Rules of Order for the Assembly

For the consideration of the Synod Assembly

The following are the proposed convention standing rules for the 33rd Annual Synod Assembly of the WV-WMD Synod. In order to have force, the assembly would need to adopt them. The assembly may amend them prior to adoption. The assembly is free to not adopt any or all of them. The assembly may suspend, rescind, or amend them once adopted.

1. Each voting member, or those persons accorded the privilege of seat and voice, when recognized by the chair, shall state his or her name, congregation or the institution or group he or she represents. Persons speaking from the floor shall use the floor microphones (if they are provided) and shall address and speak to the chair.
2. In debate, a speaker shall be limited to five (5) minutes for each question. A speaker may speak to the same question a second time on the same day with a time limit of three (3) minutes provided no one who has not yet spoken wishes to do so. (Cf. RONR (12th ed.) 43:12 and 43:8)
3. When three speakers have spoken in a row on one side of a question and no speaker rises on the other side, debate shall be closed.
4. When balloting for elections:
   a) Registration shall be temporarily closed ten minutes before the appointed time for the election and reopened when the balloting is completed;
   b) The assembly chamber shall be sealed during balloting unless a ballot box has been ordered with a window for balloting.
5. All amendments to bylaws shall take effect at the end of this session unless specified otherwise.
6. Amendments to the Current Budget for FY2021-2022 or Proposed Budget for FY2022-2023, which create or increase a budget deficit, shall require a ⅔ vote for passage.

For the information of the Synod Assembly

The following rules for the Synod Assembly have been established in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of this synod. They do not need to be adopted.

• The assembly cannot amend, rescind, or suspend a constitutional provision unless previous notice has been given by Synod Council.
• Bylaws provisions cannot be suspended, but they can be rescinded or amended, following the procedure outlined in †S18.21.
• Continuing Resolutions may be rescinded or amended, following the procedure outlined in †S18.31. They may also be suspended, following the provision for suspension of rules found in RONR (12th ed.) 25:14 or 25:15, depending upon its nature.
  

1. Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition, shall govern parliamentary procedure of the Synod Assembly. (S7.32)
2. There shall be a division between the voting members and the others on the assembly floor, which shall be indicated by a marker(s). Voting members and those persons accorded privilege of seat and voice shall seat themselves in the section in front of the marker(s). All others shall be seated behind the marker(s). (B7.06)
3. A majority of those members registered as attending shall constitute a quorum. (S7.14)
4. When a voting member is unable to serve, the alternate voting member shall be seated when the Committee on Registration and Attendance has been provided with the necessary information and the alternate has been given a voting member’s card. (B7.07)
5. Voting members shall not absent themselves from any meeting of the assembly without valid excuse. (B7.18)
6. Duly elected voting members of the Synod Council who are not otherwise voting members of the Synod Assembly shall be granted the privilege of both voice and vote as members of the assembly. (S7.28)
7. All retired ordained ministers on the roster of the synod in attendance at the Synod Assembly shall be voting members provided that the voting membership of the Assembly is still 60% laypersons. (B7.08)
8. An ordained minister on leave from call on the roster of this synod shall be granted voting membership in the Synod Assembly upon consent of the Synod Council; such consent shall be applicable to the Synod Assembly in question; such consent may be renewed. (CR2.01)
9. Prior to each Synod Assembly, the Synod Council shall consider and, at its discretion, seat with voice and vote in the immediate Synod Assembly those Ministers of Word & Sacrament (or the equivalent) who are serving synod congregations and who also belong to church bodies with which the ELCA has full-communion. (CR2.02)
10. Prior to each Synod Assembly, the Synod Council shall consider and, at its discretion, seat with voice but without vote in the immediate Synod Assembly to those Ministers of Word & Sacrament (or the equivalent) who are serving a synod congregation but have not been otherwise enfranchised. (CR2.03)
11. Chairs of committees, commissions, and task forces who are not otherwise voting members of the assembly shall be seated with voice but without vote. (CR2.04)
12. Proxy and absentee voting shall not be permitted in the transaction of any business of this synod. (S7.31)
13. In all elections by the Synod Assembly, other than for the Bishop, additional nominations may be made from the floor. Nominators may provide copies of the completed nomination form (as defined by the nominating committee) to the secretary of the synod for distribution. (B9.07)
14. The Committee on Elections shall have power to appoint and dismiss tellers for those elections under its oversight. (CR7.01)
15. All motions, resolutions, amendments and nominations shall be submitted in writing and on proper forms available from the secretary of synod or the assembly pages. (B7.10)
16. A resolution of a general character which is not germane to the pending question or report shall be given by the proposer to the Committee on Reference and Counsel, which shall report thereon to the assembly with its recommendations. Other duties of the committee shall be: a) to recommend special orders for the hearing of representatives, b) to grant or deny permission to distribute printed matter not issuing from the office of the secretary, and c) to give such assistance to the bishop as may be desired in the course of the assembly. (B7.16)
17. Every congregation shall have the right to petition the assembly of this synod on subjects affecting its own welfare and legitimate interests. (B7.05)
18. Memorials and Resolutions not germane to assembly business shall be submitted to the Committee on Reference and Counsel twenty (20) days prior to the assembly. (CR7.02)
19. Resolutions submitted to Reference & Counsel shall be sponsored by at least two voting members of the Synod Assembly. For the purposes of this rule, when submission is in anticipation of the annual meeting of the Synod Assembly, verified registration as a voting member shall delineate standing. (CR7.03)
20. For both resolutions and memorials reviewed by Reference & Counsel under B17.16 or CR7.02,
    a) When the Reference & Counsel has recommended the adoption of the resolution/memorial, the committee’s recommendation and text of the resolution/memorial shall be the main motion before the assembly;
    b) When Reference & Counsel has recommended the adoption of a substitute for the resolution/memorial, the committee’s recommendation, including the committee’s text, shall be the main motion before the assembly;
    c) When Reference & Counsel has recommended referral of the resolution/memorial, the committee’s recommendation shall be the main motion before the assembly.
    d) When Reference & Counsel has recommended that the assembly decline to consider a proposed resolution, the voting member’s resolution, if then moved by that voting member and seconded, shall be the main motion and the committee’s recommendation shall be received as information.
    e) When Reference & Counsel has recommended that the assembly decline to consider a proposed memorial, the memorial, if then moved by a voting member who is also a voting member of the memorializing body and seconded, shall be the main motion and the committee’s recommendation shall be received as information. (CR7.04)
21. The Committee on Resolutions, except in cases where a report has been assigned to another committee or the committee is ordered otherwise by the assembly or the Synod Council, shall review all published reports and oral reports submitted to this Assembly. The committee may offer at its discretion such resolutions in response as seem appropriate. (CR7.05)
22. All reports published in the bulletin of reports shall be received by the assembly by virtue of that fact without vote. (B7.17)
23. The bishop of the synod shall appoint the following assembly committees:
    a) Committee on the Bishop’s Report
    b) Committee on Elections
    c) Committee on Minutes
    d) Committee on Reference and Counsel
    e) Committee on Registration and Attendance
    f) Committee on Resolutions
    g) Committee on Worship (B7.03)