Robert's Rules of Order: Reconsider or Can you put your pants back on?

Something went wrong, very very wrong. Suddenly there was a room of people without pants! NO PANTS! But we followed the rules! Everyone voted to take off their pants. But sometimes you need pants, like when it’s January in Minnesota. So can you undo it? Sure, you just grab your pants and walk out and wack yourself with a mallet for ever joining a group that would vote for pant removal in the first place. But lets go with we are just using this as a mildly amusing example. So can Robert make you put your pants back on? This will talk about the motion to reconsider which is one method of putting the pants on.

You can only reconsider something within a very small and set period of time. But the most important thing about Reconsidering is that the person who makes the motion has to have voted on the ‘winning’ side in the original vote. If the motion passes and you want to reconsider it you have to have someone who voted yes make the motion to reconsider it. This is something that is supposed to be used to alter a decision when suddenly new and important information comes to light. This is often used to go back to a motion that failed.

You cannot reconsider when it is a yes vote to do something and the something has started to happen:

Person A: I move that we all take off our pants and run outside.
Person B: Second!
Chairperson: Is there any discussion on the motion to remove our pants and run outside. there is much cheering for pantslessness but no one takes the floor All in favor of the motion say “Aye” nearly everyone including our hero underwearlessperson says AYE!, all those opposed A couple people, but not nearly half say NAY!
*everyone takes off their pants; someone who voted to take off pants and run outside thinks “Holy shit! What are we doing! I forgot underwear!”*
Underwearlessperson (who voted yes): Chairperson, I move to reconsider the vote regarding the removal of pants and running outside.
Chairperson: HAHAHA! You aren’t wearing any underwear! [or alternately] Such a motion is currently out of order because the first provision has been partly carried out.

You cannot reconsider when it is an affirmative vote to contract some party for something and the party has been notified:

Person A: I move that we hire company A to remove the pants of everyone in this room.
*Company A representatives cheer from the back of the room*
Person B: Second!
Chairperson: Is there any discussion on the motion to contract Company A? there is much cheering for pantslessness but no one takes the floor All in favor of the motion say “Aye” nearly everyone including our hero underwearlessperson says AYE!, all those opposed A couple people, but not nearly half say NAY!
Chairperson to Company A representative:Congratulations you’ve been contracted to remove the pants of everyone in the room.
Underwearlessperson: Chairperson, I move to reconsider the vote!
Chairperson: Since Company A has already been informed we cannot reconsider the vote.

Other times you can’t use the motion to reconsider (without the ultra swanky pantless example) are:

– on motions to reconsider, no reconsidering the reconsideration
– when it isn’t within a “reasonable time”: if the session is a one day thing then it must be made that day, if it is a multiday session then you must make the motion the same day or the next day only
– when the action is impossible to undo [you can’t reconsider a motion to take off the pants and burn them after they’ve been burned because well, the laws of physics haven’t been alterable as of the writing of this column]

A motion to reconsider must be seconded, but it doesn’t have to be seconded by someone who was on the winning side of the first vote. Basically you only have to have one person switch their vote. You do, however, have to have a majority to win the vote to reconsider, and only a majority if you have an original motion that needs 2/3rds or any other supermajority, the reconsideration only needs a simple majority. It’s a fun game.

If you move to reconsider you can lay the motion on the table. This way you can have the reconsider motion dealt with at another point in time, and you’ll actually be able to reconsider, other than using another method of overturning, but you won’t have to do it on that day.

When a motion to reconsider is made (and seconded) all actions on the original motion are suspended.

Motion to remove pants and BURN THEM!
Motion passed.
Motion to reconsider is made and laid on the table.
There is no removal of pants or burning of aforementioned pants.

Here’s where it gets a little tricky. If your group meets more than 4 times a year you have until the next meeting to reconsider, if it meets less than 4 times you have until the end of the meeting you are currently in. If you don’t wrap up the reconsider motion, it ceases to exist. We just pretend like it never happened and whip off the pants and burn them.

And you know what I have to say to that? PANTS PANTS PANTS PANTS PANTS PANTS!