Living Cosa Planning

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Estimat MCs:

I'm just going to take the bull by the horns and start planning the Living Cosa now, since it's in a little over a week.  Please chime in on any of these points if you have a comment, criticism, or suggestion.  Our primary goals are: practicality, pomposity, and precedent.  We need to be practical in putting together an event for dozens of people, thinking about the logistics and what's likely to happen (including my own possible absence).  We need to be pompous and a bit silly, since that's fun (and inevitable anyway).  And we need to respect the fact that we're establishing precedent here (not the first LC, but the first in a generation).

I intend to set some basic ground rules and expectations for behavior during the LC, but we should expect that things will probably arise that we didn't plan on, and so decisions will need to be made on the fly.  Those decisions might not be perfect, but they do need to be in service to our primary goals and made in good faith.

Planned Agenda
I. Chair formally opens the Living Cosa and reviews rules very briefly.

II. Appointment by the chair of a Doorkeeper and Sergeant at Arms, to which the power to maintain order is delegated as necessary.

III. Appointment by the chair of a Chaplain, who will be invited to give an invocation (non-religious).

IV. Apologies.

V. Invitation by the chair to the Seneschal to address the assembled Ziu.

VI. Invitation by the chair to the Leader of the Opposition to address the assembled Ziu.

VII. Terpelaziuns

VIII. Clark Business.
    A. Reading by the chair of the current votes on the submitted bills, followed by voting on the bills.  Each bill is handled individually.
    C. Reading by the chair of the current confidence votes.
    D. Voting on confidence.

iX. Adjournment.


Rules
Rules are drawn from standard rules of order for organizations.

Any MZ may make a motion during an appropriate time by asking to be recognized by the chair.  Once the motion is stated, the chair will ask for a mick.  If there is a mick, then the chair will restate the motion and debate will begin.  Debate will continue until there are no more speakers who wish to be heard.  Debate can be ended by a motion to consider the previous question, if micked and affirmed by a majority of MZs.

The Clarked bills may not be tabled, sent to committee, or amended.

There is only one privileged motion.  At any time after a ruling of the chair, an MZ may move to overrule the chair.

At any point, an MZ may raise any of the following:

• Point of Order: Draws attention to a breach of rules, improper procedure, breaching of established practices, or so on.
• Point of Information: A member may need to bring up an additional point or additional information so that the other members can make fully informed votes.
• Point of Inquiry: A member may use a point of inquiry to ask for clarification on a matter of fact to make better voting decisions.
• Point of Personal Privilege: A member may use point of personal privilege to address issues pertaining to the comfort of the meeting, such as volume, muting, connection quality, or so on. Members may also use it to address the accuracy of published reports or the accuracy of a member's conduct.

These points may not be abused for personal commentary, debate outside of the established order, or other conduct not becoming a member of the Ziu.  The chair may decline to recognize a member in such circumstances.

All rules for terpelaziuns will be scrupulously followed, but members are warned that officials of the Government are not required to be present at the Living Cosa and will not be expected in case of their attendance to have every fact on hand.  Terpelaziuns which pertain to specific data or questions of fact should be lodged with the official in question through the normal procedure prior to the Living Cosa, so that the official may make inquiries.  The terpelaziun period shall be cordial and orderly.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

Have we confirmed who's chairing yet?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I'm trying to figure things out so that I can do it. I won't have any childcare that day, so I'll have three little kids, but I might be able to make it work because my brother will be visiting for Thanksgiving. If I can't do it, I will choose someone and confirm with them that they can do it in advance of the event.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

Cool. We should also have, at the top of the agenda, a space for Apologies for MCs and Senators who can't make it. For the FreeDems I bring advance notice that the Senator from Fiova and MC Antaglha Someliéir would like to present their apologies; a few others are "maybes" who might have to decide on the day.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I'll add in some general time for comments, for things like that.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I've looked this over a few times, and I can't see anything jumping out at me to change.

@Ian Plätschisch and @Breneir Tzaracomprada , please be aware that you'll be provided the opportunity to make brief speeches, should you so choose.  Three to five minutes would probably be respectful of everyone's time, if you're looking for a guideline.

@Eiric S. Bornatfiglheu , I was thinking it might be appropriate to have you make apologies for any senators who can't make it, if you're willing, as Mencei?  And then party leaders ( @Dr. Txec dal Nordselvă, GST and @Breneir Tzaracomprada and @Mic'haglh Autófil, MC EiP  ) would make apologies for their own.  That all sound good to everyone?

@Eiric S. Bornatfiglheu , I was also hoping you would be Doorkeeper and Sergeant at Arms?

I will invite His Majesty to attend, and ask him to serve as Chaplain to deliver the invocation and/or address the Living Cosa with general remarks as sovereign.

[Ian Plätschisch]

Have we figured out a time? I will try my best to be there but I have some family obligations later in the day.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I figure that 11 am TST is probably a good time.  Evening in Europe, morning in Godzone.

[Sir Txec dal Nordselvă, UrB]

I'm not in the leadership of my party any longer.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I apologize.  I didn't know.

A quick search on Witt doesn't turn up any kind of announcement or anything about that.  Was there an election or something?  It looks like @Ian Plätschisch is the acting leader, currently?  (According to this message: https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=1312.msg15352#msg15352)

[Sir Txec dal Nordselvă, UrB]

No worries, just informing you. Yes, there was an election last month and as I am no longer in leadership, I left any announcements to the party bigwigs. :-)

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

I apologize.  I didn't know.

A quick search on Witt doesn't turn up any kind of announcement or anything about that.

... AD, you knew perfectly well on October 23 who the new leader of the Free Democrats is. Did you get a hit to the head between then and now?

As Antaglha has already given her apologies, I assume Party Secretary Senator Plätschisch will fulfil this role unless he tells us otherwise.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I apologize.  I didn't know.

A quick search on Witt doesn't turn up any kind of announcement or anything about that.

... AD, you knew perfectly well on October 23 who the new leader of the Free Democrats is. Did you get a hit to the head between then and now?

That's quite rude. Yes, I forgot that your party had a new leader. But I'm just trying to make sure that your party leader is notified of their opportunities and responsibilities, so I don't know what is prompting the attitude.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

I've just realised that we don't seem to have set a firm time yet. This will be a vital question to see what actual turnout we can get.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I have set a time. If that seems too speculative, let me just say that it is official now.

I figure that 11 am TST is probably a good time.  Evening in Europe, morning in Godzone.