Parliamentary Procedure Cheat Sheet
Motion
Main Motion
Purpose
To present an
item of business
to the group or
organization for
consideration.
2nd
Yes
Amendable
Yes
Debatable
Yes
Vote
Example
Majority I move that Wayne
buys the county board
ice cream.
Amend
To add, subtract
or alter part of
the motion
Yes
Yes
Yes
Majority I move to amend the
motion by adding “on
Tuesday” after
“board”
Amend an
Amendment
To add, subtract
or alter part of
the amendment
Yes
No
Yes
Refer to a
Committee
To have a
committee find
more
information on
the motion and
report back
To temporarily
set a main
motion aside
Yes
Yes
Yes
Majority I move to amend the
amendment by
striking the words “on
Tuesday” and
inserting “on
Wednesday”
Majority I move to refer to the
snack committee the
motion that Wayne
buys ice cream for the
county board
Yes
No
No
Take from the
Table
To take a motion
that had been
previously tabled
Yes
No
No
Rescind
To take a motion
away before the
action has taken
place
Yes
No
Yes
Lay on the
Table
Majority I move to lay on the
table the motion that
Wayne buys the
county board ice
cream
Majority I move to take from
the table the motion
that Wayne buys ice
cream for the county
board
Majority I move to rescind the
(Previou motion that Wayne
s
buys the county board
Notice) ice cream
2/3 (No
Previous
Notice)
Sara Gronski, 4-H Youth Development Agent, Clark County; developed April 2010
Motion
Reconsider
Ratify
Suspend the
Rules
Limit/Extend
Time for
Debate
Call for
Previous
Question
Point of Order
Parliamentary
Inquiry
Point of
Information
Purpose
To reconsider a
motion that had
previously passed
2nd
Yes
Amendable
Yes
Debatable
Yes
To approve
something done
without a vote or
permission by the
board after it has
happened
To set aside a rule
of the group except
for bylaws,
fundamental
principles of
parliamentary law
or rules that
protect absent
members/basic
rights
To change the rules
of debate
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
2/3
I move to suspend the
standing rule that ice
cream cannot be
eaten in the county
board room
Yes
Yes
No
2/3
To end debate
Yes
No
No
Inform the chair
that parliamentary
law has been
broken (you may
interrupt the
speaker)
Ask a question
about
parliamentary law
(you may interrupt
the speaker)
Ask a question
about the motion
or agenda
No
No
No
2/3 or
unanim
ous
consent
None
I move to extend time
for debate to 15
minutes per person
per debate
Question or I call
question
No
No
No
None
I rise to a
parliamentary inquiry
(after recognized –
state your inquiry)
No
No
No
None
I rise to a point of
information (after
recognized – state
your question)
Vote
Example
Majority I move to reconsider
the motion that
Wayne buys ice cream
for the county board, I
was on the prevailing
side
Majority I move to ratify the
action taken by
Wayne to purchase
ice cream for the
board
Sara Gronski, 4-H Youth Development Agent, Clark County; developed April 2010
I rise to a point of
order (after
recognized – state
your point)