Standing Orders
1 THE STANDING ORDERS shall, as far as possible, be the Standing Orders of the General Assembly. For the suspension of Standing Orders no motion shall be considered operative unless it is supported by at least two thirds of the members present. Any proposal for the alteration of Standing Orders shall require at least one month's Notice of Motion.
2 ORDINARY MEETINGS of Presbytery shall normally be held at 1900 hrs on the last Thursday of February, April, June, September and November. It shall be competent for Presbytery to alter the date of any meeting in circumstances which in the opinion of Presbytery are exceptional but only if at least eight weeks prior notice of the intended alteration has been given.
3 THE ROLL OF PRESBYTERY shall be in the case of retired ministers by seniority of ordination and in the case of parish ministers and representative elders by alphabetical order of their congregation. The Roll shall also contain the names of (a) ordained assistants, (b) ordained local ministers, (c) ministers without parish, (d) members of the diaconate, and (e) additional elders (who shall be elected by Presbytery from kirk sessions within the bounds on the nomination of the Business Committee and who shall serve for a term of three years unless otherwise directed by Presbytery): the persons within these categories shall be listed in alphabetical order of their surname. Presbytery readers, who shall be corresponding members of Presbytery, shall also be listed in alphabetical order of their surname.
4 THE MODERATOR shall be appointed by Presbytery, on the recommendation of the Business Committee, at the ordinary meeting in June and shall be installed at the September meeting, to hold office for one year.
5 (a) ORDER OF BUSINESS All business for inclusion in the agenda shall normally be notified to the Clerk, with delivery of relative papers, not later than fifteen days before the day of the ordinary meeting. The Order of Business, as submitted by the Business Committee, shall be approved and, if need be, amended. No new business shall be introduced unless it is urgent and then only with the approval of at least two thirds of the members present. Presbytery may decide to take any item of business 'in private'.
(b) VISITING SPEAKERS shall speak to an Order of the Day at a time to be determined by the Business Committee; their speeches are restricted to ten minutes.
6 ALL MOTIONS AND DELIVERANCES shall be submitted in writing to the Clerk. A member giving Notice of Motion for the following meeting of Presbytery shall give the terms of the motion to the Clerk, who shall arrange for it to be printed in the minutes to be circulated prior to the next meeting. A motion, the purpose of which is, in the opinion of the Moderator, to amend or rescind a decision of the Court, shall not be competent within a period of six months from the date of the adoption of that decision.
7 ORDINATIONS, INDUCTIONS ETC Presbytery shall appoint on each occasion a minister within the bounds to assist the Moderator in the conduct of services of ordination, induction and similar services. The Moderator shall arrange the worship and give the required charges to minister and people.
8 STANDING COMMITTEES In addition to the Business Committee the standing committees of Presbytery shall be –
(a) those to which Regulation 6(e) does not apply –
Forward Planning Co-ordinating Group
Emergency
Dunbar Bursaries
(b) those to which Regulation 6(e) applies –
Stewardship and Congregational Finance
World Mission
Property
Parish Resources and Mission
Education and Worship
Ministry
Church and Society
9 THE EMERGENCY COMMITTEE shall have power to act for Presbytery in regard to any urgent and unexpected business, for which a pro re nata meeting is, in the opinion of the Moderator, not appropriate. Such action shall be reported to the next ordinary meeting of Presbytery.
2 ORDINARY MEETINGS of Presbytery shall normally be held at 1900 hrs on the last Thursday of February, April, June, September and November. It shall be competent for Presbytery to alter the date of any meeting in circumstances which in the opinion of Presbytery are exceptional but only if at least eight weeks prior notice of the intended alteration has been given.
3 THE ROLL OF PRESBYTERY shall be in the case of retired ministers by seniority of ordination and in the case of parish ministers and representative elders by alphabetical order of their congregation. The Roll shall also contain the names of (a) ordained assistants, (b) ordained local ministers, (c) ministers without parish, (d) members of the diaconate, and (e) additional elders (who shall be elected by Presbytery from kirk sessions within the bounds on the nomination of the Business Committee and who shall serve for a term of three years unless otherwise directed by Presbytery): the persons within these categories shall be listed in alphabetical order of their surname. Presbytery readers, who shall be corresponding members of Presbytery, shall also be listed in alphabetical order of their surname.
4 THE MODERATOR shall be appointed by Presbytery, on the recommendation of the Business Committee, at the ordinary meeting in June and shall be installed at the September meeting, to hold office for one year.
5 (a) ORDER OF BUSINESS All business for inclusion in the agenda shall normally be notified to the Clerk, with delivery of relative papers, not later than fifteen days before the day of the ordinary meeting. The Order of Business, as submitted by the Business Committee, shall be approved and, if need be, amended. No new business shall be introduced unless it is urgent and then only with the approval of at least two thirds of the members present. Presbytery may decide to take any item of business 'in private'.
(b) VISITING SPEAKERS shall speak to an Order of the Day at a time to be determined by the Business Committee; their speeches are restricted to ten minutes.
6 ALL MOTIONS AND DELIVERANCES shall be submitted in writing to the Clerk. A member giving Notice of Motion for the following meeting of Presbytery shall give the terms of the motion to the Clerk, who shall arrange for it to be printed in the minutes to be circulated prior to the next meeting. A motion, the purpose of which is, in the opinion of the Moderator, to amend or rescind a decision of the Court, shall not be competent within a period of six months from the date of the adoption of that decision.
7 ORDINATIONS, INDUCTIONS ETC Presbytery shall appoint on each occasion a minister within the bounds to assist the Moderator in the conduct of services of ordination, induction and similar services. The Moderator shall arrange the worship and give the required charges to minister and people.
8 STANDING COMMITTEES In addition to the Business Committee the standing committees of Presbytery shall be –
(a) those to which Regulation 6(e) does not apply –
Forward Planning Co-ordinating Group
Emergency
Dunbar Bursaries
(b) those to which Regulation 6(e) applies –
Stewardship and Congregational Finance
World Mission
Property
Parish Resources and Mission
Education and Worship
Ministry
Church and Society
9 THE EMERGENCY COMMITTEE shall have power to act for Presbytery in regard to any urgent and unexpected business, for which a pro re nata meeting is, in the opinion of the Moderator, not appropriate. Such action shall be reported to the next ordinary meeting of Presbytery.