Parliamentary Procedure Q&A

Q: The newly-elected president of our fire company is running the meetings as a monarch and is extremely aggressive. He has come to the point of overruling a majority vote.

Also, when we had the elections, there was prompting on his part which we can prove.

What should I do? - Daniel R. Savage, Dec. 2, 1998

A: When an infraction occurs, any member may (and probably should) raise a Point of Order, succinctly stating his case. The presiding officer will then rule on the point, stating either that it is "well taken" or "not well taken," and, if the latter, will often explain his reasoning. If the point is not well taken, a member may Appeal the Decision of the Chair and, if it is seconded, debate on the parliamentary correctness of what has occurred can take place, followed by a vote. (By the way, a Point of Order must be raised at the time of the infraction. It's too late now.) (See RONR sections 23 and 24.)

If the president fails to carry out his duties at a meeting, any member can move to censure him and, if necessary, that member himself can put the question to the group from his place in the audience. (RONR p. 657.)

If it comes down to it, in many organizations a motion may be made to Rescind the president's election. If adoped, this would immediately leave the office vacant, and the bylaws must be referred to for the procedure to fill a vacant office. (RONR section 34 and p. 657.)


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