How to make a motion

Get recognized, then say the words that count

In a formal meeting, wait for the chair to call on you before you speak. That is what it means to be recognized: the chair says your name, or simply nods at you, and the floor is yours.

Most HOA boards never feel this formal, and that is by design. Robert's Rules treats a board of about a dozen members or fewer as a small board, and nearly every HOA board qualifies. Under small board rules, the chair can take part in discussion, make motions, and vote exactly like every other director, so the meeting runs more like a working conversation than a member assembly with a strict speaking order.

In a small board, the presiding officer "may exercise these rights and privileges as fully as any other member."

Source: Robert's Rules of Order, Official FAQ, The Robert's Rules Association

State it as an action, not an opinion

A motion is a formal proposal that the board take a specific action, not a general worry or a question. Say "I move that" and finish the sentence with the exact thing you want approved: a dollar figure, a vendor's name, a deadline, a rule stated in one sentence.

Compare the two. "I think we should probably do something about the roof" cannot be voted on, since nobody knows what a yes would even mean. "I move that the board approve $4,500 to repair the north roof section by October 15" can be adopted exactly as written, amended, or voted down. If your proposal cannot be turned into a yes or no question, it is not ready to be a motion yet.

A second may or may not be needed

Once you have stated your motion, another director may say "I second it." A second only means one other person thinks the proposal is worth discussing, not that they agree with it. See the what is a second page for more on that distinction. Many boards treat a second as a strict requirement carried over from large membership meetings, but on a small board it usually is not:

"A second simply indicates that at least one other member believes a proposal should be considered by the group."

Source: Board Meetings Aren't Annual Meetings: Three Common Meeting Myths, Jim Slaughter for CAI / HOAresources

If nobody seconds, most boards simply note that the motion died for lack of a second and move on. Read what happens when nobody seconds for the full walkthrough. Either way, the chair then restates the motion word for word so the whole board is debating the same text, a step covered on the stating the question page.

Some governing documents spell out their own process for making and seconding motions, and that process controls over Robert's Rules when it does. Check your bylaws' section on meeting procedure before assuming a second is optional.