Special Rules

Special rules are proposed by the Chairs and must be adopted by the body at the beginning of the meeting. For the sake of efficiency, and out of respect to the venue, we recommend the following special rules for the upcoming General Chapter Meeting. 

Special Rules

1. Any item stripped from the consent agenda will be allotted 10 minutes for debate, with each speaker being allotted 2 minutes. 

2. Time Bank: Motions to extend time are not allowed unless it specifies an amount of time borrowed from future agenda items, or borrows time from the “time bank”. Every time an agenda item ends early, the unused time is added to a “time bank”. 

3. Due to the agreement for booking the physical space, the time for adjournment will be fixed at 4:30pm, unless the meeting has already adjourned.

4. Because of time constraints at the venue, floor amendments to business items will not be accepted. The deadline to submit amendments is September 18th. 

5. With the exception of amendments to bylaws, proposals on the agenda that do not reach a vote due to time constraints will be deferred to decision by the chapter’s Executive Committee.

6. For the purposes of this specific meeting each item in New Business will have a fixed time allotment for debate unless time is extended on the item. Each speaker will have two minutes for a speech except for the first motivators of each item who will have four. When time is called the speaker is allowed to finish their sentence, but is expected not to abuse this procedure. The number of speakers on an item is not fixed but the chair will close debate if there is no longer an equal number of speakers for or against left.  

7. When in a Committee of the Whole, members may stack to speak generally rather than for or against. and floor amendments will be in order so long as at least 10% of members present second the motion.