Re: [802SEC] +++ SEC Rules Change Letter Ballot +++ Ballot on WG electronic voting
Bill -
I believe that in practice, WG chairs make rulings as to what is to be
treated as a procedural motion, and what is to be treated as a technical
motion, and (where it is apparent that there is a simple procedural
decision to be made, that doesn't need a motion) may also decide make other
procedural decisions without the need for a motion.
Also, in practice, a wise chair has a pretty clear idea of where the
borderline needs to be; otherwise he/she rapidly ceases to be chair (wise
or otherwise - pun intended).
Attempting to capture that set of ideas, in an unambiguous way, in a way
that we all agree to, and in less words than the works of Shakespeare, is
likely to be a non-terminating process; I am therefore pretty confident
that the existing words in that area of the rules will remain unscathed at
least as long as it takes for us all to lose interest in the problem.
I think this is a clear case where the old proverb regarding the difference
in the relevance of rules to fools & wise men seems to apply.
Regards,
Tony
At 12:18 10/06/2002 -0700, Bill Quackenbush wrote:
>Howard,
>
>Thanks for the response. As a WG Chair, such an interpretation is quite
>reasonable and needed for running the WG.
>
>However, I was approaching the issue from the point of view of a proposed
>rules change and I am trying to understand what the current and proposed
>rules explicitly state and what they appear to me to imply.
>
>The text of section 5.1.4.1 implies to me that issues that come before a
>WG are of only two types, procedural and technical. Hence, if an issue
>is not technical, it is procedural. Since for example motions to
>adjourn and motions to table are not technical, they must be procedural.
> According to the text of section 5.1.4.1, the chair decides procedural
>issues and can therefore decide motions to adjourn and motions to table.
> I don't think so.
>
>Now I agree that the Chair must make some procedural decisions. This is
>clear from Robert's Rules of Order.
>
>I think the problem is that the text of section 5.1.4.1 is too
>simplistic. What I believe the section should be saying is something
>more like that the Chair decides procedural issues, which includes
>deciding whether a motion is procedural or technical, and that motions
>are approved or rejected by vote of the WG.
>
>Your comments?
>
>Thanks,
>
>wlq
>
>Howard Frazier wrote:
> >
> > Bill,
> >
> > My interpretation of this rule is that the WG chair is empowered to decide
> > procedural issues. In practice, the WG chair usually puts such matters to
> > a vote, after declaring them to be procedural.
> >
> > A good chair refrains from exercising his or her authority to the
> limit. You
> > save your silver bullets for the day when the werewolf is on the loose and
> > hungry.
> >
> > Howard
> >
> > Bill Quackenbush wrote:
> >
> > >All,
> > >
> > >In section 5.1.4.1 of the LMSC Rules, which is part of the text of this
> > >proposed rules change, there is a statement that "The Chair of the
> > >Working Group decides procedural issues". Is this correct?
> > >
> > >I was under the impression that the Chair decided whether a motion was
> > >procedural or technical, but that the Working Group decided both
> > >technical and procedural issues by vote.
> > >
> > >Am I misinformed or is this text wrong?
> > >
> > >Thanks,
> > >
> > >wlq
> > >
> > >Paul Nikolich wrote:
> > >
> > >>Dear SEC members,
> > >>
> > >>Attached you will find the text for the SEC rules change letter
> ballot on WG
> > >>Electronic Voting. (Note this is a resend of the March 17, 2002 letter
> > >>ballot notice with the start time revised to 4/1/02 because we did not
> > >>officially approve it for distribution until last night. Other than
> that it
> > >>is unchanged).
> > >>
> > >>Scope: To permit voting by electronic means at the working group level.
> > >>
> > >>Purpose: To facilitate the WG consensus process.
> > >>
> > >>The ballot opens April 1, 2002 and closes June 8, 2002 12 midnight EDT
> > >>(remember if you do not vote or abstain it is equivalent to a DISAPPROVE
> > >>vote). Buzz, please ensure this gets sent to the 802-wide email list as
> > >>well. WG chairs, if you haven't already done so, please invite your WG
> > >>members to comment through you.
> > >>
> > >>Regards,
> > >>
> > >>--Paul Nikolich
> > >>
> > >>Chair, IEEE802 LAN/MAN Standards Project
> > >>email: p.nikolich@ieee.org
> > >>cell: 857.205.0050
> > >>mail: 18 Bishops Lane, Lynnfield, MA 01940
> > >>
> > >>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >> Name:
> MAR2002 rules change on wg electronic balloting.pdf
> > >> MAR2002 rules change on wg electronic balloting.pdf Type: Adobe
> Portable Document Format (application/pdf)
> > >> Encoding: base64
> > >>
> > >
> > >
Regards,
Tony