President to prevent
this by rapping with her gavel (if this should be necessary) and saying
"Will the club please come to order."
VI--SPEAKING
It is considered bad form for any one person to speak twice on the same
motion. It is supposed that when the speaker has the floor she will say
what she has to say and then give way to others. But if a member wishes
to speak a second time on a subject, because some new phase of it may
have come up in remarks made after her first speaking, she should ask
the President if she may be allowed to speak again, and, if no one
objects, it is proper for her to do so. The value of such rules is that
they prevent the discussion from becoming a mere general conversation.
Also they train speakers to get their ideas well in hand before speaking
and to be brief.
VII--CLOSING DEBATE
Sometimes a discussion threatens to run on interminably, and in that
case there are ways by which the club can limit it. This may be done by
setting an hour at which the debate shall close and the motion be put.
When that time arrives the person speaking must be interrupted by the
President and the vote taken. In such cases it is sometimes voted that
each speaker shall be limited say to five minutes, and when the five
minutes are up the President must interrupt the speaker and give the
floor to the next one.
Or debate may be ended by somebody moving "the previous question," and
if this is seconded, the President, without permitting any discussion
whatever, must put it to vote, and if two-thirds favor "the previous
question" that means that the original motion must now be put without
any further remarks.
Still another way of ending a debate is to move to lay the motion under
discussion "on the table." If this is seconded, it must be put by the
President without allowing any discussion. If the majority vote to lay
the matter on the table, that means that consideration of it is
postponed to some future meeting. If no one at a later meeting moves to
have it taken from the table, it remains there indefinitely, which means
that it is practically dead.
Still another way to end a debate is to move to adjourn. This is always
in order and takes precedence of every other motion, and, if carried,
ends the session. The business left unfinished must be taken up at the
next meeting.
The President should familiarize herself thoroughly with the rules of
order and be able to decide on the moment which motions
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