FALKIRK ALLOTMENT SOCIETY
STANDING ORDERS FOR USE AT AGMs AND SGMs
(Taken from recommendations by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations)

1 Meetings
1.1. The Annual General Meeting, and any Special General Meetings, of the Falkirk Allotment Society shall be held in line with sections 6.2 and 7.3 of the Constitution.
1.2. The accidental omission to give notice to, or the non-receipt of notice by, any person shall not invalidate the proceedings at any meeting.
1.3. The Chair of Falkirk Allotment Society (or, in his/her absence the Vice-Chair, Secretary or
other member of the Management Committee) shall take the chair and preside at every General Meeting.
1.4. At any General Meeting, matters put to the vote shall be decided by a majority of those
members attending.
1.5. Motions for inclusion in the agenda of general meetings shall be submitted in line with clause 7.6 of the Constitution. No motion or amendment shall be discussed unless it has been moved and seconded by persons present at the meeting and submitted in writing. Any amendment shall be discussed one at a time, but notice of further amendments (if any) must be given before the first amendment is put to the vote. Amendments shall be taken in the sequence in which they propose to amend the motion. The mover of an amendment shall not be entitled to reply.
1.6. A call for a poll may be made and seconded by any of the members present. There will be no debate on the call for a poll. The chairman shall arrange for the poll.
1.7. The Agenda of General Meetings shall detail the order of business. Matters not on the
Agenda shall be discussed at the discretion of the Chair.

2) Motions
2.1. The proposer of a Motion may speak for up to five minutes.
2.2. The Motion shall be formally seconded and the seconder may reserve the right to speak at any point in the debate.
2.3. All subsequent speakers on a Motion or Amendment(s) to it, may speak for up to three
minutes.
2.4. Should a speech in opposition having been made, the proposer, or the seconder, has the right to sum up at the end of debate for up to three minutes.
2.5. No speaker, other than the proposer, may address the meeting more than once on a Motion or Amendment.
2.6. The Chair has discretion over the number of speakers called on any Motion or Amendment.
2.7. Any speaker, who has a business or financial interest in any Motion, either directly or
indirectly through any member of his/her immediate family, shall declare such interest prior to
speaking on that Motion.

3) Amendments to Motions
3.1. Amendment(s) to any Motion shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary, naming the
proposer and seconder of the Amendment, and shall be debated at the discretion of the Chair.
3.2. The proposer of an Amendment has no right to sum up the debate on that Amendment.
3.3. If an Amendment is carried, debate will resume on the Motion as amended.
3.4. If an Amendment is accepted by the proposers of a Motion, then that Motion (as amended) remains the responsibility of the original proposers.
3.5. If an Amendment is not accepted by the proposers, but is adopted on a vote by the meeting, then the right to sum up the debate shall pass to the proposers of the successful Amendment.






FALKIRK ALLOTMENT SOCIETY
STANDING ORDERS FOR USE AT AGMs AND SGMs

4) Overriding Motions
4.1. After a Motion has been proposed and seconded, the following Motion may be moved and put to the meeting, at the Chair’s discretion:
4.1 .1. "That the meeting proceed to next business".
4.2. At any time during a debate, any of the following Motions may be moved and put to the
meeting at the Chair’s discretion:
4.2.1. "That the Question now be put".
4.2.2. `That the Speaker no longer be heard".
4.2.3. "That the Motion be remitted to the Committee for further consideration".
4.3. If the Chair accepts a Motion under 4.1.1, 4.2.1 or 4.2.2 then that Motion shall be put to the vote immediately without discussion.
4.4. If the Chair accepts a Motion under 4.2 3 then that Motion to remit shall be put to the vote
immediately without discussion, save that the proposer of the original Motion has the right of
brief comment before the vote is taken.

5) Points of Information, Explanation or Order
At the Chair's discretion, the following may be raised at any time:
5.1. Point of Information
A member may ask for factual information to be provided which is critical to a point under
debate, including a request to the speaker to declare any interest in the Motion, as set out in
Standing Order 2.7 above.
5.2. Point of Personal Explanation
A member who believes that he/she has been misrepresented in debate may ask to be allowed to clarify points raised.
5.3. Point of Order
A member may seek guidance as to whether Standing Orders and/or the Articles of
Association are being transgressed during a debate, and can request the Chair to make a
ruling.
5.4. Chair's Decision
The decision of the Chair on all matters of policy, and on the interpretation of these Standing
Orders, shall be final, unless a challenge is supported by at least 51% of members present. In
the event of a challenge by the requisite number of members, a Deputy Chair shall assume the chair and preside over a debate on the ruling, consisting of one speech in favour of the
challenge and one speech against. A simple majority vote of members present shall determine the matter, following which the chairperson will resume the chair.

6) Nominations and Elections
6.1. Nominations for the Committee shall be made as provided for in Section 4a of the Constitution. No nomination shall be accepted unless the consent of the nominee has been previously obtained.
6.2. The Secretary may, in his/her absolute discretion, accept late nominations and the Chair may, in his/her absolute discretion, accept nominations made at the Annual General Meeting,
provided that this will enable vacancies to be filled and will not result in a vote.
6.3. Members of the Management Committee may be elected en bloc.
6.4. Should nominations exceed vacancies, election shall be by voting as provided for in Clause 1.4. of these Standing Orders.

7) Precedence
7.1 The Constitution will take precedence over these Standing Orders