Rules of Order

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ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONVENTION OF THE DIOCESE OF WASHINGTON

SPECIAL RULE OF ORDER

Rule 9 of the standing Rules of Order, which frame the process for our work at Convention, provides that "No member shall speak more than twice in the same debate nor longer than fifteen minutes at one time without leave of the Convention." In recent years, in order to help assure that the greatest number of individuals is able to speak to matters under consideration, it has become common for the Convention to adopt a Special Rule of Order that reduces the maximum time any individual can speak from 15 minutes to 3 minutes. Based on our recent custom and experience, especially in light of the number of resolutions before us this year, a similar Special Rule of Order, the text of which appears below, will be proposed for adoption this year.

The proposed rule also incorporates an additional feature that is intended to assure that the principal sponsor of a resolution has the opportunity to provide background on that resolution. Thus, the proposed rule provides that the primary sponsor of a resolution will be recognized as the first speaker for the resolution, and will be provided with additional time to speak.

If adopted, this special rule will amend Rule 9 of the standing Rules of Order to read as follows:

The first member to speak on a resolution shall be the primary sponsor or the agreed upon designee. No member shall speak more than twice in the same debate nor longer than ~~fifteen~~ three minutes at one time without leave of the Convention, except that the primary sponsor or designee may speak for up to five minutes the first time, and three minutes the second time.

(deleted material indicated by ~~strikethrough~~; inserted material indicated in boldface)

III. RULES OF ORDER OF THE CONVENTION

1. The daily sessions of the Convention shall be opened with Divine Service. All Clerical Members and Lay Delegates shall register at a place designated by the Secretary of the Convention. (1960)

2. The Convention upon its first assembling shall be called to order by the Bishop, or in the Bishop's absence by the Bishop Coadjutor or the Suffragan Bishop, or if there be no Bishop present, by the President of the Standing Committee, or by some member of that body appointed by any of its members who are present. (1960)

3. When the President calls the Convention to order, every member shall immediately be seated. (1960)

4. The President shall appoint a Coordinator for the Dispatch of Business who shall hold office until the next Convention. (1955)

5. The Secretary of the last Convention shall announce the total number of each order who have registered. If such registrations indicate the presence of a quorum, the President shall announce the fact and declare the Convention fully organized and ready for business. Subject to Canon 2, Sec. 3, if there is a question in regard to the right of any member of the Clergy or any Lay Delegate to seat and vote, or to seat and voice, the President may appoint a committee to investigate the facts and report them to the President for judgment. If there be no Bishop present, the Convention shall then proceed to elect a President. (1970, 1977)

6. A Secretary shall be appointed to hold office until the appointment of a successor at the next Annual Session. The President shall then appoint a First Assistant Secretary, a Second Assistant Secretary, tellers, pages and such other assistants as may be necessary. At such time as is indicated in the Order of Business the President shall appoint the various Committees, Commissions, and Boards of the Convention. (1960)

7. When any member is about to speak or deliver any matter to the Convention, the member shall rise, and with due respect, address the President.

8. If two or more members shall rise at the same time to speak the President shall decide who shall speak.

9. No member shall speak more than twice in the same debate nor longer than fifteen minutes at one time without leave of the Convention.

10. No motion shall be debated until it has been seconded, has been reduced to writing and presented to the Secretary.

11. When a motion is made and seconded, no other motion shall be received except to adjourn, to lay on the table, to postpone to a certain time, to postpone indefinitely, to commit or to amend; and motions for any of these purposes shall have precedence in the order herein named. If a motion to lay on the table an amendment be carried, the matter before the Convention shall be proceeded with as if no such amendment had been offered. The motions to lay on the table and to adjourn shall be decided without debate. The motion to adjourn shall always be in order if the mover has the floor.

12. When a proposed amendment is under consideration, a motion to amend the same may be made. No after-amendment shall be in order, but a substitute for both amendments may be received, which if adopted, shall operate as an amendment to the original proposition. No proposition on a subject different from the one under consideration shall be received under color of an amendment or substitute. No amendment or substitute shall be debated until it has been seconded, has been reduced to writing and presented to the Secretary. (1975)

13. If a question contain several distinct propositions the same shall be divided at the request of any member, and a vote taken separately except that a motion to strike out and insert shall be undividable.

14. All questions of order shall be decided by the President without debate; but any member may appeal from such decision, and on such appeal no member shall speak more than once, without express leave of the Convention.

15. When any member rises to a point of order, the member who has the floor shall be seated until the point of order is decided by the Chair.

16. A question being once determined shall stand as the judgment of the Convention, and shall not be again drawn into debate during the session, except with the consent of two-thirds of the Convention, upon a motion to reconsider made by a member who voted with the majority and seconded by a member who also voted with the majority.

17. No question shall be taken on any report unless upon a motion to print or recommit it; but reports shall, as a course, lie upon the table. If a committee deem any action of the Convention desirable, it shall be their duty to present in writing such Resolutions, Acts or Canons, as they may think it should adopt; which only shall be subject to the action of the Convention. Every act which divides a Parish, or in any way affects Parish boundaries, shall distinctly set out the new boundaries which it is intended to establish. The Convention will not act upon any proposed Resolution, Act or Canon which is not conformed to the provision of this rule.

18. Nominations may be made from the floor, but shall be confined to announcement only of the candidate's name and shall not be seconded. All elections shall be by ballot unless otherwise ordered; the votes of the Clergy and the Laity shall be received and counted separately; but the vote shall be regarded as a joint one, and the election shall be decided by a majority of the whole number of votes taken together, except where a vote by orders shall be required under the provisions of the Constitution. The Secretary shall cause to be prepared a single printed list of all nominations for membership on the Standing Committee, for deputies to the General Convention, for deputies to the Provincial Synod, and for the Diocesan Council, with marginal notes in connection with each of said groups of nominees, stating the number of persons to be voted for, and that members in voting are not confined to the names appearing on such list of nominations. No other printed ballots shall be used or counted at such election. (1986)

19. When a joint ballot is taken, the procedure shall be as follows: The Tellers shall verify that each voter is an accredited Member or Delegate with the right to vote. They shall collect the votes. After the votes have been counted the Chief Teller shall combine the Clerical and Lay votes in one joint report and present it to the Convention, reading the total number of votes cast in each order, and the total number of votes in each order necessary for election and then name the persons voted for, the number of votes in each order for each person separately, and the sum total of votes received by each person. The President shall then state to the Convention the result of the joint ballot. (1975)

20. Except when otherwise ordered by the Convention, no books, pamphlets, or other printed matter shall be distributed at any meeting of the Convention, or be placed in the seats of the members without the express permission of the President; but this prohibition shall not apply to the report of a Committee, or to any other document presented to or accepted by the Convention, or printed by its authority.

21. A majority of two-thirds of the members present shall be required to suspend any Rule of Order or make any change in the Order of Business; but "Orders of the Day" may be intercalated in Order of Business by majority vote.

22. All applications of Alternate Lay Delegates to seats in place of their principals shall be presented to the Secretary, who having determined that an Alternate is entitled to a seat, shall announce such substitution to the Convention. In case no objection is raised following such announcement, the Alternate shall take his seat.

23. (a) Any member of the Convention desiring to submit any resolution for consideration by the Convention is directed to submit the same in writing to the Secretary for the Convention not less than two months before the time of meeting of the session of the Convention at which consideration of such resolution is desired; and the Secretary of the Convention shall thereupon forward a copy of such resolution to the Committee on the Constitution, Canons and Other Business, or to such other committee as may be appropriate, which committee may then, in its discretion, direct the Secretary of the Convention to forward a copy to all Ministers in active duty in the Diocese of Washington and to each Lay Delegate evidence of whose election shall have been certified to the Secretary. (1969,1976, 1996)

(b) Any resolution except one of courtesy not submitted in advance may be considered by the Convention only after the writer or writers show cause why they could not have submitted the resolution two months before. The Convention must then agree to its consideration by a two-thirds majority. All resolutions submitted within two months prior to the Convention shall be with sufficient copies to distribute to the delegates attending the Convention. The Committee on Resolutions will circulate to each Regional Assembly and to each Convention delegate a copy of all resolutions, accompanied by its report thereon, at least 30 days prior to the Convention. (1970, 1980)

(c) The Resolutions Committee shall submit to the Finance Committee for its review all resolutions proposed to the Convention which have a potential impact upon the Diocesan budget. The Finance Committee shall promptly report back to the Committee on Resolutions its findings on these resolutions. In the case of a resolution which has a potential impact upon the Diocesan budget and which is accepted by Convention under Rule 23(b), the resolution shall be forwarded to the Finance Committee by the Secretary of the Convention and the Finance Committee shall report its findings to the Committee on Resolutions prior to consideration of the resolution by the Convention. (adopted 1995)

24. Any resolution, submitted pursuant to Rule 23, or motion which requires funding not specifically provided for in the budget submitted to the Convention for consideration, must contain a recommendation for a corresponding decrease in the funding of another item which is included in the budget so that the impact of the resolution or motion is cost-neutral. (adopted 2001)

25. Robert's Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary guide in all cases not provided for in the foregoing Rules.

26. The foregoing Rules of Order, together with the Order of Business hereto annexed, shall be deemed the Rules of Order for all future Conventions until altered or rescinded. (1950)

27. The Journal of Proceedings shall be approved by the President, or the President pro tempore, before publication.