| Presiding officer: | (standing) “The meeting will please come to order.” |
| Presiding officer: | (waits until everyone is ready) “The secretary will please read the minutes of the last meeting.” |
| Secretary: | (standing) reads the minutes. |
| Presiding officer: | “Are there any corrections to the minutes?” |
If anyone has heard a mistake in the minutes, he or she addresses the chair, waits to be recognized, and then makes the correction. (The presiding officer then says, “If there are no further corrections, the minutes stand approved as corrected.”)
| Presiding officer: | (if no corrections were made) “The minutes stand approved as read.” |
| Presiding officer: | (if there is a treasurer) “We will have the treasurer’s report.” |
| Treasurer: | (standing) reads the treasurer’s report telling the amount of money that has been spent and how much is left in the treasury. |
| Presiding officer: | thanks the treasurer for the report. |
| Presiding officer: | (if there are committees): “May we have a report from the ________ committee?” |
| Presiding officer: | thanks committees for their reports. |
| Presiding officer: | “Is there any unfinished business?” (business that was started at the last meeting but was not finished) |
| Presiding officer: | “Is there any new business?” |
Members, after being recognized by the chair, may “take the floor” to bring up ideas and suggestions. Only one person at a time has the floor. If a decision needs to be made, the idea or suggestion must be put in the form of a motion that is worded in a way that everyone can understand.
| Member: | (Raises a hand and waits to be recognized by the chair.) After being given the floor, the member states the motion by saying, “I move that ________.” (It is NOT correct to say “I make a motion.”) |
| Presiding officer: | “Is there a second to the motion?” |
A member says, “I second the motion.” A person does not need to stand and be recognized in order to second a motion. If nobody seconds the motion, it is lost.
| Presiding officer: | “It has been moved and seconded that _______.” (The presiding officer needs to state the motion exactly as it was presented and then asks for discussion.) |
| Presiding officer: | “Is there any discussion?” |
Members, after being recognized by the chair, may “take the floor” to discuss the motion. Each person must be recognized before he or she may speak. Only one person at a time may speak. After a person has spoken, others should be given a chance to speak before that person gets the floor again.
| Presiding officer: | “If there is no further discussion, we will vote on the motion. The motion is __________.” (The presiding officer states the motion exactly as it was presented.) |
| Presiding officer: | “All in favor of the motion please say, ‘Aye’ (eye).” Members who are in favor of the motion say “aye” for “yes.” |
| Presiding officer: | “Those opposed please say, ‘No.’ ” If the presiding officer is able to tell from a voice vote whether more people said, “aye” or “no,” the result of the vote is announced. If the vote is too close to tell, the presiding officer may have the members raise their hands so the votes may be counted. The only time the presiding officer may vote is in case of a tie. |
| Presiding officer: | “The motion is carried.” (passed) or “The motion is defeated.” |
Any number of motions may be presented, but only one motion at a time may be on the floor. Each motion must be acted on and completed before the next one is brought up.
| Presiding officer: | “Are there any announcements?” A member who has an announcement needs to be recognized by the chair before giving the announcement. |
| Presiding officer: | “Is there a motion to adjourn?” (close the meeting) |
| Member: | (after being recognized) “I move that the meeting be adjourned.” |
| Presiding officer: | “Is there a second to the motion?” |
| Another member: | (does not need to be recognized) “I second the motion.” |
| Presiding officer: | “It has been moved and seconded that the meeting be adjourned. All in favor say, ‘Aye.’… All those opposed say, ‘No.’ … The meeting is adjourned.” |