BRITISH WEIGHT LIFTERS ASSOCIATION
STANDING ORDERS ON THE ORGANISATION OF EXECUTIVE BOARD GOVERNING COUNCIL AND DIVISIONAL COUNCIL MEETINGS
1. So far as practicable a schedule of meetings for the calendar year shall be published in advance, stating date, time and place of meetings. Additional meetings shall be called as required giving where possible at least 28 days’ notice of each meeting.
2. Notice of meetings shall be given:
(a) for BWLA general meetings, in accordance with the articles;
(b) for Executive Board in accordance with the articles to members of the Executive Board. If circumstances permit notice shall also be given to the members of the Governing Council.
(c) For Governing Council and subcommittee meetings, in accordance with the articles to those entitled to attend and in addition (if circumstances permit) on the BWLA Official Website and in writing to all Divisional Secretaries and to the Executive Board;
(d) for Divisional meetings in accordance with the articles to those entitled to attend and in addition on the Divisional website and (if circumstances permit) in the Divisional newsletter, if any. Notice shall be given to the Chief Executive and all Club Secretaries of Clubs registered in the Division, such notice to be given in writing if circumstances permit.
3. The published date, time, place or business of a meeting shall not be changed except for good reason. A change of room or building may be made without notice provided all those entitled to attend who arrive on time or late are directed to the new room without detriment.
4. A written agenda stating the business to be transacted, and (where appropriate) detailed supporting papers, shall normally be sent at least 7 days in advance to those entitled to attend. Exceptionally, for stated good reason such as urgency or information not being available earlier, late business and late papers may be considered by the meeting where this is allowed by statute.
5. Where two or more motions on the same subject matter are to be included in the agenda of a meeting, the chairman may give such directions as he thinks proper to secure the orderly debate of the subject matter so that the wish of the meeting can best be ascertained.
6. It is intended that debate be conducted in an orderly fashion but in a way which promotes participation and good decision making. Meetings may be conducted informally, but on the request of any member present and eligible to vote, or on the decision of the chairman, the following Rules of Debate shall be invoked.
(a) The meeting shall address itself only to the published agenda and shall at any time consider one and only one piece of business, motion (resolution or proposal).
(b) Business should be taken in the order in which it appears on the agenda.
(c) If a motion appears on the agenda, then unless it has been placed there by order of the Executive Board the Governing Council or the Divisional Council it shall not be discussed unless it is seconded.
(d) The mover of a motion (if seconded) may speak once at the beginning of the debate and a second time to sum up in response at the close of debate. In summing up the mover may not introduce new material to the debate.
(e) If an amendment to a motion is moved and seconded provided it does not negative the motion, then the amendment shall be debated and voted on before the motion itself.
(f) Further amendments proposed and seconded may be considered subject to the chairman’s agreement, provided only one amendment may be moved at any one time.
(g) If an amendment is passed, the amended motion shall become the substantial motion and the original motion shall be declared lost. The mover of the successful amendment shall be deemed to be the mover of the amended motion and so entitled to speak a second time to sum up at the end of the debate.
(h) Except as specified above, each member eligible to speak may do so once only in any motion.
(i) A member may at any time raise a point of order or a point of information even though he or she may already have spoken. If the person making the point of order or the point of information is the mover of the motion he or she does not by making such point either bring the debate to a close or lose his or her right to sum up.
(j) The chairman may allot a certain time for the consideration of any item on the agenda. He shall notify the meeting of this either at the start of the meeting or before the item is to be considered. If the chairman does allot a fixed time for an item he shall allocate that time between those who wish to speak in a fair manner.
(k) The chairman may curtail any member’s speech which he considers too long, off the point, defamatory, offensive to the norms of public debate, unnecessarily inflammatory or such as to cause unnecessary distress to another member or anyone else present.
(l) The chairman in selecting people to speak should seek to ensure that all viewpoints have a fair chance of being expressed.
(m) The chairman at any point in the debate, if he is satisfied that the motion has been sufficiently debated, may call for the mover to sum up and the vote to be taken, whether or not all members have spoken.
(n) A resolution for the removal of the chairman shall be put to the vote as soon as it has been moved and seconded and without debate.
7. Meetings may be adjourned for breaks at the chairman’s discretion. Adjournments to another day should be avoided where possible, in view of travel needs and other commitments.
 Meeting standing orders 2007.pdf | [Meeting standing orders 2007.pdf] | 43 Kb |
