Legal Definitions - take from the table

Take from the table is a term used in parliamentary procedure, which refers to the rules governing meetings of organizations, legislative bodies, and other groups.

When a motion or piece of business is "tabled," it means that discussion on that item is temporarily set aside or postponed, often indefinitely, without a vote. To take from the table means to bring that previously postponed item back for immediate consideration, discussion, and potential action by the group.

Here are some examples illustrating this concept:

• Imagine a city council meeting where a proposal to build a new community recreation center was being debated. Due to unexpected budget shortfalls, the council voted to "table" the proposal, meaning they put it aside without a decision until financial conditions improved. Six months later, after new grant funding was secured, a council member could make a motion to take the recreation center proposal from the table. This action would immediately bring the proposal back into active discussion for the council to consider, amend, and potentially vote on.

• Consider a corporate board meeting where the directors were discussing a significant change to the company's employee stock option plan. They decided to "table" the discussion because they needed more detailed legal analysis regarding the tax implications. At a subsequent meeting, once the comprehensive legal report was ready, the board chair might suggest they take the employee stock option plan from the table. This would signal that the board is now ready to resume their discussion, incorporating the new legal information, and move towards a final decision.

• In a homeowners association (HOA) meeting, a motion to implement new rules for exterior home renovations was introduced. Some members felt they needed more time to review the proposed changes and gather feedback from residents. The HOA board voted to "table" the motion. At the next quarterly meeting, after sufficient time for review and feedback, a board member could move to take the exterior renovation rules from the table. This would allow the association to pick up the discussion exactly where they left off, consider any proposed amendments, and proceed to a vote.