STANDING ORDERS FOR THE GLASGOW & WEST OF SCOTLAND GROUP OF THE GUILD OF HEALTHCARE PHARMACISTS SECTION OF THE M.S.F. UNION

These standing orders are intended to explain to members the procedures relating to the business of the Group and should be read in conjunction with the Rules and Constitution of the Group.
1. Group meetings shall have a Chair to regulate the proceedings and to ensure that business is completed. The Chair has the discretion over the conduct of debates and is obliged to ensure as far as possible that debates are balanced, that the business of the Group is completed without recourse to further time and to make sure that issues and procedures are explained to members so that they understand and can make the appropriate decisions.
2. Unless stated in advance of the meeting, all meetings shall commence at 7.30pm and shall end by 10pm. The quorum for a Group meeting is 4 members. If, 15 minutes from the time the meeting is scheduled to begin, a quorum is not present, the meeting shall be dissolved.
3. Meetings of the Group shall be arranged by the Group Committee and notice of the meetings shall be given to members not less than 14 days before the date of the meeting.
4. The agenda for Group meetings will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting and copies will also be available at the meeting. Items will be taken by the Chair in the order they appear on the agenda unless the meeting agrees otherwise.
5. The order of business shall normally be as follows:-

a)

Attendance and apologies

b)

Acceptance of minutes and matters arising

c)

Correspondence and matters arising

d)

Group Committee Report

e)

Discussion and voting on motions

f)

District Member's Report

g)

Any other business
6. Motions are proposals put to the Group (or moved). They may be in writing or verbal and may be submitted to the Group Secretary before the meeting or raised at the meeting, according to their nature, as appropriate.

Motions may be amended, and they may be accepted (resolved), defeated, withdrawn, adjourned or left aside. Resolutions are those motions accepted by the Group which may be put as motions to other bodies (e.g. the Group Delegates Meeting or Guild Council) if so decided.
7. Motions arising out of the business under discussion at the meeting may be moved at any time subject to the discretion of the Chair.
8. Motions introducing new business must be delivered in writing to the Group Secretary at least fourteen days before the meeting unless the issue is an emergency.

Emergency motions may only be brought before the Group meeting if:-

a)

the mover requests permission at the start of the meeting, or

b)

the motion is part of the Group Committee recommendations.
9. A motion or amendment shall not be discussed unless it has been proposed and seconded by members present. Motions submitted by a member in advance of the meeting may be moved by another member present at the meeting.
10. Amendments to motions may be moved at any time before the vote, subject to the discretion of the Chair.

An amendment shall be to omit and/or insert words, but shall not have the effect of introducing a new proposal, or negating the motion before the Group.
11. Voting on amendments always takes place before voting on the original motion. If the amendment is carried, the amended motion takes the place of the original motion and becomes the "substantive motion" before the Group for discussion and voting. Any further amendments shall not be moved until the Group has disposed of the amendment previously moved.
12. Motions or amendments, once moved, cannot be withdrawn without the consent of two thirds of the members present.
13. Members wishing to raise points of information must first obtain permission of the Chair. It shall be at the discretion of the Chair whether or not to grant the request.
14. At any time during the debate, any member may raise a point of order, which takes precedence over all other business.
15. During the debate on a motion, any member who has not already spoken on the motion may move any of the following:

a)

that the motion be NOW PUT

b)

that the motion be NOT PUT, or

c)

that discussion on the motion be adjourned until the next meeting.
If seconded, and if the Chair decides that debate has proceeded long enough to justify any of the above motions, it shall be put to the vote immediately without discussion. If carried by a majority of the members present, the motion shall take immediate effect and the original motion shall be dealt with accordingly.
16. Voting shall be by show of hands. All members present, including Group Officers and the Chair, may vote.

If the number of votes for and against are equal, the motion or amendment shall be deemed to be "not carried" or to "fall".
17. Standing orders may be suspended in case of urgency or other necessity, by resolution of the meeting, carried by a majority of the members present.
18. Any procedural matter not covered by the above rules shall be dealt with in accordance with normal debating procedure.
19. In all matters, the Chair's ruling shall be final, unless successfully challenged by resolution of the meeting, carried by a majority of the members present.
20. Group Committee meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Standing Orders 1, 2, 3 and 4 except that the quorum for Committee meetings shall be 4 Committee Members.

Passed by Annual General Meeting 1.4.99





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