Parliamentary Etiquette

An assembly is a conversation, and, as with any conversation, there are rules, conventions, and manners. This is not an exhaustive list.

When not at the mic

Don’t sidebar in such a way that those around you cannot hear debate. If your conversation is of any length, take it out of the chamber.

Feel free to step away from your seat for a breath of fresh air or to take care of personal needs, but always be ready to return to work because you never know when a vote might be called.

At the mic

Always identify yourself at the mic, stating your name and congregation (or agency or office, whichever is applicable).

Address the chair and not the assembly.

Confine your debate to the pending question — i.e., the question or topic immediately before the assembly. This can get confusing when amendments are being offered. Quick example: the main motion is on buying 3 pink flamingos for the synod office lawn. An amendment is moved to make it 7. The pending question is on whether 7 is a better number than 3, not on whether blue is better than pink or whether flamingos should be purchased at all.

When voting

When a vote is expected, be at your seat in the assembly chamber (or, at least, be in front of the bar).

When voting by show of hands or rising, keep you hands up (or continue to stand if by rising) until told to put them down (or sit). Also, do not mill about.

If voting by ballot, pay close attention to the instructions.

Making motions

Main motions, amendments, and complicated motions should be presented in writing to assist the secretary and the chair. If there seems not to be time to do this, ask that the assembly stand at ease, call a recess, or serve notice and ask for postponement or laying on the table.

Previous Question (Calling the Question)

• Don’t call the question if no one is in line to speak. If no one is in line to speak, debate will end automatically.
• Is it really necessary to call the question if there are only two people in line to speak?
• Call the question when you believe that the assembly does not need to hear any more debate to make up its mind about the pending question. Don’t call the question to suppress debate, i.e., to prevent one side or another from making its case. If the case has been made, and the same arguments are being given over and over again, calling the question is quite reasonable. The virtue in debate is not in giving everyone a chance to speak but rather in giving every reasonable and persuasive argument a chance to be heard.
• While legal, it borders on suppression of debate to move previous question and all matters before the house. It may be that someone wishes to offer an amendment to the main motion that will improve it. If, in your opinion, there is no further improvement to the main motion that can be offered, this motion (…all matters before the house) is reasonable. That you are simply bored with the matter before the house is not the best reason for using it. If you want to move previous question because you think there is something more important to attend to, the better and proper motion is to lay on the table or to postpone debate.
• If an attempt to call the question has failed, another attempt should only be made following significant progress in debate.
  

*An assembly can be confusing (and parliamentary practice even more so) for the novice attendee. Ask for help. Your chair and your parliamentarian are here to assist you participate in the work of the assembly.