LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 61

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Special Standing Rules as Adopted
(Note: During Session 1, when a motion was introduced to adopt the Special Standing Rules, a motion was also introduced and carried to amend
Rule 15 by adding a second-last sentence to the existing rule: “To ensure transparency and provide for greater harmony and unity in the convention,
the queue will be made visible to the convention floor.” That change is reflected in the version of the rules that follows, as adopted by the convention.)

Minutes
1.	

Minutes shall be distributed every next morning for consideration and adoption and will be included in the issue of Today’s
Business on the day following adoption. 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.

Resolutions
2.	

3.	

4.	

5.	

6.	

7.	

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 chairman of the floor committees on nominations and elections.
The preface, preamble, rationale, and whereas sections shall be
regarded as integral parts of resolutions and therefore subject
to the same consideration and adoption.
It shall be the discretion of the chairman or presenting member
of the floor committee to read the preface, preamble, rationale,
and whereas sections of resolutions from floor committees that
are printed in Today’s Business. In addition, the chair of the convention is not required to read each resolution as he states the
questions and then as he calls for the vote.
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.
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 discussion, one written copy of the proposed amendment shall
be provided to the Secretary after it is offered from the floor.
The delegates will consider omnibus resolutions as part of regular scheduled business. Omnibus A refers to overtures referred
to a board, commission, or other group of Synod to consider and
take action. Omnibus B refers to overtures that affirm an action
previously taken in past conventions. Omnibus C refers to overtures of thanks or recognition. Omnibus D refers to overtures
declined by the floor committee. A majority vote is required to
remove an overture from an omnibus resolution and have it
referred to the appropriate floor committee for action.

“Special Standing Rules as Adopted”

8.	 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.

Process
9.	 Unless covered by these Special Standing Rules, parliamentary
procedure shall be governed by the most recent edition of Robert’s
Rules of Order Newly Revised
10.	 The chair shall see that the agenda is followed as closely as possible. The chair may deviate from the printed program when
necessary or expedient.
11.	 All nonvoting advisory delegates and representatives may participate in debate, but may not nominate candidates, make motions,
or vote.
12.	 Registered delegates and advisory representatives wishing to
address the convention, once recognized by the chair, shall state
their name, the name of the district (or other entity of the Synod
that they represent), and whether they are a voting delegate,
advisory delegate, or advisory representative. Delegates and representatives shall normally address the convention from their
assigned microphones.
13.	 A microphone queue list will be enacted for every debatable
motion considered by the assembly. Each time a debatable motion
is considered by the assembly, a new microphone queue list will
be created and the queue list from any previous motion will be
cleared.
14.	 The pro-con method of debate may be used at the discretion of
the chair or by adoption of the assembly. When a member of the
floor committee speaks in favor of a resolution, it shall be recognized as a “pro” speech and will be followed by a “con” speech.

15.	 Delegates and representatives wishing to enter the microphone queue for any reason (debate, make an amendment,
call the question, request information, or any other action)
must always identify themselves as pro or con speakers
by pressing either 1 (pro) or 2 (con) on their queue keypad, even if the assembly is not in a pro-con mode. This
queue identification is necessary so delegates and representatives are appropriately reflected in the queue should
the chair choose to move to a pro-con method of debate.
All queue entrees will be addressed as they appear in the
queue order. To ensure transparency and provide for greater
harmony and unity in the convention, the queue will be
made visible to the convention floor. When called upon
by the chair, delegates and representatives must identify
themselves and state the desired action.
16.	 Ordinarily, questions of privilege (or point of personal privilege)
shall be addressed in writing to the chair or his appointee.
17.	 No delegate or representative may speak in debate any longer
than two (2) minutes per speech. No delegate or representative
may speak more than twice on the same motion on the same day
and may not speak a second time until all delegates and representatives desiring to speak the first time have had the opportunity.
The chair shall have discretion to make exceptions to this rule.
UPON THIS ROCK

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