Chapter III: Use of BRO in Council & Committee Meetings
Bourinot’s Rules of Order at a Glance!
As mentioned in earlier chapters City of Hamilton’s Council uses Bourinot’s Rules of Order (BRO) to run council & committee meetings. BRO has multiple procedural rules that regulate how the meetings flow. The flashcards below along with the table will help you easily understand and learn the function and the use of the main BRO procedural rules.
GAME!!
Now Let’s play “What to Say?”
- using the flashcards below, learn about how to effectively use BRO in council & committee meetings by flibbing the cards to learn ‘what to say’ if you want to use a BRO procedural rule!
Bourinot’s Rules of Order Table!
For each of the actions learned there’re further rules for how it’s handled when it’s used, weather an action could be interrupted, seconded, etc. The table below will easily guide you through these rules helping you easily navigate through these rules.
Action |
May interrupt the speaker? | You must be seconded? | Is the motion debatable? | Is the motion amendable? | What majority is required? |
| Move a motion | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Majority |
| Change a motion (you may not merely amend to negate | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Majority |
| End debate on a motion | No | Yes | No | No | Majority |
| Consider something out of its scheduled order | No | Yes | No | No | Majority |
| Have a motion studied more before voting on it | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Majority |
| Postpone further discussion on a motion until a more desirable/appropriate time | No | Yes | Yes, only to time | Yes | Majority |
| Postpone consideration of a motion so that more urgent business can be attended to | No | Yes | Yes | No | Majority |
| Raise a matter previously deferred (if at a different time from when was decided) | No | Yes | No | No | Majority |
| Raise a matter previously tabled | No | Yes | No | No | Majority |
| Reconsider a motion that has failed | No | Yes | Yes | No | 2/3 Majority |
| Object to something which prevents your continued participation- Point of Privilege | Yes | No | No | No | No vote taken, Chair rules |
| Seek clarification from the previous speaker- Point of Information | Yes, if urgent | No | No | No | No vote taken, Chair rules |
| Enquire about procedure or consequences- Point of Order | Yes | No | Yes, only on the point | No | No vote taken, Chair rules |
| Object to incorrect procedure being used- Point of Order | Yes | No | Yes, only on the point | No | No vote taken, Chair rules |