1. An Orientation to AGM Making the Most of Your Meeting
Alan Chell, John Noonan

2. Our Cast for Today
Alan Chell: Legislative committee and motions, ballot voting, elections, mechanics of motions
John Noonan: Robert's Rules of Order

4. Conduct business of the Association Election of Board of Directors
The Purposes of AGM
Conduct business of the Association
Election of Board of Directors
Set direction for Association through:
revising bylaws
extraordinary motions
passing advocacy resolutions
substantive motions
Judith: Extraordinary motions right now apply only to bylaws.
Changes pending will make an extraordinary resolution needed to pass or change foundational statements

5. Other AGM Activities
Educational sessions
Communication with government officials
Networking with colleagues

6. Your Interests?
What topics or questions would you like to make sure we address today?

7. Ballots allocated to districts by size Ballot votes are used for:
Ballots – Bylaw 9d
Ballots allocated to districts by size
Ballot votes are used for:
election of BCSTA officers;
amendments to the BCSTA bylaws;
taking a vote on a substantive motion when called for by any twenty (20) delegates;
approval of an Association petition to the Legislature for changes in the BCSTA Act of Incorporation
Ballot voting reflects size of districts. It is up to districts how they allocate the ballots to individuals to cast: they can decide as a board how to vote and have one person cast all the ballots or divide them up (more common I think.) JAC

8. Nominations & Elections
Nominations can occur:
Before AGM up until deadline;
From the floor on the opening evening
Six or seven elected members of the Board
President
Vice-President
Directors (4 or 5)
Immediate Past President (if applicable – not elected)

9. Elections – Bylaw 15 h (i-v)
In the election of directors, there shall be sequential rounds of balloting, with four (4) directors elected in years when there is an immediate past president, and five (5) directors otherwise. The following procedures apply:
i. For each round of balloting, a ballot shall be issued for each vote allocated under 9(a) or (b), on which a voter may mark a sub-vote for each one of more candidates, not to exceed the number of candidates to be elected;
ii. A threshold number of sub-votes is established equal to 50 per cent of the validly cast ballots;
iii. Candidates are elected in order of the number of sub-votes received, provided they receive more than the threshold number of sub-votes.
iv. If no candidate is elected on a ballot, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is dropped off.
v. Further rounds of balloting continue until the required number of directors is elected.

10. Election of President or VP
If there are 2 candidates, majority prevails
If there are 3 or more candidates, the one receiving the lowest number of votes drops off on the second ballot unless one candidate has a clear majority
Unsuccessful candidates may be nominated for a director position
Their name(s) go on the ballot with other candidates

11. BCSTA does its business through motions Two kinds of motions:
Motions & Resolutions
BCSTA does its business through motions
Two kinds of motions:
Extraordinary: those that change the organization
Substantive: those that give directions to our activities
Motions become resolutions once passed
Our terminology about motions and resolutions is very confusing. The bylaws use the term "motions" for substantive and "resolutions" for extraordinary. My own preference is to use "motion" for the before adoption stage, and resolution for something that has been passed. So you debate a motion, not a resolution, but the assembly passed resolutions. Kind of like "Bill" and "Act." JAC

12. Extraordinary vs. Substantive
Require weighted ballot vote
Requires 2/3 vote
Substantive
Normally done by “show of hands” vote
Card count in case of “close calls”
Requires majority vote

13. Motion Process
Beforehand BCSTA calls for volunteer deputy chairs and readers
At the AGM:
Reader reads motion
Chair calls for a mover and seconder
Mover opens debate
Floor is open for debate
Delegates may speak only once to the motion
Mover closes debate
Chair calls for vote

14. Source of Motions
A board of education, BCSTA committee, branch or Board of Directors can propose motions
The Legislative Committee reviews motions
The committee determines:
If the motion is emergent and therefore appropriate for Provincial Council consideration
If the motion is so similar to others that it could be merged or consolidated
If the motion is consistent with bylaws or policies of the Association
If a motion meets the requirements for a “late motion” to AGM
Judith: Emergent for PC has a special meaning: it means things that can’t wait for next AGM: “business that if delayed until the AGM, will impact negatively on boards’ ability to influence public policy, or a public education issue.” Think about “emergency” not “emerging.”
Late motions for AGM have to deal with events arising or legislation introduced after the 60 day deadline for submission of motions.

16. The Legislative Committee Also …
Groups the motions by topics, dealing with the educational motions first and then the less educational ones later
Deals with the language/syntax of the motion to ensure the following:
Clarity
Spelling
Terminology is accurate for the topic
Direction of the resolution, so it is clear whom we want to take the action
The supporting information is useful and effective
Judith: “less educational”: e.g. funding and facilities. Does not mean motions that are irrelevant to education; we need to stick to our mandate.

17. The Legislative Committee Also …
Sends revised motions back to the original movers for approval
Sends out the package of motions to the membership before the AGM
Reports to the AGM on the number of motions of various types and asks for any further motions that will then come as “late motions”
Judith: Approval of revised motions is not required; the Committee has the authority to amend or consolidate without the consent of the submitter. But if the submitter does not agree then the Committee can reconsider its decision in light of the objection. The Legislative Committee tries to capture the submitter’s intent, so that they will not have to make amendments from the floor to get the assembly to debate the issue they wanted to submit.

18. Why the Legislative Committee?
To improve the quality of debate at our meetings
Members should know exactly what they are voting on
Minimize time spent in the meeting on “friendly” amendments and clarification of the intent of a motion

19. The Legislative Committee
Appointed by President
Usually will change after 3 years, like other committee appointments
Under upcoming bylaw amendment, will include a member of board of directors plus at least 2 other trustees

20. Upcoming changes
This year’s AGM will vote on a new policy book, including Foundational Statements

21. The Assembly (AGM or PC) has the final say.
Appeals
The Assembly (AGM or PC) has the final say.
If the board submitting a motion disagrees with a Legislative Committee decision, that decision can be appealed from the floor of the meeting.
Example: Legislative Committee rejects late motion to AGM, board wants it to proceed. Bylaws provide that board gives written notice of its appeal to the Executive Director and the appeal is presented to the AGM, which decides whether or not to sustain the Committee. If not, the motion is added to the agenda.
For amendments, more likely that board would just introduce amendment to the motion.

22. Robert’s Rules of Order
John Noonan

23. The Parliamentarian
As an adviser:
To the Deputy Chair
To the Assembly

24. The Fundamental Principles
--Justice and Courtesy for ALL
--Do only One Thing at a Time
--The Majority Rules
--The Minority has a Right to be Heard

25. Common Motions Amendments Primary (first degree)
Secondary (amendment to the amendment)
Must be germane

26. To postpone definitely To postpone indefinitely To Table
More Motions
To Refer
To send to a committee for further study
To postpone definitely
To postpone indefinitely
To Table

27. Still More Motions
To Close Debate
To Suspend the Rules

28. Point of Order
Chair rules

29. Challenging the Chair’s Decision
Moved by a member
Seconded by another member
Member states the reason for the challenge
Chair responds
Assembly votes on the question
Shall the decision of the chair be sustained

30. Can we Change our Mind?
By reconsidering the vote?
By rescinding the decision?
By amending something previously adopted?

31. “Well, that makes it four ‘aye’s, two ‘nay’s and one ’hey no problem

32. The Presiding Officer! When Presiding!
The acts and decisions of the Presiding Officer are those of the assembly unless reversed by the assembly.
She is the voice of the assembly.

33. Closing Discussion
Did we cover all the items we identified earlier?
Do you have any other questions or comments?