Article IV.—Expulsions.
Any Member who shall refuse to conform to the Constitution and By-laws, or shall be guilty of repeated disorderly conduct, shall be subjected to expulsion by a vote of two-thirds of the Members present; but no motion to expel a Member shall be acted upon at the same meeting at which it is offered.
Article V.—Amendments.
The same rule in reference to amendments shall apply to the By-laws as to the Constitution.
The Constitution when presented may be discussed, and put to vote, altogether, or article by article; if adopted, it becomes the law of the meeting. A list of members will then be made out, including all who desire to be enrolled, and are willing to pay the initiation fee. Then a new election of officers should be held, with those only who are members voting. The old chairman will retain his seat until the new one is elected. When it is intended to have performances of different kinds, as essays, orations, debates, etc., it is well to appoint a committee to draw up a regular order in which these will be called for. The society being now organized, may proceed to business, or fix the time for next meeting and adjourn.
WARD, DISTRICT, OR TOWNSHIP MEETINGS.
When one or more persons desire to call a meeting for any purpose, there is often great confusion and uncertainty as to the mode of procedure. A few simple rules will go far to obviate all difficulty. In the call, those only who are favorable to the intended object should be invited, and if others attend, they should take no part in the meeting, unless challenged to discussion.
The responsibility for the guidance of the meeting until its regular organization, rests on those who have called it. When the people have met at the appointed time, one of these will ask them to come to order, and will then nominate a chairman; when this is seconded, he will put it to vote, and call the man elected to the chair, who will put all other motions. A secretary also should be elected, and then the meeting is regularly organized. The chairman next states the object of the meeting, or if he prefers, calls upon one of those interested to do it.
Some one will then move the appointment of a committee (which is said to be the American panacea for everything) to prepare resolutions expressive of the wishes or opinion of the meeting. If the names of the persons to compose the committee be not mentioned in the original motion, it is usual for the chairman to name them, putting the name of the mover first on the list. The chairman may, for good reasons, excuse any one of the committee from acting, if there be no objections on the part of the assembly. But if there are, he can only be excused by vote. The committee then require some time to make their report, and it is common for the chairman to call on some one, who ought to be notified beforehand, for a speech. When the committee have finished their business they will return, and waiting until no one is speaking, their chairman will address the chairman of the meeting, telling him that they are ready to report. If no objection is made, the resolutions prepared are then read, and are at the disposal of the meeting. They may be treated separately, or together, amended, adopted or rejected. The resolutions may be prepared beforehand, in which case the appointment of the committee may be dispensed with. If the resolutions should not be satisfactory, they may be recommitted.
When the resolutions have been disposed of, the speaker will announce that there is no business before the house, which will either bring a motion to adjourn, or new business.