RULES OF ORDER

Approved by the 171st Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa

1. The Rules of Order of the Convention are in force until the following Convention where they can be amended or repealed by Convention itself. Any revision or waiver of a Rule of Order shall be by two-thirds vote of Convention. All questions of order not resolved by reference to the Canons, the Constitution, or these Rules of Order shall be decided under Robert’s Rules of Order, 12th edition.

2. General decorum: Once the meeting is gaveled open, please give the President of Convention your undivided attention for the duration of the meeting. Movement and talking amongst your tablemates should be kept to a minimum. The President of Convention will preside over the meeting and decide questions of order for the meeting.

Organization of business at Diocesan Convention

3. The business of Convention will include:

a. Determination if a quorum exists to conduct convention business and elections (a list of voting lay and clergy delegates will be available in the minutes of the current meeting)

b. Approval of the agenda for Convention, as presented by Dispatch of Business, and the Rules of Order

c. Acceptance of the minutes of the previous meeting and the reports to convention

d. Appointing the Officers of Convention

e. Electing representatives to serve on: Standing Committee of the Diocese, Board of Directors of the Episcopal Corporation, Disciplinary Board, Deputies and alternates to represent Iowa at General Convention and/or Province 6 meetings

f. Voting on Resolutions, both those proposed from around the state and those commended to us from the General Convention

g. The Bishop’s Address

h. Affirming Memorial Resolutions for Clergy and other Church leaders who have died in the past year.

i. Welcoming new clergy to the Diocese

Resolutions

4. Resolutions are submitted at least 40 days before convention to the convention’s Resolutions Committee in writing and signed by the person(s) who propose it. The Resolutions Committee checks to see if:

a. The resolution is unambiguous.

b. The resolution should be divided into separate propositions.

c. The resolution’s format fits the established format for a resolution.

d. The resolution will be part of the Consent Calendar or the Debate Calendar.

e. Does not impose financial responsibility on the diocese without including provisions for funding the same.

5. Resolutions are given a number and provided to delegates 30 days before the convention so they can be discussed in churches and delegates are aware of the opinions of the congregation they represent. A resolution that is not published 30 days before convention may be presented in writing to the Secretary of Convention and be brought to the floor for discussion and vote provided that:

a. They shall have been received on the Friday of the week preceding the week of Convention. (8 days ahead of time)

b. A majority vote in favor of consideration is achieved during the first presentation of the Resolutions Committee. With the exception of procedural and courtesy resolutions, late resolutions made during the convention itself may only be considered on a vote of two-thirds majority

c. Courtesy Resolutions and Memorial Resolutions honor or thank individuals who have served the Diocese in some special way and are not bound by the deadlines that pertain to resolutions that will appear on the Consent or Debate calendars

6. A motion to bring each Resolution to the floor is brought to the Bishop (as president of theConvention) by the chair of the Resolutions committee and seconded by another delegate.

7. An item on the Consent Calendar may be moved to the Debate calendar with a vote of 10 or more delegates or by action of the President of Convention.

8. The entire Debate Calendar of Resolutions will be addressed by the convention at the meeting unless postponed by a majority vote.

While a resolution is under consideration:

9. The President recognizes those who proposed the Resolution for an opportunity to explain its purpose. If the Resolution is on the Consent calendar it will get an up or down vote without debate.

10. If the resolution is on the Debate calendar, The President will recognize others who may want to speak in support or opposition to the resolution.

11. Only certified Clergy and Lay Delegates or those granted “seat and voice” may be recognized by the President to speak to the convention.

12. When any member speaks to convention, they shall address themself to the President, state their name and church, and confine themself to the point in debate.

13. Debate is limited to 2 minutes per person, each person may speak for a second time to the same motion after all others who wish to speak. Convention may approve more time for debate, or more time for an individual to speak, by a majority vote.

14. Debate should be polite and sensitive to those on either side of any issue.

15. The President may, having left the chair, enter into the debate on any question, but shall not then resume the chair until the main motion under consideration has been disposed of.

16. The following actions are appropriate when a resolution or motion is under consideration:

a. Amend the Resolution: Motions to amend, motions to amend the amendment, or motions to substitute can be passed. An amendment can have a motion carried to “Lay it on the table” as well, and then the resolution is voted on as if the amendment had never existed. Amendments may be withdrawn by the person who moved it, with the consent of the person who seconded it, before the resolution is put to a vote. Amendments must pertain to the subject of the resolution.

b. Limit or end debate (“previous question” or “calling the question”) by a two-thirds majorityvote.

c. Move consideration of the resolution to a future time (“time certain”) by a majority vote (laterin the same Convention).

d. Refer the resolution to someone other than the convention itself by a majority vote:

i. Standing Committee, Board of Directors or any other permanent commission or committee of the Diocese;

ii. Any permanent committee of convention (such as resolutions, etc.); or,

iii. Any ad hoc committee appointed by the Presiding Officer

e. Postpone indefinitely by a majority vote (effectively ends consideration of the motion).

f. “Lay on the Table,” which postpones the resolution or motion until and unless it is taken up again) ”taken from the table”) later in the Convention.

g. Vote on it

i. The President will announce the method of voting appropriate for the matter at hand and the threshold it needs to pass. Voting may be by simple voice vote, by holding up different colored cards, or by other means.

ii. A simple majority is sufficient for passing most resolutions with these exceptions:

a. Some votes may be “by Orders” where required by the Constitution or Canons. A vote by orders means that the Lay Delegates vote separately from the Clergy Delegates and a majority in both orders is required.

b. Some matters require a two-thirds majority, when required by the Constitution or Canons.

iii. The President, or any member of Convention, may ask that a voice vote be confirmed through a roll call or a count of voting cards (“division”).

iv. All votes are final and won’t be revisited UNLESS On the same day the vote is taken, a delegate who voted in the majority may make a motion to “reconsider” and that must be seconded by another delegate who voted in the majority. (or at least 3 delegates from the majority side and in each order in the case of a vote by orders). When that happens, the resolution may be resubmitted to be considered.

v. In the case of a conflict of interest, it is appropriate for that delegate to not vote on that question.

vi. The President may also recess convention, but may be overturned by a two-thirds vote by both orders, especially if a recess may be for getting pertinent information for making informed decisions.

Who is certified to vote?

17. Lay Delegates: Each congregation’s vestry elects Lay Delegates (no less than 2 and rising in number based on the congregation’s number of communicants) at the first vestry meeting after the congregation’s annual meeting. Those people who were elected to represent their church must be present at the convention to vote.

18. Clergy Delegates: All canonically resident clergy attending convention may vote. Additionally, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America clergy who are serving a congregation in this Diocese, with the permission of the Bishop, shall have a seat, voice, and vote in convention.

19. In addition, any lay member of the Standing Committee who is not otherwise elected as a congregational delegate to Convention, the Archdeacon, the Executive Secretary, the Chancellor, the Convention Secretary, the Treasurer, the Historiographer, and the Registrar of the Diocese, each shall be entitled, ex officio, to a seat, voice, and vote in the Convention.

Elections

20. The Nominations Committee solicits and receives nominations from individuals, churches, committees and chapters for the brightest and the best to serve from all over Iowa. Nomination deadlines:

a. Nominations close 60 days before convention.

b. Biographical information is made public for consideration by delegates 30 days before convention.

c. Nominations will be accepted from the floor of convention only if the person nominated has agreed to fill an office if elected.

21. When the President announces that election voting has begun:

a. Ballots are cast electronically (or may also be on paper) using the Single Transferable Voting system which requires all delegates to rate their preferences by number on the ballot.

b. Ballots are cast on the first day of Convention and Results are given to the President of Convention and announced during the last plenary session of convention.

c. Elections for the Standing Committee, Board of Directors, General Convention Deputies, and any other body so directed by the Constitution, Canons, or By-laws are elected by orders, using the Single Transferable Voting system.