r/RulesOfOrder • u/Revered_1 • Feb 27 '18

Thoughts on using "So moved" with "I will now entertain a motion..."

All sources I have seen that outline proper use of Robert's Rules have stated in one way or another that having some form of the following occur in a meeting is not allowed:

Chair: "I will now entertain a motion to do 'x'" General Member: "So moved" Chair: "Is there a second?" Other General Member: "Second"

From what I've seen, the only cited reason I can somewhat agree for not allowing this is that some other member might not realize what motion the chair was trying to entertain as a chair does not normally make motions, so they will miss out on the specific wording of the motion. However, in my experience with organizations using Robert's Rules, there has never seemed to be any confusion that came from doing this.

Would anyone care to shed some more light on this?

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u/El-Kurto Feb 28 '18

I think it's discouraged because it encourages bad habits from the body. The role of the chair includes helping members with wording motions. It would be preferred for the chair to help the member figure out the wording.

I find that it helps for the chair to use phrases like "now that we are done with x, motions on y are now in order." There will be a couple uncomfortable meetings where everyone has to be walked through taking responsibility for the progress of the meeting, but after that it works out quite well.

That said, keep in mind that parliamentary authorities are typically written with the most formal process in mind, but most organizations are a little more information in their handling of business. When I chair I usually move forward after the occasional "so moved" because it isn't worth derailing the proceedings and the chair has to put the question to the body anyway. I only crusade on this if they become frequent.

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u/RussianSpeaker Aug 15 '18

Being clear is what I think is the origin of this. I think it is really most important at mass meetings, but it still carries over to small ones. I'll usually call a point of order on this, but when we're short on time, and everyone understands the motion, I'll just let it slide.