[atlarge-discuss] Parliamentarian Anyone?

["Jkhan" <Jkhan@MetroMgr.com>]

With a Polling Booth and a few simple parliamentarian procedures, we can
get things moving along.
 
 
Here are a few links regarding Parliamentarian procedures:
 
Thomas Jefferson's:  http://www.constitution.org/tj/tj-mpp.htm
 
Robert's RulesOnline: http://www.rulesonline.com/
 
Parliamentary Procedure Online! :   http://www.parlipro.org/handling.htm
 
 
 
ATTENTION MEMBERS OF ORGANIZATIONS: How to Have More Effective Meetings
 
How many times have you attended a meeting which promised to be "brief",
and then has gone on and on and on for hours? 
 
There is a solution. Know the rules of order in a meeting and use them! 
 
The most effective meetings that I have attended have been conducted by
a president who knows Robert's Rules of Order, who has sent the agenda
has provided any pertinent information to the members before the meeting
and has provided paper and pencil for the members to write down motions.

 
Lets take a look at these factors: 
  
 
1. Chairmen/Presidents who know the rules know how to keep discussion
moving and when to take a vote without someone having to "call for the
question".  This chair/president knows that no one can discuss an issue
unless a motion is made first and then seconded. This saves time! If a
motion isn't seconded, it isn't discussed. (A second does not mean
someone is in favor of the idea but that it should be discussed.) How
many times has only one person wanted to do something and no one else
wants to discuss it, and because no one knows or follows the rules
valuable time has been lost by allowing this person to stand and ramble
on and on without a motion on the floor. 
 
 2. Another time waster is ill-conceived motions. Providing members with
paper and pencil to write a clearly thought out motion can save time
because it doesn't have to be amended many times to make it clear; or it
doesn't have to be withdrawn and then start over again. A well thought
out motion includes what the group is to do, how and when it is to be
done and how much time and money is to be spent. 
 
3. Here's another way to save time: Give the people the information they
need before the meeting so they can have their ideas well formulated
before they discuss them. 
 
 4. Another time waster is calling on committee chairmen to give reports
when they don't have one to give or they aren't there. The president
should call every committee chairman who is to give a report before the
meeting to make sure that he/she will be at the meeting and have a
report to give. Only those chairmen who have a report ready to give
should be called on.  To expedite the giving of reports, chairmen should
sit in the front so that they don't waste time getting to the front to
give their reports.  If you have a committee that is researching a
project and that committee is supposed to give a recommendation to the
members in its report, phrase the recommendation as a "motion", not a
recommendation. The motion should come at the end of the report, and the
reporting member of the committee (usually the chairman), states: "By
direction of the committee, I move that ...." A motion coming from a
committee does not need a second because at least one other committee
member has agreed that it should be discussed. This cuts out a step. If
a committee makes a recommendation, someone still has to make a motion
to accept the committee's recommendation. 
 
5. The Chairmen/President needs to know when to call for the vote: Let's
say someone has made a motion, and the chair has repeated it. "It is
moved and seconded to.......Is there any discussion?" If the chair looks
around and no one is standing to discuss it , the chair can say, "As
many as are in favor say 'Aye'. (wait for the response from the group)
Those opposed say, 'No'." (wait for response) Announce the vote. "The
'Ayes' have it and the motion is carried and we will do........So & so
will carry it out." or, "The 'noes' have it and the motion is lost."
Then go on to the next business in order. 
 
6. Another thing many people don't know is that a member can only speak
twice to a motion, but only after everyone who wants to speak for the
first time does so. This certainly keeps debate going and stops any
member that is always popping up to talk after each member speaks. 
 
7. An effective president, a leader, provides his membership with
information so that they know how to keep meetings moving too. 
 

Every Member Should Know:  
 
How to obtain the floor to make a motion or to speak to a motion. 
How to phrase a motion. 
The ranking of motions (Presidents and Secretaries need to know this
too) 
Member's rights in debate. 
When the president has over stepped his role as facilitator and how to
correct it. 
How the rules in large meetings differ from rules in small boards and
committees. (Those under 12 members)