Reconsider and enter on the minutes
Encyclopedia
The motion
to reconsider and enter on the minutes is a special form of the motion
to reconsider
that automatically halts a passed motion from taking effect until it is called up at another meeting, which cannot be held on the same day. Its purpose is to delay a temporary majority
from taking action on a measure until there is time to notify absent members.
notes:
to be given of every motion that is to be introduced, by providing a safety valve. Cagle writes, "It is a legal motion, but not used much because so few people do know about it and because when someone does use it at a meeting, everybody gets extremely angry at them." The motion to reconsider and enter on the minutes takes precedence over the regular motion to reconsider.
As the motion can also be abused by an actual minority, some organizations have bylaw provisions or convention standing rule
s stating that the motion to reconsider and enter on the minutes is not in order at any time. Also to help curb abuses, RONR provides that it cannot be applied to motions whose object would be defeated by a delay of one day (such as inviting a speaker to address the assembly the following morning). It also cannot be moved at the last business meeting of the session if more than a quarterly time interval
will elapse before the next regular business session. For the 2000 edition of Robert's Rules of Order
, another change was made so that when Reconsider and Enter on the Minutes is moved on the last day, but not the last meeting, of a session not scheduled to meet within a quarterly time interval, it may be called up at the last meeting of the session.
In contrast to Demeter's Manual and RONR, The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (TSC)
simply says, "When this motion is made, it should be ruled out of order." TSC calls it the "monkey-wrench motion," opining that it throws a monkey-wrench into the smoothly operating machinery of majority rule, and states that the motion should only be permitted if the bylaws or standing rule
s of the organization allow for it. While RONR states that abuses of the motion by an actual minority can be curtailed by a motion by the majority to call a special meeting to take up the matter, TSC notes, "It is doubtful, however, that many modern organizations would approve of calling a special meeting for the sole purpose of dealing with a parliamentary maneuver."
, a member can slip in a few explanatory remarks. E.g., after the chair asks, "Did you vote on the prevailing side on this question?" the member might reply, "Yes. I sensed that this unnecessary and costly proposition would pass, and so I intentionally voted with the prevailing side in order to qualify to move to reconsider and enter."
Motion (parliamentary procedure)
In parliamentary procedure, a motion is a formal proposal by a member of a deliberative assembly that the assembly take certain action. In a parliament, this is also called a parliamentary motion and includes legislative motions, budgetary motions, supplementary budgetary motions, and petitionary...
to reconsider and enter on the minutes is a special form of the motion
Motion (parliamentary procedure)
In parliamentary procedure, a motion is a formal proposal by a member of a deliberative assembly that the assembly take certain action. In a parliament, this is also called a parliamentary motion and includes legislative motions, budgetary motions, supplementary budgetary motions, and petitionary...
to reconsider
Reconsider
In parliamentary law, reconsideration of a motion takes places upon a motion to bring back for further consideration a matter previously decided...
that automatically halts a passed motion from taking effect until it is called up at another meeting, which cannot be held on the same day. Its purpose is to delay a temporary majority
Temporary majority
A temporary majority exists when the positions of the members present and voting in a meeting of a deliberative assembly on a subject are not representative of the membership as a whole. It is in contrast to a "real majority." Parliamentary procedure contains some provisions designed to protect...
from taking action on a measure until there is time to notify absent members.
Explanation
Demeter's ManualDemeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure
thumb|right|125px| Demeter's ManualDemeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, by George Demeter, is a parliamentary authority manual. It is included in the bank of study materials used in preparing for the Certified Parliamentarian designation offered by the American Institute of...
notes:
When needed and allowed
According to the 1915 version of Robert's Rules of Order Revised, "This is needed in large societies with frequent meetings and small quorums, the attendance in many cases not exceeding ten per cent of the membership...In Congress, where the quorum is a majority of the members elected, and the members are paid for their services, there is no need for this form of the motion." In regular organizations, however, it obviates the need for previous noticePrevious notice
Previous notice, in parliamentary procedure, is an announcement that a motion will be introduced at a future meeting of a deliberative assembly....
to be given of every motion that is to be introduced, by providing a safety valve. Cagle writes, "It is a legal motion, but not used much because so few people do know about it and because when someone does use it at a meeting, everybody gets extremely angry at them." The motion to reconsider and enter on the minutes takes precedence over the regular motion to reconsider.
As the motion can also be abused by an actual minority, some organizations have bylaw provisions or convention standing rule
Standing rule
A standing rule is a rule that relates to the details of the administration of a society and which can be adopted or changed the same way as any other act of the deliberative assembly. Standing rules can be suspended by a majority vote for the duration of the session, but not for longer....
s stating that the motion to reconsider and enter on the minutes is not in order at any time. Also to help curb abuses, RONR provides that it cannot be applied to motions whose object would be defeated by a delay of one day (such as inviting a speaker to address the assembly the following morning). It also cannot be moved at the last business meeting of the session if more than a quarterly time interval
Quarterly time interval
In parliamentary procedure, a quarterly time interval represents a time limitation on the taking or postponement of certain actions. A quarterly time interval between two meetings is said to be exceeded when more than three full calendar months elapse between those meetings.-Time calculation:For...
will elapse before the next regular business session. For the 2000 edition of Robert's Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order is the short title of a book containing rules of order intended to be adopted as a parliamentary authority for use by a deliberative assembly written by Brig. Gen...
, another change was made so that when Reconsider and Enter on the Minutes is moved on the last day, but not the last meeting, of a session not scheduled to meet within a quarterly time interval, it may be called up at the last meeting of the session.
In contrast to Demeter's Manual and RONR, The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (TSC)
The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure
The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure is a book of rules of order. It is the second most popular parliamentary authority in the United States after Robert's Rules of Order. It was first published in 1950...
simply says, "When this motion is made, it should be ruled out of order." TSC calls it the "monkey-wrench motion," opining that it throws a monkey-wrench into the smoothly operating machinery of majority rule, and states that the motion should only be permitted if the bylaws or standing rule
Standing rule
A standing rule is a rule that relates to the details of the administration of a society and which can be adopted or changed the same way as any other act of the deliberative assembly. Standing rules can be suspended by a majority vote for the duration of the session, but not for longer....
s of the organization allow for it. While RONR states that abuses of the motion by an actual minority can be curtailed by a motion by the majority to call a special meeting to take up the matter, TSC notes, "It is doubtful, however, that many modern organizations would approve of calling a special meeting for the sole purpose of dealing with a parliamentary maneuver."
Strategy
Demeter's Manual notes, "If the motion to reconsider and enter a question is not called up before adjournment of the next meeting, the objectionable act then goes into effect upon adjournment. To reconsider and enter is out of order when its purpose is obviously dilatory." It is allowed to withdraw the motion to reconsider and enter before the end of the meeting in which it is made. However, this opens up the potential for more strategic use of parliamentary procedure, to wit:Making the motion
While the motion is technically undebatableDebate (parliamentary procedure)
Debate or discussion in parliamentary procedure refers to discussion on the merits of a pending question; that is, whether it should or not be agreed to...
, a member can slip in a few explanatory remarks. E.g., after the chair asks, "Did you vote on the prevailing side on this question?" the member might reply, "Yes. I sensed that this unnecessary and costly proposition would pass, and so I intentionally voted with the prevailing side in order to qualify to move to reconsider and enter."