be the coordinator for the special election, and shall seek and/or accept nominations for the available position(s), conduct the voting and report the results of the election. A special election shall be held no later than two months after a Core Group position becomes vacant.
Voting members shall be the parents, guardians and teachers of all children attending St. Valentine School.

Special Committees: Special committees in keeping with Parent Teacher Club objectives may be appointed by the Core Group. These sub-committees derive their authority from the Parent Teacher Club, remaining at all times under the jurisdiction of the Parent Teacher Club, and shall not function autonomously. Special committees shall report their findings and recommendations to the Core Group, who shall report them to the general membership at regularly scheduled general membership meetings.

Meetings: The Core Group shall meet at least monthly throughout the school year. The Core Group shall decide issues by a simple majority of the members. A quorum shall be required to vote, consisting of two-thirds of the members of the Core Group.

General membership meetings shall be held at the beginning of the school year and monthly throughout the school year. Special meetings of the entire membership may be called by the Core Group when deemed necessary. These special meetings will be publicly announced one week before they are scheduled to meet by sending written notice home with the school children and by any other method calculated to provide notice to the membership. The rules contained in "Roberts Rules of Order" revised edition, shall govern the Parent Teacher Club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the governing rules of the Parent Teacher Club.

Any issue shall be passed by a simple majority of the members present at any meeting at which an issue is to be voted upon. No absentee votes shall be accepted and no votes may be cast or accepted after the issue has been voted upon. Voting members shall be St. Valentine teachers and the parents and guardians of all children attending St. Valentine School.

Amendments: Parent Teacher Club rules and procedures may be amended at any general membership meeting by a majority vote of the members present. Notification of proposed changes shall be presented to the members of one meeting prior the meeting at which the changes are to be voted upon. Proposed changes shall be published through a school notification at least seven days before voting is to take place. All changes to these rules, and all amendments, must receive final approval of the SAC, the School Administrator and the Pastor.

School Improvement Team (SIT)

Purpose: The SIT provides strategic planning for St. Valentine School through, but not limited to, examination and review of accreditation reports and documentation and the mission statement. In addition, the SIT shall coordinate and implement the development of public relations activities for the school. The School Improvement Team is a sub-committee of, and reports directly to, the St. Valentine School Advisory Committee.

Membership, Terms, Duties: The SIT consists of the School Administrator (ex-officio), two St. Valentine School faculty members and two representatives invited from each of the School Advisory Committee, the Parent Teacher Club and the St. Valentine Men's Club. Terms are for two years; there is no limit to the number of terms. The officers of the SIT shall be a chairperson and a recording secretary, both chosen by the SIT from the representatives of the SAC, Parent Teacher Club and Men's Club. The SIT shall report to the SAC through its representatives. The SIT chairperson schedules, sets agendas for and presides over the SIT meetings, and reports to the SAC in writing as necessary. The recording secretary is responsible for recording and distributing minutes of the SIT meetings. Meeting schedules and other administrative details shall be decided by the SIT members.

Computer Technology Committee (CTC)

Purpose: The CTC manages, recommends, plans, proposes, upgrades and implements the computer technology infrastructure, hardware and software of St. Valentine School, including the St. Valentine School web site. The CTC is a sub-committee of, and reports directly to, the St. Valentine School Advisory Committee.

Mission: On November 22, 2002, the Committee adopted the following Technology Mission Statement:

St. Valentine School recognizes that the successful student will need to function in a fast-moving and information-rich culture. Educational systems must provide an environment where students are actively involved in learning and developing the skills necessary to search for and identify relevant, global sources of information. Through guided practice and application, St. Valentine School will better prepare its graduates to respond to the vast increase of information and the exciting opportunities provided by computers and telecommunication technology.

Membership, Terms, Duties: The CTC consists of at least one SAC member, at least one faculty member of the School, and parent volunteers; total membership not to exceed 8 members. Terms are normally for three years; there is no limit to the number of terms. The officers of the CTC shall be a chairperson and a recording secretary, to be determined by simple majority of the CTC members. The CTC chairperson shall schedule, set agendas for and preside over the CTC meetings. In addition, the chairperson shall report to the SAC, in writing as necessary and in person at the September, January and May SAC meetings. The recording secretary is responsible for recording and distributing minutes of the CTC meetings. Meeting schedules and other administrative details shall be decided by the CTC members.

Appendix III - A Brief Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure

Distilled from Robert's Rules of Order Revised (H.M. Robert, 1915) and SLIDE-A-RULE for Committees, Meetings and Chairmen (M.H. Duncan, 1973).

ORDER OF BUSINESS - adapted to St. Valentine School Advisory Committee

Call to Order - Opening Prayer
Roll Call.
Review of Minutes (corrections and approval). Beside usual facts, minutes contain all Main Motions and their disposal, Points of Order and Appeals and whether sustained or lost, all other motions not lost or withdrawn. Corrections are made when called for. Upon dispute, corrections are put to majority vote. The Committee may correct unnoticed errors at any time, without regard to time lapse, with 2/3 vote.
School report given by the School Administrator. Questions are directed to the Administrator through the Chair.
Reports of standing committees. Questions are directed through the Chair. A report receives "no action" unless it ends with a resolution or motion "to adopt," in which case the Chair immediately puts it to a vote, or by General Consent, refers it to New Business.
Correspondence. Read here, but acted upon under New Business.
Unfinished Business. Includes, from the last meeting, items interrupted by adjournment or matters postponed to this meeting, motions to be "taken from the table," or motions "to reconsider, enter on minutes" may be "taken up."
New Business. All motions or resolutions from the floor or from committees that require the action of the Committee.
Round Table. Not necessary if New Business is done correctly.
Adjournment - Closing Prayer. Three methods: 1) by the Chair "Is there any further business? If not, the meeting is adjourned." 2) by Motion (as privilege or as Main) by member "I move we adjourn." or 3) by Time "The by-laws state adjournment by 8:30 P.M. If there are no objections, we shall adjourn."

RULES GOVERNING THE FLOOR

Address the Chair, "Mr. (or Madam) Chair" or by name or by raising hands.
Be recognized by name by the Chair, thereby gaining the Floor. Members who address the Chair while another Member has the Floor will not be recognized. Members who have gained the Floor may state Motions or Resolutions, may second Motions or may engage in Debate.
During Debate, (1) each member may speak once on a Question, for a length of time set (if not set by the Assembly, the time limit is 10 minutes), (2) a Member may speak a second time only if all have spoken who care to, (3) a Member may speak a third time only with the Assembly's consent. The moving Member is entitled to close debate with a speech, but not until everyone wishing to speak has spoken and providing that (s)he has not exceeded his/her time limit and that debate is still open. Debate must be limited to the merits of the immediately pending question. Members must address their remarks to the Chair, be courteous in their language and deportment and avoid all personalities, never alluding to the Officers or other Members by name, where possible to avoid it, nor to the motives of Members.

RULES ON MOTIONS

The Chair rules obstructive, absurd or delaying motions Out of Order.
Only one Main Motion can be immediately before the Assembly, stated clearly, and if lengthy, in writing. In order not to confuse the vote, state motions in the affirmative, such as "I move we reject the offer" NOT "I move we do not accept the offer."
If a Main Motion contains two separate ideas, a Member may "Call for a Division of the Question" so each proposal may be considered and voted on separately.
Only the Motion of highest rank is given immediate consideration. Votes are taken in reverse order to the sequence in which they were proposed, or are pending.
Seconding a motion means "I think that this should be discussed now." but does not obligate on to finally vote for the proposal.
Amendments must be germane and directly related to the subject contained in the motion to which they adhere.
If a Member wishes to close debate, (s)he must use the motion named "Previous Question," as the Chair cannot cut off debate.
When Debate is closed, the Motion on the Floor must be voted upon and the result announced by the Chair.

VOTING
Methods: Voice ("Aye" or "No"), Show of Hands, Rising (used for Division of Assembly), Ballot, Roll Call, General Consent. General Consent is used as an expedient to business without a formal vote when the Chair believes the majority would agree. Those remaining silent are assumed to agree. Those opposed should simply say "I object." The Chair then must immediately put the matter to vote. Examples: Chair says "If there is no objection, this resolution will be acted upon under New Business" or "If there is no objection, we interrupt business for an important announcement."

Counting: (assuming that a quorum is present) Majority vote - more than 1/2 the votes cast by Members present and voting; Two-Thirds Vote - 2/3 or more of the votes cast (need to be counted); Tie Vote - same as if lost.

DUTIES OF THE CHAIR

The duties of the Chair include opening the meeting and calling the Members to order, to announce the business before the Assembly in the order in which it is to be acted upon, to recognize Members entitled to the Floor, to state and put to a vote all questions regularly moved, to announce the results of votes, to protect the Assembly from frivolous motions by refusing to recognize them, to assist in expediting the business of the Assembly while protecting the rights of the Members, to restrain the Members when engaged in Debate while protecting the rights of the Members, to enforce order and decorum among the Members, to decide all questions of order unless submitted to the Assembly and to inform the Assembly on Points of Order.

While the Chair cannot take an active role in Debate without a vote of the Assembly for a temporary replacement, the chair is allowed to question those making motions as to their motives and may comment upon motions before stating them to the Assembly. The Chair has the right to require that all motions, resolutions, amendments and/or instructions to committees be in writing.

TYPES OF MOTIONS. Privileged and subsidiary motions are listed in order of rank. Only higher ranking motions can be considered before the current pending motion:

PRIVILEGED MOTIONS. Of such importance that they outrank all others.

ADJOURN. "I move we Adjourn [until (time) and (place)]." Terminates meeting or session, may state time and place of next meeting if not provided for. Cannot interrupt person in debate unless sufficiently urgent, second required, not debatable, can amend only next time and place, majority vote required, can reconsider vote only on time and place.
RECESS. "I move we Recess for (time) to (purpose)." Intermission for meals, counting ballots, etc. Recess begins immediately. Business resumes at same point. Cannot interrupt person in debate unless sufficiently urgent, second required, not debatable, can amend only time and purpose, majority vote required, cannot reconsider vote.
QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE. "I rise to a Question of Privilege (state question)." Relates to member's or assembly's comfort, disturbance, conduct, etc. Business resumes as soon as the matter is cared for. Cannot interrupt person in debate unless sufficiently urgent, second not required, not debatable, cannot amend, presiding officer decides as requested, cannot reconsider vote.
ORDERS OF THE DAY. "I call for the Orders of the Day." Demands conforming to the announced order of business, in order whenever deviations are noticed. A 2/3 negative vote prevents proceeding to the Orders of the Day. Can interrupt person in debate if urgent, second not required, not debatable, cannot amend, presiding officer decides as requested, cannot reconsider vote.

SUBSIDIARY MOTIONS. Change in some way or affect the disposition of the Main Motion.

LAY ON THE TABLE. "I move the Question be Laid On the Table." If carried, the Main Motion and those pending to it are laid aside for more pressing business until later in the meeting, or at the next one. Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required, not debatable, cannot amend, majority vote required, cannot reconsider vote.
PREVIOUS QUESTION/LIMIT DEBATE. "I call for the Previous Question" or "I move to Limit Debate to (length of time)" or "I move that Debate be stopped at (time)." Applies only to immediate Motion, unless "all Motions" is specified. If Previous Question carries, Debate stops at once for voting. Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required, not debatable, can amend only length or time, 2/3 vote required, can reconsider vote only on length and time.
POSTPONEMENT. "I move that the Question be Postponed until ---." Delays action until next meeting, a special time (can be made Special Order, requiring 2/3 vote) or after a certain event. Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required, debatable, can amend, majority vote required, can reconsider vote.
REFER TO COMMITTEE. "I move that the matter be Referred to a Committee." May further state committee number to be appointed or elected with "instruction to" investigate, recommend or take action. Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required, debatable, can amend, majority vote required, can reconsider vote unless committee has begun consideration.
AMENDMENT. "I move to Amend the Motion by ---." or "I move to Amend the Amendment by --." Ways to amend: insert or add at end, strike out words, strike out and insert, substitute paragraphs. Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required, debatable only if motion/amendment is debatable, can amend only if can amend motion, majority vote required, can reconsider vote.
INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT. "I move that the matter be Postponed Indefinitely." If carried, Main Motion is killed for that meeting. Used to test strength of opposition. If lost, Main Motion is again Open to Debate. Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required, debatable, cannot amend, majority vote required, can reconsider vote only if carried.

MAIN MOTION. "I Move that ---" "I Second the Motion." Introduces business or states a proposal for action. Has floor when no motion is pending. Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required or motion is lost, debatable, can amend, majority vote required, can reconsider vote.

INCIDENTAL MOTIONS concern matters of procedure arising out of business and must be settled at once. All incidental motions have equal rank.

POINT OF ORDER. "I rise to a Point of Order. (state point)" Must be used at the time when a breach of rules or decorum occurs. Is in order any time bylaws, etc. are believed to have been violated. Can interrupt person in debate, no second required, not debatable, cannot amend, presiding officer decides as requested, cannot reconsider decision.
APPEAL DECISION OF THE CHAIR. "I appeal from the Decision of the Chair. (state appeal)" Used when it is thought that the Chair has made a wrong decision. Must be made immediately after the decision and is settled by vote. Can interrupt person in debate, second required, debatable, cannot amend, majority vote required, can reconsider vote.
SUSPENSION OF RULES. "I move to Suspend the Rules in order to/that ---." Temporarily waives parliamentary rules of order for the specific purpose stated. Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required, not debatable, cannot amend, 2/3 vote required, cannot reconsider vote.
OBJECT TO CONSIDERATION. "I Object to the Consideration of this motion." Used to avoid consideration of embarrassing, irrelevant or contentious motions. Must be made before any debate. Can interrupt person in debate, no second required, not debatable, cannot amend, 2/3 negative vote required to kill motion, cannot reconsider affirmative vote.
DIVISION OF ASSEMBLY. "I call for a Division of the Assembly." Verifies by rising vote a vote taken by hand or voice. If abused to Assembly's annoyance, can be ruled out of order by Chair. Can interrupt person in debate, no second required, not debatable, cannot amend, presiding officer decides as requested, cannot reconsider decision.
INQUIRY/INFORMATION/WITHDRAW. "I rise to a Parliamentary Inquiry. (state inquiry)" or "I rise for Information. (state question)" or "I request to Withdraw my Motion." Inquiries and requests are addressed to the Chair. The member can make a withdrawal before the Motion is stated or with general consent before the Main Motion is taken up. Inquiries and requests can interrupt person in debate, but withdrawals cannot; no second required; not debatable; cannot amend; presiding officer decides as requested for inquiries and requests, general consent decides withdrawals; cannot reconsider inquiries or requests, cannot reconsider affirmative withdrawal.

UNCLASSIFIED MOTIONS. These have the same rank as motion to which they are attached.

TAKE FROM TABLE. "I move to Take From the Table the Motion that ---." Picks up for consideration a Motion which was tabled. May be used after some other business has intervened, but no later than the next meeting. Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required, not debatable, cannot amend, majority vote required, cannot reconsider vote.
RECONSIDER THE VOTE. "I voted with the prevailing side of the Motion which (repeat motion), and move to reconsider the vote (or reconsider and have it entered on the minutes)." May reconsider when no business is pending (has Floor at once), business is pending (gains Floor next) or entered on minutes (taken up at next meeting). Cannot interrupt person in debate, second required, debatable only when reconsidered motion is debatable, cannot amend, majority vote required, cannot reconsider vote.