Formal meeting rules

The framework for club proceedings

Formal meeting rules, also known as ‘Standing Orders’, can be followed if there is any contention in a meeting.

They address the way that attendees are to behave at meetings, how motions are dealt with and the powers of the chairperson. You may need to call on the following formal meeting rules to help keep your meetings on track.

• All meetings will be conducted in an orderly manner
• The chairperson will have the authority to maintain order 
• Any attendee desiring to speak at a meeting will raise their hand and address the meeting when called upon by the chairperson
• A motion must be moved and seconded before anyone other than the mover of the motion can speak to it. If a motion is not seconded, it lapses without debate and does not need to be recorded in the minutes
• The chairperson will, as far as practical, call on speakers for and against a motion alternatively
• If a formal amendment to a motion is proposed, the amendment is to be moved, seconded, debated and voted on as a separate matter from the original motion, before debate on the original motion can continue
• Immediately preceding the vote on a motion, the mover of the motion will be offered a final right of reply
• The chairperson will have the authority to allow any attendee to speak only once on any motion, with the exception of the final right of reply for the mover of the motion
• The chairperson will be entitled to vote on motions
• Any or all of these formal meeting rules may be suspended at any time by a simple majority vote of attendees (i.e. more than half)
• Once a motion becomes a resolution or is lost, there is to be no further discussion on that motion at the meeting where it was moved, unless a new motion to rescind the previously passed resolution is made
• Any decision made at a meeting that was properly called and held will not be void if there was a departure from these formal meeting rules which was not detected until after the decision had been made
• Any matters not dealt with in these formal meeting rules will be governed by the customary procedure at meetings