Points of Order

Meeting procedure in Australia, New Zealand and the UK

Contents:

• Introduction
  • What is this book about?
  • What is this book not about?
  • Who is this book for?
  • Copyright
• Meetings, generally
  • What is a meeting?
    • Defining some terms
    • Types of organisations and bodies
  • Where do procedural requirements for meetings come from?
    • Historical context
    • Contemporary requirements
    • Authorities on meeting procedure
• Holding meetings
  • What are the requirements for a valid meeting?
  • Authority
  • Notice (and agenda)
    • Notice must be given
    • Notice defines the scope of the meeting
    • How must notice be given?
    • Notice of regular meetings
    • Inability to cancel or amend notice
    • Defective notice
    • Agenda
  • Quorum
  • Chair
    • Who is the Chair?
    • Role of the Chair
    • Failure to discharge duties
• Transacting business
  • Motions, generally
    • Traditional form of motions
    • Alternative forms of motions
    • Unacceptable motions
  • Moving a motion
    • Obtaining the call
    • Moving the motion
    • Seconding the motion
    • Question proposed by the Chair
  • Debate
    • Rules of decorum
    • Right of reply
  • Voting on motions
    • Voting by Chair
    • Tied votes
  • Amendments
    • Form of amendments
    • Unacceptable amendments
    • Moving and proceeding with amendments
    • Traditional form of putting amendments
    • Simpler form of putting amendments
    • Effect of amendment
  • Points of order, etc.
    • Points of order
    • Other points
• The order of business
  • Opening of meeting
  • Attendance and apologies
  • Minutes of previous meetings
    • Minimum content of minutes
    • Confirmation of minutes
  • Matters arising from the minutes
  • Correspondence
  • Matters arising from the correspondence
  • Reports
    • A word on ‘receiving’
  • Motions on notice
  • General business
  • Notices of motion
  • Date of next meeting
  • Close of meeting
• Altering the flow
  • Procedural motions, generally
    • Classifications of procedural motions
    • Moving procedural motions
  • Curtailing debate
    • Closure
    • Gag
    • Guillotine
    • Kangaroo
  • Avoiding consideration
    • Next business
    • Previous question
  • Postponement
    • Lay on the table
    • Take from the table
    • Adjournment of debate
    • Reference motion
    • Adjournment of meeting
  • Renewing consideration
    • Reconsideration of question
    • Rescission of resolution
  • Form of debate
    • Consideration paragraph by paragraph (seriatim)
    • Cognate debate and consideration together (en bloc)
    • Committee of the whole
    • Committee debate
    • General discussion
    • Grievance debate
    • Closed meeting (in camera)
  • Motions relating to the Chair
    • Member be now heard
    • Dissent from Chair's ruling
    • Want of confidence in the Chair
    • Removal of Chair and new election
    • Replacement of Chair by named successor
  • Suspension of rules
    • Suspension of rules to enable informal debate
  • Leave
  • Closing the meeting
    • Preferred wording
    • Adjournment of meeting sine die
    • Report progress
    • Vacate the chair
• Voting and elections
  • Proxy voting
  • Methods of voting
    • Show of hands
    • Voice vote
    • Division, roll call, etc.
    • Poll
    • Secret ballot
    • Acclamation
    • Silence
  • Unanimous results, etc.
  • Conducting elections
    • Returning officer
    • Call for nominations
  • Voting systems
    • Instant runoff (preferential) voting
    • Single transferable vote
    • FPTP, cumulative voting, etc.
    • Other systems
• Miscellanea
  • Interpretation and drafting of resolutions
    • Interpretation
    • Gender-neutral language
    • Plain English
• Index