Motion Writing Guide

 

This guide was prepared by CLRG and adapted for IDTACe

 

Motions are an important part of IDTACe meetings as they address the issues and concerns presented by members and the dancers they represent. Therefore, for a motion to be successful, all members need to spend the necessary time and effort to present a thoughtful and well worded motion.

 

We’ve included the following tips for you to consider when writing a motion for consideration at an IDTACe meeting.

 

When and how do I submit my motion?

All motions need to be sent out to the membership before the start of a meeting. You will receive an email with a link to a Google form from the IDTACe Executive Board before the deadline. The IDTACe Executive Board will review what is sent in.

 

Who can write a motion?

Any registered member of IDTACe in good standing can write a motion. Before discussing the motion, you will need to get at least one (1) registered member in good standing to second your motion. Once the motion is seconded, it can be debated amongst members at the meeting.

 

What types of motion are there?

There are several different types of motion, amendment and debate requests that members can submit:

 

• Oireachtas motion: pertains to the Oireachtas syllabus and/or running of the event

• Feis motion: pertains to the rules and/or guidelines in the Regional Feis Syllabus

• Adjudicator / Musician feis contract motion: pertains to the contract used for feiseanna

• Constitution motion: pertains to the Constitution and/or bylaws

• Restyling period motion: pertains to terms and/or guidelines for a dancer's restyling period

• Other: any other motion that does not fall within a category above​

 

What happens after the motions are submitted?

All finalized motions will be reviewed by the Executive Board before being published in the IDTACe Meeting agenda.

 

What if my motion isn't approved as is?

If there is an issue with the motion submitted, you will be contacted by a member of the Executive Board to resolve the issue(s). Note that the Executive Board cannot refuse a motion. If they get in touch, it will be to clarify something.

 

Style & Content

Before writing, consider what it is you want to achieve? What do you want to happen or to change? Is there a policy, previous practice, or experience? Who is responsible for carrying out the intent of the motion?

 

With these questions in mind, consider the following points to help make your motion a success:

• Have one idea per motion. If there is more than one issue, make it a separate motion.

• It must make sense and clearly state its purpose.

• If you want a report or a response to the action, include it in the motion.

• Include specific results that can be measured.

• Include a verb: your motion is a call for action.

 

Motions should be written as concisely as possible, meaning it should be able to stand alone without supporting documents. There are no official word limits but it's important to make sure your motion is not overly long. 

 

When writing your motion and any recommendations it is better to stick to a few substantial points which make for a coherent plan, rather than a long list of small changes. 

 

Facts, figures and quotations are important and should be kept succinct.

 

References to reports, policy, etc. should be written on the assumption the audience haven’t read them.

 

Check that all factual points are accurate - motions with inaccuracies may pose an issue. Any policy recommendations are the most important part of a motion and what you should give most thought to.

 

In general, a motion:

• Contains genuinely new and interesting proposals 

• Is on a subject where we don’t have much policy and which hasn’t been debated by IDTACe recently

• Is likely to lead to an interesting debate, with amendments and speakers both for and against

 

Structure

The best motions are structured as follows:

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The motion begins with: "To add", "To amend", or "To delete", or something to that effect, followed by the change that you want to see happen.

 

It then goes on to describe the issue or problem which the motion seeks to address:

• The IDTACe principle(s) which underlie the solution

• Highlighting existing IDTACe and other policies/practice which will contribute to the solution

• The further policy/practice proposals which normally conclude the motion and are its most important element

 

It is recommended to break down each section of the motion into a series of points.

 

The rationale should describe the issue being addressed by the motion, usually using

words such as IDTACe “notes”, “is concerned by” or “regrets”.

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Including a seconder and an effective date at the time that the motion is submitted will help the meeting run more efficiently.