commendations, which the assembly may adopt, or reject, or postpone,
etc. Only members whose right to their seats is undisputed, can vote.

The chairman, after the question of credentials is disposed of, at least
for the time, announces that "The next business in order is the election
of permanent officers of the assembly." Some one then moves the
appointment of a

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committee to nominate the officers, in a form similar to this: "I move
that a committee of three be appointed by the Chair to nominate the
permanent officers of this convention." This motion is treated as
already explained. When the committee make their report, some one moves
"That the report of the committee be accepted and that the officers
nominated be declared the officers of this convention."* [Where there is
any competition for the offices, it is better that they be elected by
ballot. In this case, when the nominating committee report, a motion
can be made as follows: "I move that the convention now proceed to
ballot for its permanent officers;" or "I move that we now proceed to
the election, by ballot, of the permanent officers of this convention."
[See Rules of Order, Sec. 38, for balloting, and other methods of voting.]
The constitutions of permanent societies usually provide that the
officers shall be elected by ballot.] This motion being carried, the
chairman declares the officers elected, and instantly calls the new
presiding officer to the chair, and the temporary secretary is at the
same time replaced. The convention is now organized for work.

48. A Permanent Society. (a) First Meeting. When it is desired to
form a permanent society, those interested in it should see that only
the proper persons are invited to be present, at a certain time and
place. It is not usual in mass meetings, or meetings called to organize
a society, to commence until

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fifteen or thirty minutes after the appointed time, when some one steps
forward and says, "The meeting will please come to order; I move that
Mr. A. act as chairman of this meeting;" some one "seconds the motion,"
when the one who made the motion puts it to vote (or, as it is called,
"puts the question"), as already described, under an "occasional
meeting" [Sec. 46, (a)]; and, as in that case, when the chairman is
elected, he announces as the f