Rules of Order

[Dialectic Society]

 

1884

 

 

 

1.      After the President has taken his chair, no member shall continue standing.

 

2.      A speaker shall address the chair and shall confine his remarks to the point in the debate.

 

3.      No motion shall be considered unless seconded; if required by the Chair or Society, it shall be reduced to writing.

 

4.      When a question is under consideration, no motions shall be considered, except the following:

 

a). To reject, which shall be decided without debate, and can only be decided by a two-thirds vote.

b). To lay upon the table, which shall be decided without debate

c). To postpone to a certain time. Debate on this motion shall be limited to the propriety of postponement.

d). To postpone indefinitely. Full debate shall be allowed on this motion. While the same is pending, no amendments shall be allowed. If society shall decide in the affirmative, the question shall not be brought forward again during the term.

e). To commit. That is, to refer to a special or standing committee. Debate on this motion shall be limited to propriety of such reference.

f). To amend, which shall be debatable.

 

5.      The motion that the question be now voted on, commonly called the “previous question,” shall not be in order during the exercises. It may, however, be made at any other time, provided two-thirds of the members consent thereto. After the call for the previous question has been agreed to, all debate shall cease, and the vote shall be taken, first on the pending amendments in their proper order, and then on the main question. The motion shall have precedence of all other motions, except to lay on the table.

6.      If the question under debate contains several propositions, the same shall be divided at the request of any member, and a vote taken separately; but the motion to “strike out and insert” shall be indivisible.

7.      Amendments shall be considered in the reverse order in which they are made.

8.      When a proposed amendment is under consideration, a motion to amend the same may be made. No after amendment to second amendment shall be in order. But when an amendment to an amendment is under consideration, a substitute to the whole matter may be made. No proposition on a subject different from the one under consideration shall be received under the color of a substitute.

9.      A question once decided, shall stand as the judgement of the Society, and shall not again during the term be drawn into debate, unless there is a motion to reconsider. Such a motion shall not be in order unless made by one who voted with the majority, and it must be made within seven (7) days of the time when the final vote was taken; provided, that a vote or question may be considered at any time by a two-thirds (2/3) vote. It shall not be in order to reconsider an election of officers except by a two-thids (2/3) vote.

10.  All proxies allowed by the laws of the Society shall be in writing, signed by the absent member, and forwarded to the President of the Society, and to be opened by him in the presence of the Society. Any proxies otherwise opened may not be counted.

11.  No person shall vote by proxy unless he is a student of the University and an active member of the Society, and I any dispute shall arise upon the former question, the matter shall be referred to the President or Presiding Professor of the University, and his decision shall be considered final, provided he sends it officially in writing to the President of the Society.

12.  The President shall have one vote only on all questions. If there be a tie, the question shall be decided in the negative. In case of a tie in an election of officers, neither shall be considered elected.

13.  The report of a committee shall be received as a matter of course unless objected to, and the objection shall be sustained by a majority, or unless recommitted.

14.  Questions or order shall be decided by the chair without debate, but any member may appeal from his decision, and on appeal no members shall speak more than once. The form of question shall be, “Shall the decision of the chair stand as the decision of the Society?” When any question of order shall arise, not embraced in these rules, it shall be decided according to Robert’s Manual.

15.  Papers laid before the Society shall be read at the request of any member, unless a majority decides otherwise.

16.  A member making a motion may withdraw it before any action is taken; after such action, only by leave of a majority.

17.  No rules shall be suspended except by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3).

18.  Motions relating to the rights and privileges of members shall be in order at any time, and shall have the precedence of all other questions; but shall be subject to be rejected, laid on the table, postponed, or committed like other questions: Provided, however, that the regular exercises shall not be interrupted unless the President shall decide that the matter is of so urgent a nature that it cannot be postponed.

19.  If any member shall use language offensive to another member or the hall, he may be called to order by the chair, reported by second censor, and fined by the discretion of the President.

20.  All committees shall be appointed by the chair unless otherwise ordered.

21.  A person at whose instance a special committee shall be raised shall be a member thereof unless the Society shall excuse him; but in all cases committees shall have the power to select their own chairman.

22.  In case the Society desires to go into a “Committee of the Whole,” the President shall call another member to the chair, and then the committee shall be subject to the rules of order prevailing in the Society, except as to number of speeches. Only the final action of the committee, as reported to the Society, shall be entered upon the minutes.

23.  When a member is called to order, he shall take his seat until the question shall be settled, after which he may proceed in order.

24.  Upon a motion made by any member and sustained by one-fifth of the members resent, the vote on any question shall be taken by calling the roll and entering the “yeas” and “nays” on the Secretary’s book.

25.  Any member may dissent from or protest against any ordinance or resolve, which he may think injurious to the Society or any individual.

26. Elections for semi-sessional officers, except President and Vice President, shall be viva voce.

27. hen a motion to reconsider has been made ad laid on the table or defeated, it shall not be in order to take such motion from the table or renew it except by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

28. These rules shall be subject to amendment or appeal in the same manner as the provisions of the Constitution.