Robert's Rules of Order Revised

[Editor's Note: The copyright on the original 1915 version has expired. However, the modifications and enhancements to this work are Copyright © 1996 Constitution Society. Permission is hereby granted to any person to copy and use this material on a non-profit basis with attribution, and in particular, with the retention of links to the site of the Constitution Society or its successors on the World Wide Web. One of the modifications made to the original document is the substitution for page numbers of section and paragraph numbers, using the format mm:nn, where mm is the section number and nn the paragraph number. Footnotes have been numbered and moved to the end of sections. The Order of Precedence of Motions and the Table of Rules Relating to Motions have also been reformatted and revised to adapt them to the needs of an online document.]

Order of Precedence of Motions. (OPM)

Table of Rules Relating to Motions. (TRM)

Preface. (PRE)

Introduction. (INT)

Parliamentary Law (PAR)

Plan of the Work (WRK)

Definitions (DEF)

Part I.- Rules of Order.

Art. I.- How Business is Conducted in Deliberative Assemblies.

1. Introduction of Business

2. What Precedes Debate

3. Obtaining the Floor

4. Motions and Resolutions

5. Seconding Motions

6. Stating the Question

7. Debate

8. Secondary Motions

9. Putting the Question and Announcing the Vote

10. Proper Motions to Use to Accomplish Certain Objects

Art. II.- General Classification of Motions.

11. Main or Principal Motions

12. Subsidiary Motions

13. Incidental Motions

14. Privileged Motions

15. Some Main and Unclassified Motions

Art. III.- Privileged Motions.

16. Fix the Time to which the Assembly shall Adjourn

17. Adjourn

18. Take a Recess

19. Questions of Privilege

20. General and Special Orders and a Call for the Orders of the Day

Art. IV.- Incidental Motions.

21. Questions of Order and Appeal

22. Suspension of the Rules

23. Objection to the Consideration of a Question

24. Division of a Question, and Consideration by Paragraph or Seriatim

25. Division of the Assembly, and Motions relating to Methods of Voting, or to Closing or Reopening the Polls

26. Motions relating to Methods of Making, or to Closing or to Reopening Nominations

27. Requests growing out of Business Pending or that has just been pending, as, a Parliamentary Inquiry, a Request for Information, for Leave to Withdraw a Motion to Read Papers, to be Excused from a Duty, or for any other Privilege

Art. V.- Subsidiary Motions.

28. Lay on the Table

29. The Previous Question

30. Limit or Extend Limits of Debate

31. Postpone Definitely, or to a Certain Time

32. Commit or Refer, or Recommit

33. Amend

34. Postpone Indefinitely

Art. VI.- Some Main and Unclassified Motions.

35. Take from the Table

36. Reconsider

37. Rescind

38. Renewal of a Motion

39. Ratify

40. Dilatory, Absurd, or Frivolous Motions

41. Call of the House

Art. VII.- Debate.

42. Debate

43. Decorum in Debate

44. Closing and Preventing Debate

45. Principles of Debate and Undebatable Motions

Art. VIII.- Vote.

46. Voting

47. Votes that are Null and Void even if Unanimous

48. Motions requiring more than a Majority Vote

Art. IX.- Committees and Boards.

49. Committees Classified

50. Boards of Managers, etc., and Executive Committees

51. Ex-Officio Members of Boards and Committees

52. Committees, Special and Standing

53. Reception of Reports

54. Adoption or Acceptance of Reports

55. Committee of the Whole

56. As if in Committee of the Whole

57. Informal Consideration

Art. X.- The Officers and the Minutes.

58. Chairman or President

59. Secretary or Clerk

60. The Minutes

61. Executive Secretary

62. Treasurer

Art. XI.- Miscellaneous.

63. Session

64. Quorum

65. Order of Business

66. Nominations and Elections

67. Constitutions, By-laws, Rules of Order, and Standing Rules

68. Amendments of Constitutions, By-laws, and Rules of Order

Part II.- Organization, Meetings, and Legal Rights of Assemblies.

Art. XII.- Organization and Meetings.

69. An Occasional or Mass Meeting

(a) Organization

(b) Adoption of Resolutions

(c) Committee to draft Resolutions

(d) Semi-Permanent Mass Meeting

70. A Permanent Society.

(a) First Meeting

(b) Second Meeting

(c) Regular Meeting

71. Meeting of a Convention.

(a) An Organized Convention

(b) A Convention not yet Organized

Art. XIII.- Legal Rights of Assemblies and Trial of Their Members.

72. Right of an Assembly to Punish its Members

73. Right of an Assembly to Eject any one from its Place of Meeting

74. Rights of Ecclesiastical Tribunals

75. Trial of Members of Societies

Plan for Study of Parliamentary Law. (PLN)

Introduction

Lesson Outlines (LES)

Index (NDX)