Robert's Rules
SURVIVAL
TIPS
on Parliamentary
Procedure

According to
Robert's
RULES OF
ORDER

California State Association of Parliamentarians

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Survival Tips on
Robert's Rules of Order

Undebatable Motions

You can make some motions which no one can speak against, mostly because sometimes the right to debate does not make sense! (Notice that among the common motions, if you can not debate them, you probably can not amend them either!).

Some motions perform a time sensitive task where a discussion would be counter productive.

  1. Call for the Orders of the Day.
  2. Call for the Division of the Assembly.
  3. Lay on the Table/Take from the Table.
  4. Division of a Question.
  5. Suspend the Rules.
  6. Reconsider a Motion (most).
  7. Dispense with Reading of the Minutes.

Some motions intend to prevent further debate. Discussing the motion defeats the purpose of the motion.

  1. Adjourn.
  2. Objection to the Consideration of the Question.
  3. Previous Question (Close Debate).
  4. Limit or Extend Limits of Debate.
  5. Recess.

Some motions intend to perform simple tasks which require immediate attention.

  1. Parliamentary Inquiry.
  2. Point of Information.
  3. Point of Order.
  4. Raise a Question of Privilege.
  5. Appeal from the Decision of the Chair (most).

If you know when others can debate your issues and when they can not, you will be better prepared to wisely make your point unopposed.

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