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One situation that presents parliamentarians with the potential for error are motions that may be processed in differing ways. These motions take on different characteristics depending on the circumstances of their use. For many students of parliamentary procedure, the first thing they study are motions, their classification and processing using the various classifications with the appropriate Standard Descriptive Characteristics (SDCs). Motion charts include several different types of motions, including Privileged Motions which includes a student’s first introduction to classifications, SDCs and order of precedence. During the initial phase of learning, the elephant in the room is that many motions are processed differently depending on the nature of when they are proposed. Every Privileged Motion may also become an Incidental Main Motion, if they are introduced with no business pending. For example, the motion to Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn, the highest-ranking secondary motion in parliamentary procedure becomes an Incidental Main Motion if introduced when no other motion is pending. It goes from the front of the line to just another main motion waiting its turn to be processed. Since all Privileged Motions share this characteristic, the chance for error is magnified. In their essential form, motion charts are a matrix of possibilities in the context of differing situations. The motion chart on the next page consists of five rows of motions and six columns of SDCs for a total of thirty variables. One aspect of total quality management is that the more variables a process has, the higher the potential for error. Within the thirty variables there are thirteen differences between processing a Privileged Motion and processing an Incidental Main Motion. For example, the motion Raise a Question of Privilege has an 83% chance of error (5/6), when the first variable, processing as a Privileged Motion or Incidental Main Motion is selected. In total there are thirteen Standard Descriptive Characteristics that differ when Privileged Motions are actually Incidental Main Motions. These thirteen differences result in a 43% chance of error. These variable alternative outcomes are considerably smaller in Subsidiary Motions but are still worthy of note. In conclusion we must be on guard that before motion processing begins, we must first ask ourselves is it a Privileged Motion or an Incidental Main Motion…the answer will always be…it depends. NP
National Parliamentarian • Fall 2021
