The subsidiary motion to limit or end debate has saved many a meeting. It's all well and good to have democratic debate in the spirit of Robert's Rules, but if you've ever felt like you're about to scream, “Enough!” in a debate in a meeting, you'll want to know about the subsidiary motion to limit or end debate.

Getting out of Hand?

Some groups specify the rules for debate up front in their bylaws so things don't get out of hand. Sometimes it's because they have large memberships and there's no way that every member can be heard about every specific in every meeting. Sometimes it's because they know there are some people (you know the type!) who will go on and on and on. They could end up monopolizing a debate and that's definitely not to be allowed. Other times, there's going to be a lot of other business to take care of, or you're discussing a particularly controversial issue that isn't likely to be resolved easily. Regulating debate then becomes a good idea.

Start out Right

Right from the start, it's best to set out the terms for debate. The debate rules can be amended but only concerning how long the speeches are and the time that the vote will take place. How much time do you want to allow before a vote? How many members do you have? You might limit debate to two minutes or ten — whatever seems like a good idea for your group.

A member can make a motion such as, “I move that debate on the increase in association dues be limited to one speech of three minutes for each member here tonight.” At the end of the scheduled time, the speaker must stop and the next member gets her turn. There is to be no interruption of a speaker or debating what is being said by a speaker — and definitely no disrespect shown.