FARMERS’ UNION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19344, 19 November 1932, Page 15

FARMERS’ UNION

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (Contributed). Conduct of Meetings. If meetings are always conducted according to systematic routine, they will be more expeditious, more thorough, and more business-like than if allowed to drift along in a haphazard method. A set programme, or order-of-business, or agenda should be drawn up before each meeting in accordance with the following sequence: (1) apologies: (2) minutes of preceding meeting read and confirmed; (3) business arising from minutes; (4) correspondence; (5) finance; (6) Matters for discussion—notices of motion and remits; (7) General. Chairman: Every meeting must have a chairman. In accordance with the rules of this organisation, the President of the Branch is the chairman of all meetings of the organisation at which he is present. In his absence a vice-president should occupy the chair. In the event of all officers of the Branch being absent, those present should elect a chairman. The principal qualifications of a chairman are: (1) tact; (2) firmness; (3) impartiality. He should be able to decide promptly all questions of order or procedure. An impartial chairman soon gains confidence and good-will of those over whom he presides; these being established he will invariably get a majority to uphold his rulings should they be disputed. He must direct gently, lead courteously, and be sure to command the respect of all. If the chairman be apathetic, negligent, frivolous, or irritable, the meeting will lose interest in the proceedings and confusion will arise. Quorum: The least number of members competent to transact business is called a quorum. The rules of an organisation always specify the number necessary to form a quorum. Thus the rules of this organisation state that a quorum for Branch Meetings is four, that of a Provincial Executive Meeting four, and that of the Dominion Executive Meeting seven. If no quorum be present at the expiry of say from fifteen to thirty minutes from the usual time of starting meetings, the proposed meeting should be postponed. If during any meeting a member calls

the chairman’s attention to the fact that a quorum is not present, he shall count heads and adjourn the meeting if the stipulated quorum is not present. Minutes: It is customary lor the secretary to read the minutes of the preceding meeting to acquaint those present of the nature of the business transacted. If the meeting agrees as to their accuracy they are confirmed by a resolution being moved and seconded. The chairman must on no account, permit much discussion on the accuracy or otherwise of the minutes. Should any inaccuracies occur, these are corrected or amended, and as amended, are confirmed. Every alteration in the minutes must be initialled by the chairman or by the secretary. In law, minutes once confirmed and signed cannot be altered by striking out or adding anything. It often happens that the chairman or a member of Committee has been empowered at a previous meeting to make investigations into some matter then before the meeting. The results of such investigations and any other reports concerning the work of the previous meeting should be made at this stage. Motions: (1) A motion (or resolution) should be of an affirmative character, and commence with the word “That.” (2) A motion must be moved and seconded before any discussion can be allowed. If the seconder does not speak, he may exercise his right at a later period of the debate. (3) Should a motion not be seconded, it lapses and no discussion thereon takes place. (4) When a motion has been rejected, no motion to the same effect can be brought forward at the same meeting unless leave be granted to do so. (5) The proposer of a motion has the right of reply at the completion of the debate, but this reply should be strictly confined to points raised in the debate and should not introduce any fresh matter. Amendments: An amendment usually modifies or trims the original motion by substituting another form of words. A direct negative to a motion should not be accepted by a chairman as an amendment. Members supporting the direct negative should vote against the motion. The member seconding an amendment need not make his speech at once, but formally indicate his seconding and reserve his speech until a later period. The mover of an amendment has no right of reply.

A motion may be amended as follows —(1) By striking out words; (2) by striking out certain words and substituting other words; (3) by inserting words in the body of the motion; (4) by adding words to the motion; (5) by striking out all the words after the first word “That” and substituting other words dealing with the same subject, i.e., re-casting a fresh wording. When a motion and an amendment thereto are before a metting, the amendment is put to the meeting first for a vote. Amendments may be moved to a proposed amendment, but should not be moved until the first one is disposed of. When an amendment has been negatived, the original motion is put. No member can move or second more than one amendment to any motion. When an amendment is carried it becomes the substantive motion before the meeting, and is put to the meeting as such. Withdrawal of Motion or Amendment: With the consent of the meeting a motion or amendment may be withdrawn, but no debate on the point must take place. It is usual for the mover of a motion or amendment desirous of withdrawing to obtain the sanction of his seconder to this course. Unless the majority of the meeting is in favour of withdrawal the motion must proceed to a vote. The mover has no power to withdraw, since a motion when moved and seconded, has passed beyond his control. To withdraw a motion to which an amendment has been moved, the chairman must ask the meeting to agree to the withdrawal of the amendment first. An amendment cannot be withdrawn, even with the consent of the meeting, unless the mover and seconder agree to this course. Debate: When a motion is before the meeting, it is permissible for members present to speak for or against it. But no person, except the proposer of the motion, is entitled to speak to the motion a second time unless to correct (a) some error of his own or (b) that of a later speaker, or (c) to answer a question asked in debate. Order in debate is maintained by the chairman, and any question of ordei; that may arise in debate should be at once disposed of by him. When the chairman rises during a debate, a member then speaking or offering to speak shall sit down, and the meeting will be silent so that the chairman may be heard. A member called to order by the chairman shall immediately sit down, unless allowed to explain. A member desiring to speak shall rise in his place and address the chairman. When two or more members rise at the same time to speak, the chairman shall call on the member who first “catches his eye.” A debate may be interrupted by: (a) Want of a quorum; (b) questions of order; (c) adjournment of the meeting; (d) passing a motion thus: “That the meeting proceed to consider the next business;” (e) “The previous question;” (f) Any reason that the meeting considers good and efficient. The Closure: If irrelevant matter be permitted to creep into debate, or if speeches of unusual length are common, the business of the meeting will certainly suffer. No unfair means of closing a debate should be resorted to; yet it often occurs that discussion is being needlessly prolonged and sometimes purposely prolonged. It then may be desirable to close the debate by protest, the closure being proposed thus: “I move that the question be now put." Anyone may move this motion, which, if seconded, must be put to the meeting by the chairman who will allow no debate. If the motion for the closure is negatived the debate should be resumed at the point where it was interrupted. A reasonable time must elapse before another motion for closure be permitted. This motion should not be moved and seconded by the same persons who moved the first motion of closure. A too frequent use of the closure should be avoided as it is usually looked upon as an infringement of the right of freedom of speech and of individual liberty.

TRENDS IN BRITAIN

Prospects in the New Zealand dairy produce export trade were reviewed by Mr W. Goodfellow, ex-managing director of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, in a speech at Ngatea on the occasion of the presentation of the Weddel Cup for butter and the Hardley Cup for cheese, which were recently won by the Ngatea and Waitakaruru dairy factories of the company respectively (states the “New Zealand Herald”). Mr Goodfellow referred to the increased use of butter in Great Britain instead of margarine. He expressed the opinion that the outlook for substantial markets in other countries was not hopeful, but said that there were indications of reduced exports of dairy produce from the Continent to Britain, with consequent benefit to Empire suppliers. Mr Goodfellow emphasised the supreme importance, at the present time, of maintaining the quality of New Zealand dairy produce at a high level. The whole of the Danish and Irish, 90 per cent, of the Australian butter imported into Great Britain, he said, was now classed, as table butter, while practically all other 1 utters were blended and lost their identity.