This is an extract from
Guide for Meetings and Organisations by N E Renton.

1. These standing orders shall be applicable to all general meetings and committee meetings and, as far as appropriate, to meetings of sub-committees, and shall be construed subject to the constitution.

2. Meetings shall, subject to the presence of a quorum, start at the time set out on the notice, and shall, subject to the discretion of the meeting, continue until all business on the agenda is disposed of.

3. If no quorum is present within 30 minutes of the starting time set out on the notice, the meeting shall lapse, and, subject to any resolution previously passed, the President shall fix the time of the next meeting. All business on the agenda of the lapsed meeting shall be included on the agenda of the next meeting and shall take precedence over new business.

4. Any member desiring to speak at general meetings or in the Committee of the Whole shall rise in his or her place and when called upon by the Chair shall address the Chair. If two or more members rise simultaneously, the Chair shall call upon the member who first caught the eye of the Chair.

5. When the Chair rises to speak any member standing shall sit down.

6. Except in committee, no member other than the proposer of a motion or an amendment shall speak to it until it has been seconded. A motion or amendment lapsing for want of a seconder shall not be recorded in the minutes.

7. A motion or amendment before the chair shall not be withdrawn except by its mover and by leave of the meeting. No motion shall be withdrawn while any amendment is under discussion or after any amendment has been adopted.

8. If required to do so by the Chair, the proposer of any motion or amendment shall submit it in writing.

9. A motion or amendment before the chair may be reworded by the mover subject to leave of the meeting.

10. Except in committee, no member shall speak more than once to any question, except that the mover of a motion (but not of an amendment) shall have a right of reply, which reply shall close the debate. An amendment shall constitute a separate question from the original motion and from any other amendment.

11. A member moving a motion or amendment shall be deemed to have spoken to it. A member seconding a motion or amendment without speaking to it may reserve the right to speak to it subsequently.

12. When an amendment is before the chair, discussion shall be confined to that amendment. No further amendment shall be proposed until the amendment before the chair has been disposed of.

13. The Chair shall, as far as practicable, call on speakers for and against a motion or amendment alternatively, subject to the right of the seconder to speak immediately after the mover. If two consecutive speakers have both argued for or against a motion or an amendment, and there is no member wishing to argue the opposite view, or, in the case of a motion, to move an amendment, the motion or the amendment shall, subject, in the case of a motion, to the mover's right of reply, be put without further debate.

14. Any member may raise a point of order, which shall take precedence over all other business, and which shall be open to discussion. The point must be raised at the time the alleged irregularity occurred. An explanation or contradiction shall not constitute a point of order.

15. Any member disagreeing with the Chair's ruling on a point of order may move dissent. The Chair shall then vacate the chair and such motion shall be put forthwith without debate.

16. On an equality of voting, the Chair shall declare the question resolved so as to maintain the status quo.

17. A member who has not already participated in the debate may at any time, whether another speaker has the floor or not, move, "That the question be now put", which motion, if accepted by the Chair, shall be put without amendment or debate. The Chair shall have absolute discretion to accept or refuse the motion. The Chair may also without returning a motion put the question if the Chair feels that adequate discussion has taken place. In either case the mover of a motion shall retain the right of reply. If an amendment is before the chair, the closure motion shall be deemed to close the debate on the amendment only.

18. A member may at any time move, "That the speaker be no longer heard" or, "That the speaker be heard for a further limited period only". Such motions shall be put without amendment or debate. No other motion, except the closure motion or a motion dealing with the speaker's time, shall be moved while a speaker has the floor.

19. During the discussion of a motion (but not of an amendment), a member who has not already participated in the debate on the motion may move: "That the question be not now put." This motion shall be open to debate, and shall be debated together with the original motion. If carried, the original motion shall not be dealt with further. If lost, the original motion shall be put forthwith, subject to the mover's right of reply. The motion may be foreshadowed while an amendment is before the chair, but in no case shall it be put till all amendments have been disposed of.

20. A member may move: "That the debate or meeting be now adjourned." Discussion shall be in order, but only amendments as to time and/or place shall be permitted. The motion shall take precedence over other business before the chair except points of order and personal explanations.

21. A general meeting may at any time during the discussion of a motion or an amendment resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole.

22. Standing Orders 1-21 or any of them may be suspended by a majority of those present. A motion to this effect shall be open to debate.

23. No member shall reflect on the vote of a meeting, except on a motion for the rescission of any resolution previously adopted. No member shall reflect on a clause of the constitution or a standing order, except on a motion (of which due notice was given) to amend or repeal such clause or order.

24. Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, any decision made by a validly constituted meeting shall not be void by reason only of a departure from these standing orders which was not detected till after the decision had been made.

25. Alterations to the standing orders shall be made only by a general meeting after 14 days' notice has been given.

26. Any matters not dealt with in the above standing orders shall be governed by the customary procedure at meetings.