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306 who have submitted a "speaker's card" at the meeting, and then may recognize others, subject to available time. The chair may specify the time allotted to each speaker. When the time set aside for informal public comments has expired, the chair will recognize further speakers only upon motion, duly made and adopted. comment: The board may decide as a general policy to set aside part of each meeting for individuals or groups to address the board. The rule allows any individual or group to get on the agenda but lets the board decide whether there is time to hear its comments. Rule 11. Order of Business. At regular meetings, the board shall proceed to business in the following order: 1. Presentation of Colors 2. Invocation 3. Approval of Minutes 4. Approval of the Agenda 5. Recognitions and Presentations 6. Old Business 7. Consent Agenda 8. New Business 9. Appointments to Boards & Committees 10. Informal Public Comments 11. Reports Without objection, the chair may call items in any order most convenient for the dispatch of business. comment: As a courtesy, by general consent, those items requiring participation of nonmembers such as administrative officials and the public, may be considered first. VI. Conduct of Debate Rule 12. Powers of the Chair. The chair shall preside at all board meetings. To address the board, a member must be recognized by the chair. The chair shall have the following powers: 1. To rule on points of parliamentary procedure, including the right to rule out of order any motion patently offered for obstructive or dilatory purposes; 2. To determine whether a speaker has gone beyond reasonable standards of courtesy in his or her remarks and to entertain and rule on objections from other members on this ground; 3. To call a brief recess at any time; 4. To adjourn in an emergency. comment: This rule replaces the question of order and appeal in Robert's Rules of Order (hereinafter referred to as RRO). Here, the chair's authority increases: his or her decisions regarding decorum in debate and rules of parliamentary procedure are final and cannot be appealed to the membership. In RRO, a recess can be taken only on a motion and vote by the members. This rule gives the chair authority to declare a recess when necessary to "clear the air" and thus hold friction among the members to a minimum . Rule 13. Action by the Board. The board shall proceed by motion. Any member, including the chair, may make a motion. Rule 14. Second Required. A motion shall require a second before a vote is taken. Rule 15. One Motion at a Time. A member may make only one motion at a time. Rule 16. Substantive Motion. A substantive motion is out of order while another substantive motion is pending. Comment: This rule sets forth the basic principle of parliamentary procedure: to consider and deal with distinct issues one at a time. A new proposal may not be put forth until action on the preceding one has been concluded. PRO does not refer to substantive motions as such; instead, it uses such adjectives as "main" or "principal". Here, a substantive motion is any motion other than the procedural motions listed in Rule 19. The possible subject of a substantive motion coextends with the board' s legal powers, duties, and responsibilities. Indeed, since Rule 13 provides that the board proceed by motion, the substantive motion is the board's exclusive method of action. The procedural motions detailed in the following rules set forth the board's various options in disposing of substantive motions. Rule 17. Adoption by Majority Vote. A motion shall be adopted if approved by a majority of the votes cast, a quorum being present, unless an extraordinary majority is required by these rules or North Carolina laws.