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Promoting the study and teaching of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised
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Postpone to a
Certain Time (Postpone Definitely)
Rod G Davidson, Professional Registered Parliamentarian
www.parlipro.org
The motion to Postpone
to a Certain Time (or Postpone Definitely) allows for limited
debate which must not go into the merits of the main question
any more than is necessary to enable the assembly to determine
the propriety of the postponement. It may be amended as to the
time, and also by making the postponed question a special order.
It cannot be laid on the table alone, but when it is pending the
main question may be laid on the table which carries with it the
motion to postpone. It cannot be committed or postponed
indefinitely. It may be reconsidered. When it makes a question a
special order it requires a two-thirds vote.
The time to which a
question is postponed must fall within the session or the next
session, and, if it is desired to postpone it to a different
time, which must not be beyond the next regular session, it is
necessary first to fix the time for an adjourned meeting, and
then the question may be postponed to that meeting. Neither the
motion to postpone definitely nor an amendment to it, is in
order when it has the effect of an indefinite postponement; that
is, to defeat the measure, as, for instance, to postpone until
tomorrow a motion to accept an invitation to a banquet tonight.
If the motion to postpone indefinitely is in order at the time,
the chair may treat it as such at his discretion, but it cannot
be recognized as a motion to postpone definitely.
It is not in order to
postpone a class of business, as reports of committees; as each
report is announced or called for, it may be postponed, or the
rules may be suspended by a two-thirds vote and the desired
question be taken up. A matter that is required by the by-laws
to be attended to at a specified time or meeting as the election
of officers cannot, in advance, be postponed to another time or
meeting, but when that specified time or meeting arrives the
assembly may postpone it to an adjourned meeting. When a
question has been postponed to a certain time, it becomes an
order of the day for that time and cannot be taken up before
that time except by a reconsideration, or by suspending the
rules for that purpose, which requires a two-thirds vote.
The Form of this
motion depends upon the object sought.
(1) If the object is
simply to postpone the question to the next meeting, the form of
the motion is "to postpone the question [or, that the question
be postponed] to the next meeting." It then becomes a General
Order for that meeting, and handled under Unfinished Business
and General Orders.
(2) If the object is to
specify an hour when the question will be taken up as soon as
the question then pending, if there is any, is disposed of, the
form is similar to this: "I move that the question be postponed
to 3 P.M."
(3) If it is desired to
postpone the question until after a certain event, when it shall
immediately come up, the form is, "To postpone the question
until after the address on Economics."
(4) If the object is to
insure its not being crowded out by other matters there should
be added to the motion to postpone as given in the first two
cases above, the words, "and be made a special order." Or the
motion may be made thus: "I move that the question be postponed
and made a special order for the next meeting [or, for 3 P.M.
tomorrow]." The motion in this form requires a two-thirds vote,
as it suspends the rules that may interfere with its
consideration at the time specified as explained under Orders of
the Day.
(5) If it is desired to
postpone a question to an adjourned meeting and devote the
entire time, if necessary, to its consideration, as in case of
revising by-laws, after providing for the adjourned meeting the
motion should be made in this form: "I move that the question be
postponed and made the special order for next Tuesday evening."
Or, a question may be postponed and made the special order for
the next regular meeting.
The Effect of
postponing a question is to make it an order of the day for the
time to which it was postponed, and if it is not then disposed
of, it becomes Unfinished Business. Postponing a question to a
certain hour does not make it a special order unless so
specified in the motion. The motion to postpone definitely may
be amended by a majority vote so as to make the amended motion
one to make the question a special order. If this is done the
amended motion will require a two-thirds vote.
Now, test your
understanding of the motion to Postpone to a Certain Time. Answer
the questions below and then click the button underneath to see
your results. Good luck!
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