Procedures in General Meeting

IFSW General Meeting 2004, 29 Sept. - 1 Oct. in Adelaide, Australia.

From IFSW Constitution and By-Laws

a) Each Member is entitled to three delegates, each of whom is entitled to speak. Observers to the General Meeting may be admitted with the permission of the President, but may not speak unless the President so decides.

b) Each Member shall have one vote, which may be exercised, in person by delegates, or by proxy, or by post, or by fax.

c) A Member may act as proxy for only one other Member not in attendance. The instrument appointing a proxy must be in the form specified in By Law 10.

d) Votes of the General Meeting shall be by simple majority, except where otherwise specified in the Constitution. In the event of a tied vote the President shall exercise a decisive vote.

e) Election procedures, including voting, shall be as prescribed in the By Laws.

f) No Executive Committee Member shall have any vote in a General Meeting in such capacity (subject to any casting vote of the President provided by the Constitution)

g) Minutes of General Meetings shall be reviewed and adopted by the Executive Committee. A full set of draft minutes will be circulated to Members prior to adoption.

a) At the beginning of a meeting, the President shall indicate guidance as to the mode of procedure. The President shall direct the discussion, accord the right to speak, put questions to the vote, and announce decisions. The President shall rule on points of order, and shall have the power to propose adjournment or closure of the debate, or adjournment or suspension of the meeting. The President will be assisted in this role by the appointed Parliamentarian.

b) Resolutions shall be moved and seconded, and debate allowed to the question under consideration. The President may call to order a speaker whose remarks are not relevant to the subject under discussion and may call for the withdrawal of such remarks.

c) Any person may at any time during the discussion raise a point of order which shall be decided immediately by the President. Any dissent from the ruling of the President shall be expressed in the form of a motion. A motion of dissent shall be put to the vote immediately, and the ruling of the President shall stand unless a three quarters majority of those organisations represented in person at the meeting and eligible to vote support the motion of dissent.

d) A motion for closure of any debate, proposed and seconded, shall be put to the vote without further debate.

e) The time allowed to each speaker on any proposal shall be limited to five minutes unless an extension is permitted by the meeting. When a speaker has spoken for the allotted time, the President shall call her/him to order without delay. The proposer of a motion shall nevertheless be entitled to exercise a right of reply to the debate. This time shall not exceed five minutes. The President may announce the list of speakers and, with the consent of the meeting, declare the list closed.

f) Voting on proposals, seconded and discussed, and on procedural motions, shall be by a show of hands and counting of those for the proposal, those against the proposal, and those abstaining. Secret voting shall be carried out for elections, and for such other issues as the General Meeting may decide by majority vote of those organisations represented in person.

g) When a Member wishes to vote by post at a General Meeting on matters already circulated, the postal vote shall be conveyed to be received by the Secretary General not less than five days before the date set for the commencement of the General Meeting. The vote (for or against) shall not be announced until the vote of those present shall have been taken.