Definitions
1(1) In these Rules:
a. “Chair” means the person presiding at a meeting of the Synod;
b. “member” means a member of the Synod.
1(2) These Rules shall apply to all meetings of the Synod and, mutatis mutandis, to all meetings
of the Provincial Council or committees of the Council or Synod.
The Chair
2(1) The Chair is responsible for preserving order and decorum at meetings of the Synod by:
a. recognizing members who wish to speak and determining the order of speakers
b. inviting the mover of a motion to present the opening and closing arguments on the
question,
c. facilitating discussion and enabling the members to hear and listen to each other,
d. ensuring that all voices are heard and that none dominate,
e. ruling, when necessary, that speeches be limited to the time limits specified in section
4(8),
f. ruling whether proposed procedural motions or amendments to motions are in order, and
g. putting the question to a vote when all views have been sufficiently expressed.
2(2) The Chair may request the advice of the Chancellor or the Assessors on questions of order
and shall rule on such questions stating the applicable rule or practice without argument or
debate.
2(3) Any member may appeal the Chair’s ruling on a question of order and the Synod shall
decide the appeal without debate.
Sessional Committees
3.
a. The Synod may appoint Committees during the session as required.
b. Such committees shall consist of at least two clerical and two lay delegates representing at
least four dioceses in the Province; and any matter having any relation to the work of such committee, may, upon its coming before the Synod, be referred without debate to the proper committee for consideration and report.
c. Each diocesan delegation shall appoint one of its members to the Nominating Committee;
such Committee to be convened by the Prolocutor, and to elect a chair as its first order of
business.
Order and Decorum
4(1) Members are responsible for assisting debate by:
a. identifying themselves and addressing all remarks to the Chair,
b. confining their remarks strictly to the motion being considered,
c. stating their positions clearly, succinctly and without repetition, and
d. maintaining an impersonal tone and avoiding personal comments.
4(2) A member wishing to speak shall rise and address the Chair.
4(3) When two or more members rise at the same time, the Chair shall determine the order in
which they shall speak.
4(4) A member called to order while speaking shall sit down, unless permitted by the Chair to
explain.
4(5) A member, if not interrupting a speaker, may at any time request that the motion being
debated be read for clarification of the debate.
4(6) Subject to subsections (7) and (8) no member shall speak more than once on the same
question.
4(7) A member who makes a motion may speak a second time to close the debate on the motion.
4(8) Except with the consent of the Synod, the mover of a motion may not speak for more than
ten minutes, or any other speaker more than five minutes.
4(9) An address by the Metropolitan is in order at any time.
Courtesies of the Synod
5 The Chair may invite a person who is not a member of the Synod to sit with the Synod or to
address the Synod but that person shall not participate in debate or vote.
Reports of Committees
6 Reports of any diocese, committee or other body required to report to the Synod shall be in
writing and signed by the chair of the diocese, committee or other body.
Notices of Motion
7(1) Members may give notices of motion to the Secretaries of the Synod by sending the same
to the Secretaries of the Synod not less than six weeks before a regular meeting of the Synod.
7(2) The Secretaries shall cause notices of motion given pursuant to subsection (1) to be printed
in the notice of the meeting in the order in which they were given or received.
7(3) Members may give notices of motion during a meeting of the Synod at times appointed by
the Agenda Committee.
7(4) Motions of which notices are given pursuant to subsection (1) shall be considered in
priority to motions of which notices are given pursuant to subsection (3).
Motions
8(1) No motion or amendment is before the Synod unless it is seconded and in writing.
8(2) No original motion, except a procedural motion, shall be received without notice unless
permitted by the Synod.
8(3) No motion that would result in a new expenditure may be considered unless it identifies a
proposed source of funding or is qualified as being subject to available funding.
8(4) When a motion has been read by the Chair it cannot be withdrawn without the consent of
the Synod.
8(5) When a motion is being considered, no other motion shall be received except
a. to adjourn,
b. to lay it on the table,
c. to consider it clause by clause,
d. to postpone it until a certain time,
e. to postpone it indefinitely,
f. to refer it,
g. to amend it, or
h. that the debate be closed,
and such motions have precedence in the order named, following a motion to put the
question.
8(6) No more than one amendment to a proposed amendment of a motion is in order at one time.
8(7) Motions to adjourn, to adjourn the debate, or to lay a motion on the table shall be decided
without debate.
8(8) With respect to a motion to close debate:
a. When a motion or an amending motion has been made and seconded any member who
has not spoken on the motion or amendment may move that the debate be closed and a
vote taken on the motion or the amendment.
b. The Chair shall not accept a motion that the debate be closed if in the opinion of the Chair
the motion that the debate be closed is an abuse of the rules or would deny members of
the Synod of an adequate opportunity for discussion.
c. When the Chair accepts a motion that the debate be closed that motion, when seconded,
shall be decided without debate.
d. A motion that the debate be closed, to be carried, requires a two-thirds majority of all of
the members of the Synod voting together.
e. When a motion that the debate be closed is carried the chair shall immediately call the
question on the motion or amendment before the Synod. When a motion that the debate
be closed is lost, discussion shall continue on the motion or amendment before the Synod.
8(9) Debate on a motion to refer shall be restricted to questions whether to refer and to whom.
8(10) When amendments to a motion are proposed, the amendments and the original motion
shall be put in the reverse order to that in which they were made.
8(11) When the Chair declares that a question is being put no further debate shall be allowed
and no member shall rise.
Voting
9(1) When required by any three members of Synod, or upon any motion to amend the
Constitution or to adopt, amend, suspend or repeal a Canon, the vote of Synod upon any
question may be taken by orders voting separately. In that case, a majority of each order shall be
necessary to an affirmative vote. When a vote by orders is required, the question shall be put
first to the order of the mover.
9(2) In voting, those who vote in the affirmative shall so signify first, and then those who vote
in the negative.
9(3) If there is an equality of votes, either of the Synod voting collectively or in the votes of
either the clergy,lay members or Bishops taken separately, the Chair shall declare the question
to have been decided in the negative.
9(4) A question once determined shall not again be drawn into discussion at the same meeting
of the Synod without the unanimous consent of Synod.
Suspension of the Rules of Order
10 A motion to suspend a Rule of Order and Procedure shall take precedence over all other
motions, shall be decided without debate, and to be carried requires the affirmative votes of twothirds
of the members present.
Unprovided Cases
11 When a question of order is not covered by these Rules, the Chair may refer to Kerr and
King’s Procedures for Meetings and Organizations for guidance.
Note: this text is provided for information purposes only. While every effort has been made to
ensure that this text is accurate, in the event of any discrepancy between this version and the
official printed version, the latter shall prevail.