MD105 By-Laws
Chairman
1 The Chairman of the Council or in his absence the most recent past Chairman of Council available shall preside at Convention.
Circulation of Papers relevant to MD Convention business
2 Circulation of MD Convention Call, papers calling for details of Club Delegates, Alternates and other Lions attending MD Convention and notification of Resolutions or Nominations to be debated at MD Convention or any other documentation relating to MD Convention or the business to be conducted thereat (“the Convention Documentation”) may be undertaken either by electronic mail or normal post at the appropriate times during the year unless a Club shall send a written request to MDHQ not to receive the Convention Documentation by electronic means in which case club(s) will continue to be provided with printed versions by the postal system.
Proposers of Resolutions/Amendments
3 Each resolution or amendment shall be proposed and seconded as follows:-
(a) By nominees on behalf of the Council;
(b) By nominees on behalf of a District Cabinet (or of two Districts when a resolution is sponsored by more than one District);
(c) Proposed by a delegate from a Club and seconded by a delegate from another Club.
Movement or Withdrawal of Resolutions/Amendments
4 (a) If no delegates are present from a Club submitting a resolution/amendment then, unless that Club advises the Resolutions Officer in writing at least ten days before the commencement of Convention of the names of an alternative proposer from another Club, other than the Club seconding the resolution/amendment, the resolution/amendment shall be withdrawn unless Convention shall otherwise decide. With this one exception no resolution/amendment shall be withdrawn without the consent of Convention.
(b) If a resolution be withdrawn with the consent of Convention and there is an amendment to that resolution then that amendment shall become the substantive resolution.
(c) All resolutions/amendments shall be moved and seconded before consideration by Convention, and not more than one resolution/amendment shall be discussed at one time.
(d) A delegate shall not move more than one amendment to any resolution nor shall the mover of a resolution move any amendment to such resolution.
Emergency Resolutions/Amendments
5 The Chairman shall have discretion to submit an emergency resolution/amendment for consideration at Convention provided:
(a) Where appropriate, the resolution/amendment was received by him in writing before the commencement of the opening session of Convention and
(b) In his opinion the resolution/amendment could not reasonably have been submitted to the Resolutions Officer on or before the closing dates published for their receipt by him, and
(c) Convention consents by a majority of registered delegates present to the resolution/amendment being so considered.
Voting
6 The voting on any resolution/amendment on general business shall be by a show of Delegate Cards of those present and voting and the Chairman shall declare the result or order a count. If the Chairman’s declaration is challenged by twenty or more delegates the votes shall be counted.
Elections
7 Any elections of candidates for office, or for the selection of persons or clubs for positions or duties, shall be by secret ballot and the election, or selection, shall be carried out by the method commonly called the Single Transferable Vote or Preferential Voting or the Alternative Vote.
Casting Vote
8 In the event of a tie following a show of hands or secret ballot the Chairman shall cast the deciding vote.
Motion to Proceed to Next Business
9 Any delegate, provided he has not already spoken on the matter under discussion, may move at any time that Convention proceed to the next business, and if this resolution be seconded and carried the Chairman shall put the matter to Convention. If the matter under discussion is a resolution (or is an amendment which has become a substantive resolution under paragraph 3(b) above), and a motion to proceed to next business is carried, the Chairman shall give the proposer of the resolution the right to reply before putting the matter to a vote.
Questions and Points of Order
10 Any delegate may at any time ask a question or raise a point of order through the Chair but must confine the question or point of order to the subject before Convention.
Quorum
11 A minimum of one hundred and fifty (150) delegates in attendance at Convention shall constitute a quorum. If such a quorum is found not to be present during any session of Convention during which matters requiring a vote by registered delegate remain to be dealt with, the Chairperson shall immediately declare that Convention Stands Adjourned – until a time and place to be determined by the Council of Governors.
