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SEEMS TO ME... How to run a meeting — the right way
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othing like the announcement of a “meetlocation. This ordinance may also ing” to get most people in a bad mood. The provide for additional monthly meetwords “meeting” and “fun” go together like ings; regular committee meetings; cheese and Nutella. When I was a boy, my and should declare the court’s rules of mom wore a mood ring. When she was in a good mood procedure, whether by Robert’s Rules of it turned blue. In a bad mood, it left a big red mark on Order or otherwise. Most county quoEddie A. Jones my forehead. I didn’t know it then, but apparently, she rum courts use Robert’s Rules of Order County Consultant attended a lot of meetings. as their guide. Why have a meeting anyway? A great many important Henry Martyn Robert was an engimatters are quite satisfactorily conducted by a single indineering officer in the Army. One day vidual who consults nobody. A great many more are resolved he was asked to preside over a meeting and he realized he by a letter, a memo, a phone call, or a simple conversation didn’t know how. But, he tried to run the meeting anyway between two people. Sometimes a few minutes spent with and before it was over he was humiliated with embarrassseveral people separately is more effective and productive ment. With that bad experience under his belt, he decided he than a meeting with would learn all he could them all together which about parliamentary can last who knows how procedure so he would he quorum court is required by state law to long. Certainly a great never experience that many meetings waste a situation again. What meet no less than one time a month. The great deal of everyone’s he found was a lot of time and seem to be chaos about how to run court’s organizational ordinance must establish the held for historical rather a meeting. regular monthly meeting date, time and location. This than practical reasons. Everywhere he went, However, county he found people with ordinance may also provide for additional monthly government is a public differing ideas of how entity — a political meetings should be meetings; regular committee meetings; and should subdivision of the state conducted, based for the more convenient declare the court’s rules of procedure, whether by Rob- primarily on what they administration of justice had become accustomed and the exercise of local to. Every one of us has ert’s Rules of Order or otherwise. legislative authority probably been guilty of related to county affairs saying something like, [§ 14-14-101]. Being “But, that’s how we’ve a representative government, we must conduct our business always done it.” in the open. The residents of our counties have the legal and Mr. Robert decided he would establish one standard promoral right to know how their local government business is cedure and try to make a little order out of what he had seen, being conducted and how their tax money is being spent. which was a procedural nightmare. We know that standard as The legislative power of county government is vested in Robert’s Rules of Order, which most Arkansas quorum courts the quorum court of each county, subject to the limitations use — or at least say they do. The original version was pubimposed by the Arkansas Constitution and by state law. Each lished in 1915. Today you can find the 12th revision available county quorum court is made up of 9, 11, 13, or 15 memin most bookstores and online. bers depending on the population of the county. The county I encourage all county judges; all quorum court members judge, as the chief executive officer of the county, serves as — who are called justices of the peace; all county clerks as the presiding officer of the quorum court without a vote but the secretary to the quorum court; all county attorneys, and with the power of veto. any other personnel employed by the quorum court to have The quorum court is required by state law to meet no less a good understanding of Robert’s Rules of Order — at least than one time a month. The court’s organizational ordinance the basics. You should also know the types of motions such must establish the regular monthly meeting date, time and as a privileged motion; a subsidiary motion; a main motion;
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COUNTY LINES, FALL 2020
