LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 65

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SPECIAL STANDING RULES

Minutes
1. Minutes shall be distributed every next morning for consideration and 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 substantive
corrections to the minutes (impacting the meaning or effect of convention actions) shall be offered from the floor
for consideration. Editorial corrections or non-substantive changes to the minutes (misspellings, numbering
errors, faulty references, incorrect titles, punctuation, grammar, etc.) should be provided in writing to the
Secretary for incorporation into the final version of the minutes published in the 2023 Convention Proceedings.
Resolutions
2. 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.
3. The preface, preamble, rationale, and whereas sections shall be regarded as integral parts of resolutions and
therefore subject to the same consideration and adoption.
4. 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.
5. The convention chairman, in consultation with floor committee chairmen, may identify resolutions to which up
to 1 ½ 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, excluding amendments and other subsidiary motions
45 minutes (if needed) Presentation of and debate on amendments, substitute motions,
main motion, or main motion as amended.
6. 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 immediately after it is offered from the floor.
7. Only substantive amendments to a resolution shall be offered from the floor (those impacting its purpose or
effect). Any editorial corrections or non-substantive changes to introduced resolutions should instead be shared
in writing with the Secretary. Until a resolution is presented to the delegates, any such changes should be
suggested directly to the floor committee chair.
8. The delegates will consider omnibus resolutions as part of regular scheduled business. Omnibus A includes
overtures referred to a board, commission, or other group of Synod to consider and take action deemed
appropriate. Omnibus B includes overtures with respect to which the action taken by a previous convention is
to be affirmed. Omnibus C acknowledges overtures of thanks or recognition. Each floor committee’s Omnibus D
(if any) dispenses formally with overtures declined by that floor committee. During consideration of a given
omnibus, a majority vote is required to remove an overture from the omnibus resolution and have it referred to
the appropriate floor committee for action.
9. 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
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. All nonvoting advisory delegates and representatives may participate in debate, but may not nominate
candidates, make motions, or vote.

Special Standing Rules

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 65