The rules

1. Residence Staff Training 2012 Tuesday, August 21 Vic Hall A011 General Assembly, Robert’s Rules, and Other Fun Stuff The rules

2. We’ll cover…. • Who is the Speaker? • General Assembly • Robert’s Rules • The Constitution of the MCRS • The Bylaws of the MCRS

3. Who am I? • Feodor Snagovsky • Call me Feo • 4rd year Life Sci and Politics • Residence Don • Likes Suits, polar bears, and long-winded arguments

4. …but more importantly: • Speaker of the House • It is his/her duty to: • Enforce “decorum and order” • Give rulings on matters concerning Assembly procedure. • Maintain a speaking list. • Eject a member for violating decorum or a standing rule. • Only after clear and repeated warnings.

5. The Speaker can also…. • Call the General Assembly to order. • Enforce current standing rules. • Throw (light) stuff. • Manage discussion and debate. • Act as an advisor to the Executive and to anybody.

6. But the Speaker cannot…. • Be the boss of anybody outside of Elections and GA • Vote on motions • Participate in the debate • “While in the chair” • Kill/hurt/maim anybody • Usually

7. So what is GA? • 4.01 – “The Legislative power [of the MCRC] shall be vested in a General Assembly which shall consist of representatives elected by the members of the Society. Such representatives become trustees of the student interest…”

8. So what is GA? • 4.02 – “The primary purpose of the General Assembly is legislation, oversight of the executive, and the provision of a public forum for initiation and discussion of policy.”

9. So what is GA? • General Assembly: • Bi-weekly meeting • Need to pick a day • 4 Hour Cap • Where anything and everything concerning the MCRC as a whole is discussed and decided upon. • Open to the public. • However, GA can be closed by majority resolution.

10. Who makes up the GA? • The Speaker of the House • The Executive • President, VPD, VPRA • VPF, Sustainability, Events and Services • YOU (The House Presidents) • Advisory Committee Chairs (FYAC) • Any guest speakers • The public (as audience)

11. Why have GA? • The single most important meeting in the daily running of the MCRC. • Communication • Announcements • Directives • Where decisions are made. • Motions • Legislation • “Board of Directors” meeting

12. What is GA responsible for? • Overseeing the work of the President • Ratifying Presidential appointments • Approving the MCRC budget • Ensuring continuing fiscal responsibility • Establishing residence rules and policies necessary to ensure the accomplishment of the objectives of the Society • Generally ensuring that the objectives of the Society are fulfilled (we’re it folks)

13. What does GA usually do? • Amend by-laws • Adopt/Amend/Repeal policies • Spend money • Discuss important stuff • Keep exec accountable

14. Flow of the Assembly • Based on the agenda. • Has to be accepted through a majority vote. • Can be opened afterwards through a vote. • Will be circulated before Assembly starts

15. The Agenda • Preliminary Business • Approval of the Agenda • Chairperson’s Business • Guest Speakers • President’s Report • Executive Reports • Statements by Members • Usually used to give announcements/invitations to events.

16. Agenda continued… • Question Period • Where members can ask questions regarding Executive reports and member statements. • Reports of Committees • Motions • Where any motions are put forth, discussed and voted upon. • Binding • Discussion • Anything that needs to be discussed • Non-binding

17. Committees of the GA • To distribute workload of the MCRC • Three standing committees: • Constitutional Affairs and Ethics Committee • Finance and Audit Committee • Judicial Advisory Board • Four other committees: • Events, FYAC, Hiring, FRAC • Please note: • It is a mandatory rule that all HPs must belong in at least one committee plus the events committee • Or be the CRO or DEO

18. Committees continued • Advisory Committees: • First Year Advisory Committee • Upper Year Advisory Committee • Don Advisory Committee • Plus any other committee deemed necessary. • Main committees will be struck during the first GA of the year: • Thursday, August 30th, 1:00pm- 4:00pm

19. Standing Rules • Dress code • Business casual/professional (more later) • Cellphones, Laptops, iPads, etc. • NO. • If you really need to use your phone, please step outside. • Violations will mean a verbal warning/stuff thrown at you. • Attendance • Very important!

20. Attendance! • Three strike system: • 1: Explain yourself to the Assembly • 2: You get to meet with the CEO and Dorothy. • 3: You get to meet with Tuba and Dorothy • Missing a GA is 5 demerit points • Proxies work, only when the CEO is notified before noon of the day GA is scheduled. • Will be dealt with case-by-case

21. Dress Code

22. Dress Code • Business casual/professional • Conveys seriousness of purpose • Consequences for violations depend on degree of violation • Range from a warning to ejection

23. Robert’s Rules • Who? • Henry Martyn Robert, Maj. US Army. 1876 • Systemic rules of parliamentary procedure that ensure that: • Respect the right of all members. • Ensure that consensus is reached. • Allows the meeting to run efficiently and the group to work together properly.

24. The Bare Bones: • All meetings must meet “quorum” before beginning. • 50% of voting members • ie: 8 members minimum • Always address the chair. • ie: “Mr. Speaker” • All votes are ruled by majority resolution. • Unless otherwise stated by the Constitution/Bylaws • There is a speaker’s list for any discussion.

25. …More Bare Bones • All business brought forth to the General Assembly must be done through a motion, implied or not. • Implied motion: An action or stance that is proposed to the Assembly that comes from a form of communication, and does not involve the formal wording of a motion. • The chair specifies an action, and asks for objections. If none, implied motion is carried. • If there is objection, implied motion will need to be discussed as a formal motions.

26. Formal Motions • Requires 2 individuals: • The mover • A seconder. • Note that these individuals DO NOT have to vote in favour of the motion. • Formal wording: • “Mr. Speaker, I would like to move that…. • “I second the motion.” • Speaker then re-reads the motion, and opens discussion. • Usually starts with the mover and seconder.

27. Amendments • Amendments • A change to the wording of a motion, usually suggested during discussion. • 2 flavors: Friendly, or not. • Friendly: Amendment mover has to declare it, and if the motion mover agrees, it is carried given no objections. • Not friendly, or the motion mover disagrees, or if there is any objection, then it is made into a formal motion. • And of course, the amendment can be amended, ad nauseum. • Once the amendment is taken care of, discussion on the main motion is resumed.

28. Voting • Happens at the end of a debate, or if a member moves to close a debate and it passes. • Wording: “Mr. Speaker, I move that this motion be put to the question.” and usual motion procedure follows. • During the vote, the motion is read again, and Speaker asks for yea, nays, and abstains. • All votes are open (ie: public). • Exception: With motion to make vote secret. • Simple majority wins.

29. Customs and Formality • To ensure impartiality and prevent any infringement of rights. • Only address the Speaker. • Try not to use names/nicknames. • Language • Any derogatory, foul and insulting language will be met with a very stern reprimand at best, and ejection from the Assembly at worst. • Members must be acknowledged by the Chair before they can speak. • Exceptions: Points.

30. Points • Statements that bypass normal speaking order. • There are 4 types recognized: • Point of Information • When a member has important information relevant to the discussion that cannot wait for the speaking list. • Point of Personal Privilege • When one’s rights are infringed. • Point of Order • When there is a violation of a Rule of Order • Point of (Parliamentary) Inquiry • To ask about a procedure or process of the Assembly.

31. Other stuff… • Members may also limit the length of a debate, or table it. • Table = to discuss at a later time. • Requires a motion, and the associated vote. • They may also refer it to a committee. • The Speaker reserves the right to limit speaking privileges, or to call recesses of the Assembly.

32. What should you do? • It is now 1am, and debate on whether to paint the outside of Vic Hall with a mural of Tuba’s life and times has taken at least an hour. You want to go home. • A motion regarding limousines in residence is being discussed, and you want to use Hybrid SUV’s instead. • You have to use the facilities in the middle of debate. • You have 3 exams the day after GA, and you can’t make it to today’s GA.

33. What should you do? • Still on the limousine motion. A member states that a fully-blinged out limousine will only cost $350,000. In fact, you know from experience that it costs $400,000, and you want to tell this to the Assembly. • A motion to give the Speaker $5,000 in unmarked bills has been put to the question, and you notice the CEO blatantly ignoring objections.

34. The Constitution • The guiding document of the MCRS. • States our name, goals, and where responsibilities lie. • Also states who has legislative, executive, and judicial power. • Can only be amended by a Society-wide referendum. • And ratified by the university when necessary

35. The Bylaws • The big one. • The document that lays out all procedures and processes upon which the MCRS will function. • Has a total of 11 By-Laws

36. Bylaw Amendment • Three steps in total • STEP 1: Motion given to General Assembly (First Reading). Motion then goes to CAEC. • STEP 2: Second review of proposed amendment, after CAEC has met to discuss/amend it (Second Reading). Motion then goes to House Councils for approval. • STEP 3: Third and final review of amendment after House Councils have met to vote on it. HPs must vote with their House (Third Reading).

37. Questions?