LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 55

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SPECIAL STANDING RULES
required to read each resolution as he states the questions and
then as he calls for the vote .
10 . Delegates wishing to address the convention, when
recognized by the chair, shall state their name and the name
of the district or other entity of the Synod that they represent .
Delegates shall normally address the convention from their
assigned microphones .
11 . No delegate may speak in debate for longer than two (2)
minutes per speech . No delegate may speak more than twice
on the same motion on the same day and may not speak a
second time until all delegates desiring to speak the first time
have had opportunity . The chair shall have discretion to make
exceptions to this rule . When a floor committee is called on
to answer a question or to give information, this rule shall not
apply .
12 . A delegate who speaks on an issue may not move to call the
question at the close of his or her speech .
13 . Debate shall follow a “pro-con” format . The order of
speaking by delegates during debate shall normally be
determined using the electronic queuing system, implemented
as follows: After recognition by the chair, the speaker shall
declare whether he or she is expressing a “pro” or “con” view .
After the initial speaker, the chair shall ask each successive
speaker in the queued order whether he or she desires to
express a “pro” or “con” view until the next speaker with an
opposite view is identified . In this manner the next speaker
shall be recognized . After that speaker expresses his or
her view, that speaker’s name shall be removed from the
queue and the order for debate shall return to the top of
the queue, whereupon the same process will be repeated .
When a member of the floor committee speaks in favor of a
resolution, that shall be recognized as a “pro” speech and will
be followed by a “con” speech . When a member of the floor
committee speaks against a resolution, it shall be recognized
as a “con” speech and will be followed by a “pro” speech .
14 . An electronic response system shall ordinarily be used to
register votes . If the system is not available, the chair shall
take votes by voice, by show of hands, or by a rising vote .
The chair may order a count if any voice, show of hands, or
rising vote seems inconclusive . When possible, vote tallies
shall be recorded in the minutes .
15 . Whenever possible, substitute resolutions and amendments
to proposed resolutions shall be submitted to Today’s
Business for publication prior to convention consideration
of the resolutions to which they pertain . When this is not
possible, as in the course of a discussion, a written copy of
the proposed amendment shall be provided to the Secretary
immediately after it is offered from the floor .
16 . If a substitute motion is offered and seconded, the presenter
shall be offered two (2) minutes to provide the rationale
for offering it and a member of the floor committee
shall be offered two (2) minutes to present rationale for
not considering the proposed substitute, after which the
convention shall decide by majority vote without further
debate whether or not to consider the substitute . If the
decision is in the affirmative and if the substitute motion
is subsequently adopted, the original motion fails . If the

1 . The Chair shall see that the agenda is followed as closely as
possible .
2 . During the last two days of the convention, the President shall
have the privilege of calling up for action those resolutions that
in his judgment must be acted upon before adjournment .
3 . No motion to reconsider or rescind shall be made or called up
during the last day of the convention .
4 . If any resolution is not acted upon by the convention
before adjournment, it dies and the subject matter may be
reintroduced for possible consideration by an overture to the
next convention .
5 . Minutes shall be distributed every next morning in Today’s
Business . The first item of business of the afternoon
session shall be the formal approval of these minutes,
with the exception of the final day’s minutes, which shall
be approved by the Board of Directors at its first meeting
following the convention . Only corrections to the minutes
involving convention actions shall be offered from the floor
for consideration . Editorial corrections addressing misspellings
of names or faulty references or titles should be provided in
writing to the Secretary for incorporation into the minutes .
6 . Resolutions shall be prioritized by floor committees and
normally shall be presented to the convention in numerical
sequence . However, resolutions that impact nominations or
elections may be given earlier consideration at the discretion
of the Chair, in consultation with the floor committee chairman
and the chairmen of the floor committees on nominations and
elections .
7 . The convention chairman, in consultation with floor committee
chairmen, may identify resolutions to which up to 1½ hours of
continuous consideration should be allotted, as follows:
15 minutes (if needed)
Floor committee presentation
30 minutes (if needed)
Debate on the main motion
45 minutes (if needed)
Presentation of and debate on amendments, substitute motions, main
motion, or main motion as amended
No motion to amend, to lay on the table, or to call the previous
question (close debate) may be made during the first two
segments of floor committee presentation and debate on the
main motion . Alternate pro and con speaking will be followed
during debate . Time not used in any one segment of the above
schedule may be added to the next succeeding segment .
The Chair shall have the right to inquire of the assembly at any
point its readiness to vote . If not concluded earlier, debate shall
cease at the end of ninety (90) minutes and all motions shall be
put to a vote .
8 . The preface, preamble, rationale, and whereas sections shall be
regarded as integral parts of resolutions and therefore subject to
the same consideration and adoption as the main motion .
9 . Except in unusual circumstances where the reading of the
whereas sections of a resolution is necessary due to their
technical nature, the whereas sections of resolutions from
floor committees that are printed in Today’s Business will not
be read by the chairman or presenting member of the floor
committee . In addition, the chair of the convention is not

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2010 Convention Proceedings