Page:Bourinots Rules of Order 1918.djvu/22

 meets and adjourns from day to day, and finally after week, month or longer period comes to a close by prorogation, by such other usage as terminates the session. The meetings of an ecclesiastical body which sits for several days make up one session. In the case of bodies like municipal councils, companies' and directors' meetings, school boards and societies, which meet once, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, annually, at other fixed and short periods, and transact their business at that particular time, the word "meeting" is practically synonymous with "session." If such a short meeting is adjourned until another day to conclude the matters for which it originally met, it is the same meeting, but not a session in the large sense. A sitting" is the word sometimes applied to any daily meeting of a session of parliament, or of any other important body.

7. The presiding officer.–Every body of men, assembled for the purpose of discussion, deliberation and the promotion of a certain object, must be, from the very nature of things, presided over by a particular person, who is called a chairman. It is his duty to maintain order, read motions to the meeting, so that they may be formally debated, decide questions of order and procedure, submit motions or resolutions to the final decision of the meeting or assembly by their voices, show of hands, poll—or, as in parliament and