Page:Robert's Parliamentary Practice.djvu/158

136 for general consent. The chair repeats the request and asks if there is any objection. If no one objects the chair proceeds practically the same as if the thing had been adopted by a formal vote. For instance, suppose after the adoption of a resolution a grammatical error is detected. Instead of reconsidering the vote and amending and then re-adopting the resolution, the chair should state the desired correction and ask if there is any objection to its being made. Hearing none he should say so and should announce the resolution as amended. [See page 148 for illustration.] So when the minutes are read the chair asks if there are any corrections. If there are none he declares the minutes approved. Granting general consent does not necessarily mean that all the members favor the proposed action. In some cases it means only that those opposed know that their opposition is useless; in order to save time they remain silent.

Another method of voting in ordinary societies is by ballot. This method is used when secrecy as to a member's vote is desired, or when the vote is taken by mail. It is nearly always used in electing members and officers. The ballots are usually slips of paper upon which the names of the candidates are written or printed. In secret organizations black and white balls are generally used in voting for candidates for membership. This or any other form of voting may be ordered on any question by a majority