Annotations (not forming part of the Standing Orders)
1. These Standing Orders shall be applicable to all General Meetings and Committee Meetings, and shall be construed subject to the Rules of The Wellington Speaking Union Incorporated.	Applicability
2. Meetings shall, subject to the presence of a quorum, start at the time set out in the notice, and shall, subject to the discretion of the meeting, continue until all business on the Agenda has been disposed of.	Starting Time
3. If no quorum is present within 30 minutes of the starting time set out in the notice, the meeting shall lapse, and, subject to any resolution previously passed, the President shall fix the time of the next meeting. All business on the Agenda of the lapsed meeting shall take precedence over new business.	Lapse due to lack of quorum Business to carry over
4. Any person desiring to speak at General Meetings or in the Committee of the Whole shall rise in his place and when called upon by the Chairman shall address the Chair. If two or more members rise simultaneously, the Chairman shall call upon the member who first caught his eye.	Speaking order
5. When the Chairman rises to speak, any person on his feet shall resume his seat.	Defer to Chairman
6. Except in the Management Committee no person other than the proposer of the motion or an amendment shall speak to it until it has been seconded. A motion or amendment lapsing for want of a seconder shall not be recorded in the Minutes.	No debate until motion seconded
7. A motion or amendment before the Chair shall not be withdrawn except by its mover and by leave of the meeting. No motion shall be withdrawn while any amendment is under discussion or after any amendment has been adopted.	Withdrawal of motion
8. If required to do so by the Chair, the proposer of any motion or amendment shall submit it in writing.	Motion in writing
9. A motion or amendment before the Chair may be reworded by the mover subject to the leave of the meeting.	Rewording of motions
10. Except in the Management Committee, no person shall speak more than once to any question, except that the mover of a motion (but not of the amendment) shall have the right of reply, which reply shall close the debate. An amendment shall constitute a separate question from the original motion and from any other amendment.	One speech per person
11. A person moving a motion or amendment shall be deemed to have spoken to it. A person seconding a motion or amendment without speaking to it may reserve his right to speak to it subsequently.	Reserving the right to speak
12. When an amendment is before the Chair discussion shall be confined to that amendment. No further amendment shall be proposed until the amendment before the Chair has been disposed of.	Amendments
13. The Chairman shall, as far as practicable, call on speakers for or against a motion or amendment alternately, subject to the right of the seconder to speak immediately after the mover. If two consecutive speakers have both argued for or against a motion or an amendment, and there is no person wishing to argue the opposite view, or, in the case of a motion, to move an amendment, the motion or amendment shall (subject, in the case of a motion, to the mover's right of reply) be put without further debate.	Alternate speakers
14. Any person may rise to a point of order, which shall take precedence over all other business, and which shall be open to discussion. The point must be raised at the time the alleged irregularity occurred. An explanation or contradiction shall not consitute a point of order.	Point of order
15. Any person disagreeing with the Chairman's ruling on a point of order may move dissent. The Chairman shall then vacate the Chair and such motion shall be put forthwith without debate.	Dissent from Chairman's ruling
16. At any General Meeting, voting, except in the case of the election of officers, shall be determined by voice. If the voice is disputed the Chairman shall call for a show of hands or, if called for by the meeting, a secret ballot shall be taken.	Voting by voice
17. On an equality of voting, the Chairman shall declare the motion lost.	Equality of voting
18. (a) The Management Committe shall be elected by secret ballot (b) In respect of the election of officers of the Union, a candidate shall only be elected to the office upon obtaining a majority of the votes cast for all candidates. This statement shall be interpreted in the following manner: (i) In the event of there being only one nomination for any office, such candidate in order to be elected shall be required to receive a greater number of votes in his or her favour than the number of no-confidence votes that are cast. (ii) In the event of there being two nominations for any office, the candidate who receives the greater number of votes in his or her favour shall be elected. Provided that such candidate in order to be elected shall be required to receive a higher number of votes in his favour than the number of no-confidence votes that are cast. (iii) In the event of there being more than two nominations for any office, a candidate who receives a higher number of votes in his or her favour than the combined number of votes cast for all other candidates shall be elected to such office upon the first ballot. In the event of no such candidate being elected, a second ballot shall be held between the two highest polling candidates in the first ballot. The candidate who receives the greater number of votes in his or her favour in the second ballot shall be elected. Provided that such candidate in order to be elected shall be required to receive a higher number of votes in his favour in the second ballot than the number of no-confidence votes that are cast in such ballot. (c) (i) In respect of the election of other members of the Management Committee, candidates shall be ranked from the highest polling to the lowest polling and up to as many candidates as there are positions to be filled shall be elected according to the order of such ranking. (ii) In the event that a majority of all votes cast in such election are no-confidence votes no candidate shall be elected members of the Management Committee.	Election of Officers
19. A person who has not already participated in the debate may at any time, whether another speaker has the floor or not, move, 'That the question be now put', which motion, if accepted by the Chair, shall be put without amendment or debate. The chairman shall have absolute discretion to accept or refuse the motion. The Chairman may also of his own volition put the question if he feels that adequate discussion has taken place. In either case the mover of a motion shall retain his right of reply. If an amendment is before the Chair, the closure motion shall be deemed to close the debate on the amendment only.	Question to be put now
20. A person may at any time move, 'That the speaker be no longer heard' or, 'That the speaker be heard for a further limited period only'. Such motions shall be put without amendment or debate. No other motion, except the closure motion or a motion dealing with the speaker's time, shall be moved while a speaker has the floor.	Speaker be no longer heard
21. During the discussion of a motion (but not of an amendment), a person who has not already participated in the debate on the motion may move, 'That the question be not now put'. This motion shall be open to debate, and shall be debated together with the original motion. If carried, the original motion shall not be dealt with further. If lost, the original motion shall be put forthwith, subject to the mover's right of reply. The motion may be foreshadowed while an amendment is before the Chair, but in no case shall it be put till all amendments have been disposed of.	Question be now put
22. A person may move, 'That the debate [or meeting) be now adjourned'. Discussion shall be in order, but only amendments as to time and/or place shall be permitted. The motion shall take precedence over other business before the Chair except points of order.	Debate or meeting Adjourn
23. A general Meeting may at any time during discussion of a motion or an amendment resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole.	Committee of the Whole
24. Standing Orders 1-23 or any of them may be suspended by a majority of those present who are permitted to vote according to the terms of the meeting. A motion to this effect shall be open to debate.	Suspension of Standing Orders
25. No person shall reflect on the vote of the meeting, except in a motion for the rescission of a resolution previously adopted. No person shall reflect on one of the Rules of The Wellington Speaking Union Incorporated or on one of these Standing Orders, except on a motion (of which due notice was given) to amend or repeal such Rule or Order.	Reflect on Vote
26. Notwithstanding anything herinbefore contained, any decision made by a validly-constituted meeting shall not be void by reason only of a departure from these Standing Orders which was not detected till after the decision had been made.	Motions passed in good faith
27. Alterations to these Standing Orders shall only be made by a General Meeting after 28 day's notice has been given.	Alterations to Standing Orders
28. Throughout these Standing Orders words importing the masculine shall include the feminine. Throughout these Standing Orders, 'person' shall mean: (a) At a Management Committee Meeting, a member of the Management Committee. (b) At a General Meeting, a member of a financial member club or a Life Member or the Patron, except where voting is concerned wherein 'person' will mean a member club delegate.	Definitions of terms
29. Any matter not dealt with in these Standing Orders shall be governed by the principles of the New Zealand House of Representatives.	Matters not dealt with