How to Make a Motion: A Quick Guide
Much of what a board or assembly formally decides begins with a motion. Approving a budget, adopting a policy, or creating a new committee goes through the same basic process. Yet many members have never been walked through it. Here is how it works.
What a Motion Actually Is
A main motion is a formal proposal for the group to take action or express a position. The motion is what puts business before the assembly in an orderly way and ensures the group considers one thing at a time. Without it, meetings tend to produce a lot of conversation and very little that is binding.
The Six-Step Process
A main motion under Robert's Rules follows six steps:
1. After being recognized, the member makes the motion. Say "I move that..." and state your proposal specifically. "I move that the board approve the 2026 operating budget as presented" is the kind of language you want -- clear and actionable.
2. A second is typically required. Another member says "Second" to indicate the matter is worth the group's time. In small boards this step is often skipped when following “small board rules” [RONR 49:21].
3. The chair states the question. The presiding officer repeats the motion back to the assembly: "It has been moved and seconded that the board approve the 2026 operating budget. Is there debate?"
4. Debate: Members speak for or against and can make subsidiary motions such as offering an amendment.
5. The chair "puts the question" calling for the vote.
6. The chair announces the result of the vote.
Wording the Motion
Sloppy wording causes problems after the meeting, when people disagree about what was actually decided. A good motion clearly says what will be done. It includes specifics such as dollar amounts, dates, and who is responsible.
For anything complex, put the motion in writing and distribute it before the meeting. Members often benefit when they can see the language in front of them.
After the Chair states the Motion, the Motion Belongs to the Assembly
Once the chair has stated the question, the maker of the motion cannot simply take it back. Withdrawing or changing the motion requires the assembly's consent. The group now owns the business, not the individual who raised it.
Tools for perfecting a Motion Before the Vote
Several procedural moves are available while a motion is pending. The most useful ones for most boards or assemblies include:
• Amend: Change the wording before the final vote. Amendments require a second and a majority vote.
• Refer to Committee: Send the matter to a smaller group for research or drafting, with a report back to the full board.
• Postpone to a Certain Time: Put it off until a specific point in this meeting or the next.
• Previous Question: End debate and force a vote immediately. Requires a two-thirds vote.
• Lay on the Table: Set the matter aside to deal with something urgent. Note that this motion is routinely misused as a way to kill something without a direct vote (use Postpone Indefinitely for this). Under Robert's Rules, Lay on the Table is meant for temporary postponement only.
Parliamentary procedure works when people use it in good faith. Raising constant points of order over minor technicalities, or invoking procedural motions to run out the clock, turns meetings into battles. Use the tools available to move business forward, not to obstruct it.
Most members become comfortable with this process after a few meetings. If yours regularly break down over procedural confusion, a short training session with a professional parliamentarian is usually enough to sort things out.