National Parliamentarian (Vol. 75 No. 2)

National Parliamentarian

FEATURES

(Cover photo) Henry M. Robert III

Volume 75, No. 2 | Second Quarter 2014

Meaningful Unit Programs — p. 7 Professional Development Committee Rolls Out New Professional Renewal Process — p. 11

NAP Educational Foundation

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National Parliamentarian Volume 75, No. 2 | Second Quarter 2014

Contents 3 President’s Message 5 From the Editor

News and Information from NAP 14 Quick Quiz 19 Motion Spotlight 21 Mystery Motion 22 Words From the Pros 25 What’s Wrong?

28 Two Minutes of Procedure 31 Parliamentary Language 32 Ordering Materials From NAP 33 Parliamentary Myths 36 Answer Key

Articles and Features 7 Meaningful Unit Programs Dennis Clark, PRP 11 Professional Development Committee Rolls Out New Professional Renewal Process Lyle Kleman, PRP 15 Adventures on the Official RONR Forum

David Foulkes 17 Commitment

Sandy Olson, PRP 29 Call for Amendments to NAP Bylaws 37 Questions and Answers (6–9)

National Parliamentarian®

Official publication of the National Association of Parliamentarians® 213 South Main Street • Independence, MO 64050-3808 Phone 816.833.3892 (Toll-free 888.627.2929) • Fax 816.833.3893 E-mail: hq@nap2.org • Web: http://parliamentarians.org

2011–2013 National Officers President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Directors-at-Large

Ann Guiberson, PRP Mary L. Randolph, PRP Ann L. Rempel, PRP Evan A. Lemoine, PRP Steve Glanstein, PRP James N. Jones, PRP Jim Stewart, PRP

Editor

Tim Wynn, PRP P.O. Box 54 Lake Helen, FL 32744 NPeditor@PerfectRules.com

Assistant Editor

District Director Representatives Denise Irminger, PRP Daniel Ivey-Soto, PRP

Parliamentarian Leonard M. Young, PRP Executive Director Mike Chamberlain, CAE

NP Submission Guidelines National Parliamentarian generally publishes only original works that have not been published elsewhere. Articles will be edited to conform to The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.) and may be edited for content and length. Article text should be submitted on CD or via e-mail attachment in Microsoft Word or RTF format. Illustrations, photographic prints and high quality digital photos are welcome. Materials submitted cannot be returned unless special arrangements are made in advance with the editor.

Contributors must submit an “assignment and transfer of copyright” form granting to NAP copyright in the work or the right to publish it.

Submission Deadlines Third Quarter 2014 Fourth Quarter 2014 First Quarter 2015 Second Quarter 2015

June September December March

1, 1, 1, 1,

2014 2014 2014 2015

Carol A. Henselder, RP

Parliamentary Review Committee

John Rempel, PRP, Chairman Jonathan M. Jacobs, PRP Sharon Reed, PRP

National Parliamentarian

Registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, ISSN 8755-7592. Published quarterly by the National Association of Parliamentarians. ©2014. All rights to reproduce or reprint any portion of this publication are reserved, except by written permission of the editor. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily endorsed by NAP. First publication, January 1938.

Subscription and change-of-address requests should be directed to NAP headquarters at the address above.

Subscription rates: $30/year or single copy $8.

NAP’s Vision: To provide parliamentary leadership to the world

President’s Message Leaders Make the Future Ann Guiberson, PRP Dr. Bob Johansen, in his book Leaders Make the Future, says that one of the skills we need to have to help our organizations grow and prosper is a maker’s instinct. The maker instinct is an inner drive to build and grow things as well as connect with others in the making.

Leaders with the maker instinct have

NAP needs leaders who have both a can-do and can-make spirit at all levels a constant desire to improve the organizations around them. They are always seeking to make things work better.

NAP needs leaders who have both a can-do and can-make spirit at all levels—unit, association, and national. In 2012, the board of directors adopted a new strategic plan. In this biennium the leadership team is dedicated to carrying out that plan. Here’s what is going on: Planning for the NAP Training Conference (NTC) is well underway with a very exciting take on this event.

NTC Coordinator W. Craig Henry and Assistant Coordinator Patricia Hudson, along with Workshop Coordinator Colette Trohan and Assistant

Workshop Coordinator Marie Wilson, have put in many hours putting together a dynamic program for you. It’s all about learning and applying your knowledge Ann Guiberson, PRP of parliamentary NAP President procedure. If you remember Tech 101 in Atlanta, GA, in 2000, get ready for Tech 201 in Oklahoma City. Register now and be sure you have a place at this unique learning opportunity.

The greatest point of pain for NAP’s credentialed members has been the professional course.

It didn’t seem fair and there was a sense that it lacked relevance to actual practice. You’ll be happy to learn that the professional development committee has been hard at work redesigning the course to provide more education and to allow more sharing of experiences among advanced practitioners. There are now three ways PRPs can renew their certification: through online modules, through classroom modules, and through the traditional two-day course. Further, members may complete their requirement through a combination of online and classroom modules.

The whole idea is to make the course more accessible, reasonable in cost, and an engaging learning experience.

The new module format includes

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President’s Message (continued from previous page)

five required modules (Ethics, Opinion Writing, Meeting Parliamentarian, Governing Documents, and

for reaching out and making sure members know how much we value and appreciate them. Thank you also to our district directors for The whole idea is to make the course their support and more accessible, reasonable in cost, and encouragement in this effort. an engaging learning experience.

Besides the online launch of the Changes in RONR) and two electives professional renewal course, the Ed(Teaching, Presiding Officer, the ucational Resources Committee is Professional Parliamentarian Busi- scheduling webinars once a month ness, Script Writing, and Research for members. As I write this, there & Writing). The online modules have already been two webinars were launched in February with a presented, and both were a great full class of nine members. In addi- success. We’re not forgetting the tion, several classroom modules are student members, as the committee is planning—with student memscheduled for the second quarter.

NAP has embarked on a process bers—for a youth-focused webinar. to develop a curriculum of education You can experience great teachers in parliamentary procedure and and great topics all in the comfort of practice. The vision is that all your home. In the near future, NAP members will have a pathway of plans to add leadership classes to learning they may follow to achieve their You can experience great teachers goals in learning and applying parliamentary and great topics all in the comfort procedure. Along the way of your home. there will be certificates of achievement that may be attained. NAP members are the webinar schedule as well. NAP lifelong learners, and all members education is definitely in the elecshould be recognized for their tronic age!

NAP’s communications efforts accomplishments in learning.

Speaking of members, NAP took a step forward last biennium had an outstanding renewal rate when the monthly mailings that used this year. We all owe a big “thank to go only to association presidents you” to the associations and units were sent by e-mail to all members.

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The e-newsletter was rebranded and is now the NAP Newsflash. In case you’re wondering, 95% of NAP members now have e-mail. Our open rate is astounding in terms of the association world’s benchmarks.

Most would be happy with about 30%. NAP’s rate is 50%-60%. Now, the rest of you need to check your e-mail at least once a week, or you’ll miss out on those opportunities you might enjoy, reading the changes in membership and learning what’s going on in NAP. The National Parliamentarian is still NAP’s flagship publication. It is yet another form of parliamentary education for members. Now, it will also soon be available online in flip-

book format. If you can’t find your latest issue, it will be accessible to you on the NAP website.

While I’ve been sharing about NAP, I’m picturing you thinking about your maker’s instinct. What ideas do you have to make things better? How are you imagining your association and your unit working better? Share those ideas and how you are carrying them out with me.

We are a learning community and we will fuel our own growth through what we do together and learn from each other.

From the Editor In this issue, Sandy Olson, PRP, tells us about commitment, David Foulkes reflects on the Internet’s most valuable parliamentary forum, and Dennis Clark, PRP, shares helpful insights into creating meaningful unit meetings. A major topic of discussion around NAP recently has been the Professional Renewal Course.

Chairman of the Professional Development CommitTim Wynn, PRP tee, Lyle Kleman, PRP, describes the new professional renewal process in his article. And Weldon Merritt, PRP, chairman of the Bylaws Committee, explains the amendment submission process and calls for amendments to the NAP bylaws.

I appreciate the feedback that readers have provided and look forward to hearing more in the future, as we here at the NP strive to meet the expectations of NAP’s members. And, as always, members are encouraged to submit articles and photos that may be of interest to the NP readership.

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From the Editor (continued from previous page)

In closing, I would like to acknowledge the following two contributors to last quarter’s NP, whose biographical information was not available at the time of printing: Cynthia R. Mayo, PhD, PRP of Glen Allen, VA, is first vice-president of the Virginia Association of Parliamentarians and Professor, HTM, College of Business, Delaware State University.

David Mezzera, PRP, — a frequent contributor to NP — is a past president of the California State Association and has served as District 8 director and chair of the Educational Resources Committee. He is currently a member of the Membership Examiners and Registered Parliamentarian Examiners Committee.

New Professional Registered Parliamentarians!

NP congratulates the following individuals for attaining the highest credential awarded by the National Association of Parliamentarians:

Don Freese, Manitoba, Canada Paula S. Lasky, Colorado Carol Johnson Davis, Georgia Jason Morgan, District of Columbia Leonora Branca, California Tannis Nelson, North Carolina Barbara C. Miller, District of Columbia

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Meaningful Unit Programs Dennis Clark, PRP It is at the unit level where we can really learn proper procedure by listening and interacting during the programs presented by others, having our questions answered about material we are studying at home or about procedure we’ve witnessed in other meetings, and then by actually leading programs ourselves. So Dennis Clark, PRP if you live in an area that has one or more units, and if you haven’t already done so, attend a meeting. And if you don’t have a unit near you, ask your state or province president or your district director to put on a parliamentary workshop in your area, which will likely attract other interested folks so you can possibly form a new unit.

It’s so important during the business portion of the unit meeting (which should be quite short so you can get to the educational program,

Insist that proper procedure

minutes, depending upon how much business you need to conduct.

When I first started attending the Bayshore Unit meetings back in ’73 or ’74, the programs were under be followed … the direction of the unit’s Registered Parliamentarian (RP).

There was no PRP designation back then. Our RP was Christine Mayo, former president of the Texas State Association of Parliamentarians.

At the beginning of each term in

which is really why folks attend) that correct procedure is modeled by the chair and the members. It doesn’t make sense to have lessons on proper procedure and then sit through a “gab-fest” during the business portion. Does it?

Insist that proper procedure … I grew more and more be followed — otherwise my apprehensive and studied my guess is that the business will topic harder and harder. last longer than the program and folks will stop coming to the meetings. You may even want September, she would assign folks to have your program first and then a particular topic for a particular hold the business portion of the month, and then we’d have to meeting the last fifteen or twenty present to the others when our Second Quarter 2014

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Meaningful Unit Programs (continued from previous page)

month arrived. It was not until my second year of attending meetings that I was given a topic and a month to present it in. As my month got closer I grew more and more

… [parliamentary procedure] increases your confidence on many levels. apprehensive and studied my topic harder and harder. Goodness, I was just a shavetailed kid of maybe twenty years back then. Imagine ME presenting to folks whom I’d come to admire and respect for their knowledge of a subject I was becoming increasingly fascinated by. But it came my night and I stood

up to it—and I did it—and survived to tell! The point of all this is that you learn by teaching. You learn by preparing to the point where hopefully you’ll know as much, if not more, about your topic than most of the folks you’ll be teaching, knowing that if you don’t, you may end up with egg on your face. But if you prepare and prepare and still end up falling on your face, who cares? You did your best, and you learned from it! You’ll do better the next time, as you grow in knowledge and in self-confidence. That’s one of the wonderful things I love about knowing parliamentary procedure: it increases your confidence on many levels.

Here are some hints on preparation for teaching a unit program: • Don’t bite off too big a chunk.

If your topic is the motion to Amend, pick just one aspect of it for your lesson. For instance, you may just want to spend your time on the issue of germaneness, or primary and secondary amendments, and so on. If you try to cover too much of the subject, what you do cover will likely be watered down.

• Be thoroughly familiar with your topic. Read the section on RONR you are to teach. Then reread it, and then read it again until it 8

makes total sense. If you have a copy of RONR in Brief (and I strongly recommend that you do, especially if you are a new student), use that to study as well. You can get a copy at the NAP online store.

• While you are researching your topic, if you come across something you aren’t sure of, ask your unit’s RP or PRP for help. If your unit doesn’t have a credentialed member, call or e-mail one of us. Most, if not all, are always willing to help.

National Parliamentarian

• Decide what you want participants to glean from your lesson. Be sure to touch on aspects of your topic that you found interesting, or that you didn’t know, or that surprised you. Don’t talk at length about the obvious, which other members likely already know or which they can easily ascertain. Make the lesson interesting by making it challenging!

• Try to make at least a portion of your lesson interactive, such as some kind of role play or scripted exercise. Parliamentary procedure lends itself to this sort of activity, and remember that folks learn best by doing. Try to be creative, and again, ask for help if you need it.

• Have questions (either verbal or written) at the end of the lesson to see what the participants learned from your presentation.

You might want to draw from the bank of study questions for the RP exam, which is available through the NAP online store. You can

cull questions relating to your particular topic. And save time at the end of your presentation for any other questions participants may have.

• Don’t wait until the last minute to begin work on your lesson.

Proper preparation takes time.

And participants will quickly notice any lack of preparation.

• Finally, ask for feedback from one of the members whose opinion you value.

• You’ll likely get polite applause no matter how dismal your lesson was, so be sure to ask for ways to improve, so you’ll do even better next time.

• Teaching is a great way to learn, and by focusing intently on just one section, or even a portion of a section of RONR, you will be able to put the remainder of the book into better perspective— honestly.

Here are some other ideas for unit lessons: • Use the model which student groups (HOSA, BPA, etc.) use in their parli-pro competitions to hold a mock meeting. Here’s how it’s done: The lesson leader puts together a list consisting of a main motion prompt and 5 to 7 secondary motions (Not sure

what a secondary motion is?

Look it up NOW—RONR (11th ed), pp. 58-60). Participants are then given about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare for the mock meeting.

Then the mock meeting begins with one of the participants acting as the chair and calling

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Meaningful Unit Programs (continued from previous page)

for new business. The other participants make motions per what was decided during the prep time. This exercise teaches the proper use of motions and the proper terminology for processing those motions. It also improves presiding skills (take turns presiding each time you do this). Once the mock meeting is finished, examine the successes and the mistakes.

• Here is an example of a “problem” (that’s what the student groups call it) the leader might put forth: A main motion to have a fund-raising project; a primary amendment; a secondary amendment; a motion to commit or refer; a point of order; an appeal; a recess. During the prep time, the group would have to develop the main motion, for instance, “That the Club sponsor a car wash on April 15, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., to be held at the McDonald’s on Hwy 146, for our annual fund raiser.”

• Especially for units of credentialed members or those who are seeking to become registered, you can hold a discussion using the bank of study questions for the RP exam (available from NAP).

You can even focus on a specific motion or topic and go through the questions related to just that motion/topic as a lesson. Don’t 10

just go through the questions and see what the answers are, but discuss WHY they are the answers. It’s important to know why the incorrect answers AREN’T correct. Be sure that the leader for the lesson has gone over these, knows the correct answers, and can bring up discussion points about each question.

• Ask an RP or PRP from another unit to come speak, just to get a breath of fresh air occasionally.

If this credentialed member has to travel a considerable distance, you might offer a small honorarium or a gift certificate for a restaurant, etc.

• When members of your unit attend workshops at the state or national level, have them do a program on what they learned.

Ordinarily, the handouts that one receives at these workshops may be reproduced. If you aren’t sure, ask the instructor who gave the workshop.

• NAP has resources in the online store (see parliamentarians.org) for unit programs (e.g. Learn, Grow, Lead with Unit Lessons, a CD with 13 unit lessons, only $10.00; Solving the Parliamentary Puzzle, a CD with lessons to help students become members,

National Parliamentarian

(continued on page 26)

Professional Development Committee Rolls Out New Professional Renewal Process Lyle Kleman, PRP As you read this, several of you already have participated in one of two or three Professional Renewal Modules. The Professional Development Committee has been working on the modules since the beginning of this administration. We on the committee trust you have found those modules interesting and helpful.

Those modules, of course, are part of a larger picture of a revamped Professional Renewal Course (PRC).

The course is designed to meet the

Lyle Kleman, PRP

needs of Professional Registered Parliamentarians in renewing their credentials and providing a good bit of flexibility in doing so.

The new renewal process looks like this: 1. A PRP has six years during the credentialed period to complete the PRC. 2. Five modules are required for renewal: Ethics, Governing Documents, Writing Parliamentary Opinions, Understanding the Current Edition of RONR, and Serving as a Meeting Parliamentarian.

3. Two elective modules are required. To date, these include Doing Business as a Professional Parliamentarian, Research and Writing, Script Writing, Serving as a Presiding Officer, and Teaching Parliamentary Procedure. More electives

may be developed as we move forward in the program.

4. Several modules likely will require post-module demonstrations: Serving as a Meeting Parliamentarian, Serving as a Presiding Officer, and Teaching Parliamentary Procedure. Other modules also may include post-course work.

5. The instructors for these modules will have some discretion in judging whether or not a student successfully completes the modules; the bases for evaluation, however, remain demanding.

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Professional Development Committee Rolls Out New Professional Renewal Process (continued from previous page)

6. Paralleling the course work, that is, in addition to successfully completing the seven modules, the Operational Policies and Procedures Manual still

provides that 150 points must be earned doing parliamentary work and serving organizations including NAP and its districts, associations, and units.

The goal of moving in this direction for PRP credential renewal is to help us become better parliamentarians as we go about our business in the “real world.”

What About the Professional Qualifying Course?

By the time of the NAP Training Conference in August this year, the PDC will have developed a Professional Qualifying Course (PQC) using much of the material now being used in the PRC modules.

However, the material will be presented at a level more consistent with someone beginning as a professional parliamentarian.

For example, in the module “Doing Business as a Professional Parliamentarian,” PQC students will spend time with the basics—what is a letter of agreement, how does one market oneself as a parliamentarian, what peculiarities might there be to

doing business as a professional parliamentarian versus another profession or business venture, and so on.

On the other hand, PRC students, if they take the same module, will spend more time in conversation about what works and what doesn’t, some pitfalls encountered, issues resolved, personal experiences, ethics considerations, and the like.

The PDC is also in discussion about amending the requirements for successfully completing the PQC. At this point, the PQC remains a two-day face-to-face course. Who is the audience?

What About Those Two-Day PRCs?

According to the NAP Operational Policies and Procedures Manual, the PDC is obliged to provide the two-day PQC and PRC around the Training Conference and the Convention: “5.2.03 — The course [PQC] shall be given in conjunction with the biennial convention and the NAP Training Conference and may be given at other times at the discretion of the committee.”

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“5.3.04 - The course [PRC] shall be given in conjunction with the NAP Biennial Convention and the NAP Training Conference and may be given at other times at the discretion of the committee.”

We will continue to do this, using the newly developed materials. The post-course work for the modules noted above will continue to be rolled into the two-day courses. The committee will continue to monitor and “tweak” modules as needed.

Your committee, responding to numerous comments and requests, has spent much time and expended much effort to redo the PRC. As the chairman of the PDC, I thank the committee members for the work they’ve done, and I also thank the many PRPs who are not committee

members, but who spent much time helping the committee develop the modules and redo the content.

And finally, on behalf of the members of the PDC—Carol Austin; Marcella Morrison; Dr. William Puette; Ruth Ryan; Vice-President Mary Randolph, NAP Board of Directors liaison to the committee; and President Ann Guiberson, ex officio—I thank our President for her vision for NAP in this area of professional development and her persistence in helping to make the vision a reality. 

Lyle Kleman, PRP, is chairman of the Professional Development Committee.

New Registered Parliamentarians!

NP congratulates the following individuals for attaining the status of Registered Parliamentarian:

Robert L. Duitsman, California Phillip L. Goodman, Florida Augie Stratoti, New Hampshire Denise Hering, Ohio Angela B. Jenkins, Alabama

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Quick Quiz It’s time for a Quick Quiz, to refresh your knowledge and sharpen your skills. Answers are found in the back of this publication. Be careful; some of these are tricky.

1. Whose duty is it to see that a motion is put into suitable form? a. b. c. d.

The maker of the motion The secretary The seconder The chair

2. How many of the following motions are in order when another has the floor? a. b. c. d. e. f.

Division of the Assembly Amend Call for the Order of the Day Suspend the Rules Previous Question Point of Order

3. Which of the following classes of motions does not include any debatable motions? a. b. c. d.

4.

Subsidiary Motions Privileged Motions Incidental Motions Motions that Bring a Question Again Before the Assembly

What happens after a member states a Point of Order? a. T he Point of Order must be followed, unless there is an appeal b. The maker of the Point of Order speaks in debate on the point, if he chooses c. The chair makes a ruling on the point d. The chair instructs the secretary to read the rule relating to the point

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Adventures on the Official RONR Forum David Foulkes As an aspiring parliamentarian, the best resource I happened across in the early days is the Official Robert’s Rules of Order Website (www.robertsrules.

David Foulkes com). Don’t be fooled by pretenders and knock-offs, of which there are many. The official site is full of helpful information, including a short history of RONR, frequently asked questions, official interpretations, and links to purchasing both “The Right Book” as well as the RONR In Brief edition.

Without a doubt, though, the best feature of the site is the Question & Answer Forum.

There are currently over 3,000 registered users, including not only a number of Registered Parliamentarians and Professional Registered Parliamentarians, but several members of the authorship team as well, among the many other knowledgeable parliamentarians, aspiring and otherwise.

The most active forum is the General Discussion, with nearly 15,000 topics (as of this writing)

from unregistered guests and new members, most of whom do not have a strong working knowledge of RONR, not all the questions are of a simple nature that can be easily answered with a quick citation.

There are questions posed that spark lively debates among the regulars (RPs and PRPs included), even drawing members of the authorship team to weigh in.

In 2011, an Advanced Discussion forum was added, where experienced parliamentarians are invited to post their questions. Here you’ll find questions from RPs, PRPs, CPs, CPPs, and some … not all the questions are of a from members with no parliamentary “degrees,” simple nature that can be easily inquiring into some of the answered with a quick citation. subtle shadings of rules that on the surface seem posted, with replies totaling over no more complex than what makes 80,000 and counting. Though up a majority vote. But upon closer many of the questions posed are inspection, you’ll find that these

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Adventures on the Official RONR Forum (continued from previous page)

questions tend to delve into the core foundations of parliamentary law.

Even before my first election to a Board of Trustees, I was familiar with the term Robert’s Rules of Order, but had no real awareness of what was contained within, or the depth to which these rules had been

simply to look up the word “cat.” The amount of information, and detail, was overwhelming. But soon, the fog began to lift and more and more became clear.

When I first started visiting the Question & Answer Forum, I spent most of my time reading the questions and responses, and reviewing the cited pages. It was much like I had no real awareness of what course, was contained within, or the depth awithhomestudy the best of teachers to which these rules had been and no homework assignments to turn in, developed over the years. and the explanations offered by some of the developed over the years. And those responders really helped to clarify on the Board with me had a rather the nuances of the wording in the rudimentary comprehension of the book. Many times, a slight variation rules, comfortably supplemented of a previous question would with mythology and misinterpreta- be posted, and the repetition of tion. Being eager for accurate knowl- reading the similar answers made edge, I turned to the Internet and the knowledge “stick” for me, and it quickly found my way to the RONR soon became possible for me to start website. posting answers myself.

So many of the responses to questions posed on “Education is the kindling of a the forum referred to the book, citing page and line flame, not the filling of a vessel.” numbers. With nothing to turn to for further research, my next step was clear: I broke I must admit that at first I was open the piggy bank and purchased answering questions too quickly my own copy of “The Right Book” without catching all of the details, (RONR 10th ed, at the time). At and some of the answers I posted first, this seemed tantamount to were … well, let’s say slightly off the purchasing the complete 20-volume set of the Oxford English Dictionary, (continued on page 20) 16

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Commitment Sandy Olson, PRP What does commitment mean to you and to those who look to you for assistance? Author and management pioneer Peter Drucker said, “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes … but no plans.”

Sandy Olson, PRP

Your commitment to an orga- face of the nization leads to commitment to earth: those with commitment, and yourself. A sense of belonging is those who require the commitment so important to building loyalty of others.” and commitment. If you know of The following tale from Aesop’s your importance as an individual to Fables illustrates an important point achieving successful goals and the about commitment: Once there was continuation of an organization, a wise farmer whose quarrelsome you usually will continue to commit family drove him almost to and grow in self-esteem. distraction. He strove in vain to Sometimes our commitment reconcile his bickering sons with issues produce dilemmas as we take words of good counsel. Then one on family, career, and health commitment, but in the long run, after the initial stress … after the initial stress settles settles down, that sense of down, that sense of belonging belonging and commitment to our beloved organization and commitment to our beloved and its dedicated members organization and its dedicated motivates us to continue to members, motivates us … lend a hand to the success of the organization and the fun of belonging.

Commitment comes when we day he called his sons to his room. experience that occasional pat on Before him lay a bundle of sticks the back or that welcome smile which he had tied together. and hug as we enter the room. The Each one of his sons in turn was dipper is in our bucket. commanded by the farmer to take John Adams, the second president up the bundle and break it in two. of the United States, said, “There are They all tried, but tried in vain. only two creatures of value on the Then, untying the bundle, the father Second Quarter 2014

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Commitment (continued from previous page)

dear son, that you play with a nettle, grasp it tightly, and it will do you no harm.” Do boldly what you do at all.

Best-selling author Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D., said, “When you make a commitment to a relationship, you invest your attention and energy in it more profoundly because you now experience ownership of that relationship.”

The difference between involvement and commitment is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was involved, the pig was committed.

How committed are “When you make a commitment to a you to NAP? relationship, you invest your attention Our organizaand energy in it more profoundly because tion is only as strong as we enyou now experience ownership of vision it to be.

NAP needs you that relationship.” and your strong did to me. I barely touched it when commitment to its mission and vision. Create the future by sharit buried its prickers in my hand.”

“It was because you touched it ing your time and talents with our lightly, that it stung you,” replied membership. We need you!  the boy’s mother, “The next time, gave them the sticks to break one by one. This, of course, they did with the greatest ease. Then the father said, “My sons, by this example you all can see that as long as you remain united, you are a match for all your enemies. But once you quarrel and become separated, then you are destroyed.” In union there is strength.

A boy playing in the fields one day was stung in the hand by a nettle. Running home to his mother he cried, “See what the nasty weed

Sandy Olson, PRP, president of the NAP Educational Foundation and chairman of the Membership Extension-Retention Committee, has been a member of NAP for over twenty years. She is past president of the Nebraska State Association of Parliamentarians and has served two terms as the national secretary for NAP.

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Motion Spotlight Suspend the Rules

The motion to Suspend the Rules is an incidental motion that can be very useful, but the principles underlying the motion are often misunderstood. Let’s take a look at some of the most common questions about this fascinating motion.

What good are the rules if they can be suspended?

It’s important to understand that suspending the rules does not throw the rule book out the window. It merely allows the assembly to take a specific action that it could not otherwise take without violating one or more of its rules. In this way, suspending the rules is akin to making an exception to the rules, not eliminating the rules. And it allows the assembly the freedom to ensure that the rules serve the members, instead of the other way around.

If the rules are suspended, when do they go back into effect?

This is a major misconception.

Suspending the rules does not shut off any rule. All of the rules main in effect. The suspension applies only to the specified action that would be out of order without the suspension.

So, suspending the rules to allow Ms. Adams (a nonmember) to speak in debate on adopting the budget, does not allow any other nonmembers to speak in debate on adopting the

budget, and it does not allow Ms. Adams to speak in debate on any other motions. It merely suspends any rule that would prevent Ms. Adams from speaking in debate on the budget. The specific rules are not mentioned in the motion. The motion would simply be “To suspend the rules to allow Ms. Adams to speak in debate on the adoption of the budget.”

Are there rules that CANNOT be suspended?

Yes, the following rules cannot be suspended: Rules prescribed in federal, state, or local law; Rules that embody fundamental principles of parliamentary law; Rules in the bylaws that are NOT rules of order; Rules protecting absentees; Rules protecting the basic right of an individual member; Rules that have their application outside of the current session; and Rules in the bylaws requiring a vote to be taken by ballot.

(continued on page 27)

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Adventures on the Official RONR Forum (continued from page 16)

mark. In those instances, more experienced parliamentarians pointed out my errors with instructive correction, complete with page citations. Such moments drove me back to the book, reading and rereading, and paying closer attention to future questions. The learning never stops.

As Socrates said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”

On some occasions, the regular contributors to the Forum will find themselves disagreeing (arguing is too strong a term here) over

those who are much wiser in their knowledge of the rules can still find room on both sides of the fence in their interpretations.

In 2011, the 11th Edition of RONR was published, which includes some new entries as well as clarifications of existing rules. Fortunately, the website includes a list briefly summarizing 125 of the changes, drawing attention to those pages in the book. It helped me to have the 10th Edition handy to compare these changes and better grasp how the rules now applied.

While waiting for the 12th Edition to find its As Socrates said, “Education is the way to print, I draw some comfort from knowing kindling of a flame, not the filling that I have another eight of a vessel.” or nine years to familiarize myself with the the meaning of some particular new additions to the most popular language in the book and its parliamentary authority. Perhaps applicability to the “immediately by then I’ll need to rebind my wellpending question.” Most times, worn copy with some duct tape. In an accord will be reached when an the meantime, it’s enough to keep explanation is offered. Now and page 355/356 (now loosed from its then, though, the debate results in adhesive) from finally falling out an agree-to-disagree impasse, and and fluttering under the desk out of everyone moves on. It’s refreshing reach. Until then, I wish you Happy at these times to see that even Presiding!  David Foulkes has been a member of NAP since April 2011. He has served as trustee and president of his church, trustee of the state board, and is a 5 year+ member of the RONR Forum.

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Mystery Motion See if you can uncover the identity of the mystery motions below by reviewing the clues. Report to the back of this issue to find out if you nabbed the right suspect.

 Mystery Motion 11 (easy) I can be used to force a voice vote to be retaken as a rising vote, which can be done by a single member calling out my first name.

Mystery Motion 12 (easy) I can be used to put off a pending motion to a definite day, meeting, or hour, or until after a certain event.

Mystery Motion 13 (easy) I am used to point out a violation of the rules and to insist that they be enforced.

Mystery Motion 14 (intermediate) I can be used to ask the chair a procedural question related to the business at hand, and it is the chair’s duty to answer if the answer may assist a member with the current parliamentary situation.

Mystery Motion 15 (intermediate) I am used to change existing bylaws or to correct minutes AFTER they have been approved, but these are only two of my many uses, since I can be applied to almost anything that has



 continuing force and effect as the result of the adoption of one or more main motions.

Mystery Motion 16 (intermediate) I can be used to make valid an action that has already been taken that cannot become valid until approved by the assembly.

Mystery Motion 17 (intermediate) I am used to create a rule that is not contained in the bylaws, and I require previous notice AND a two-thirds vote, or a vote of a majority of the entire membership.

Mystery Motion 18 (intermediate) I’m usually considered at the outset of a session; I am debatable and amendable, and I create a series of special orders or general orders or a mixture of both.

Mystery Motion 19 (difficult) I am used to end a meeting of a committee of the whole.

Mystery Motion 20 (difficult) I can be used to bring a question again before the assembly; I’m not debatable or amendable; I require a majority vote, and no subsidiary motion can be applied to me.

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Words From the Pros In this feature, professional parliamentarians offer some advice from their experiences in the parliamentary world.

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Question: How did you get your first client?

Art Hays, who was a mentor in our chapter, got me my first gig.

The gig turned out to be easy, and smooth. But how was I to know that, beforehand?

She knew me.

- Jonathan M. Jacobs, PRP My mentor referred me to the client

- Kim Goldsworthy, PRP

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- Karen Watson, PRP

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Question: What are the key attributes that you hope for in a client?

When I give them advice that they don’t want to hear, they will listen.

- Jonathan M. Jacobs, PRP

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Being able to pay the bill!

- Karen Watson, PRP

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Question: Which types of organizations are your favorite to serve?

My most memorable organization was the one comprised of all engineers. Their bylaws were meticulous in look, structure, and detail. I wish I could frame their

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bylaws, because the document, and the thought behind it, was a thing of beauty.

- Kim Goldsworthy, PRP

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It is the ‘serving’ the organization that is my favorite, regardless of the type of organization.

I don’t have one.

- Jonathan M. Jacobs, PRP

- Karen Watson, PRP

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Question: Where is the most interesting place that parliamentary procedure has taken you?

My favorite city for parliamentary gigs is in Anaheim, because I hold a Disneyland Annual Passport, so I would stop in at “The Happiest Place On Earth” for fun for a couple of hours before driving home.

I have had gigs at some pretty ritzy hotels in Palm Springs, Universal City, and San Diego, the in-



sides of which I never would have seen, otherwise.

- Kim Goldsworthy, PRP A coup d’état that made the cover of Time.

- Jonathan M. Jacobs, PRP

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Question: What’s the most common mistake you see committed at meetings, and how do you correct it?

Not the “biggest” mistake, but the most “popular” mistake in that it happens so incredibly often, is the taking of a vote by the chair where the chair prompts for abstentions.

- Kim Goldsworthy, PRP Cross talking, [which I correct by] telling the chair to tap the gavel.

- Jonathan M. Jacobs, PRP

The most ‘frequent,’ typical mistake I see is members vying to move to approve the minutes and/ or moving to adjourn. This is not a gross mistake, and often times the result of the presiding officer neglecting to use unanimous consent. But more often than not, I believe it is due to members wanting so much to participate.

After the meeting, I will attempt to arrange a training session for the organization with topics

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Word From the Pros (continued from previous page)

such as “How to Improve Meeting Efficiency” or “10 Procedures Members can Use to Participate



in a Meeting”. This is usually well received.

- Karen Watson, PRP

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

Question: What feedback do you usually provide to the presiding officer after a meeting?

They usually ask me, “How do you think the meeting went?” Akin to implying, “How bad did we mess up Robert’s Rules?” and “I hope we weren’t as hopeless as other organizations you have sat in on.”

- Kim Goldsworthy, PRP

An honest review of the effectiveness, fairness, and efficiency of the meeting. Then, I offer to provide suggestions (for services I could provide the organization) that would address any deficiency found in the review of the meeting.

What processes can be improved.

- Jonathan M. Jacobs, PRP

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- Karen Watson, PRP

What’s wrong Can you spot the parliamentary blunders in the following stories?

Answers are located at the back of this issue.

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Blunder #1.

At the regular meeting in January, Emily gave notice of a bylaw amendment. At the next regular meeting, in February, when the heading of New Business arrived, the chair recognized Emily to make her motion. When the motion died for lack of a second, Emily gave notice that she would make the same motion to amend the bylaws at the next regular meeting in March. Where was the blunder?

Blunder #2.

At the May meeting, a motion was pending “That two televisions be purchased for the lobby.” The motion was then referred to a special committee with instructions to report its recommendations at the regular meeting in August. At the regular meeting in June, a member moved “That the special committee to which was referred the motion concerning the purchase of televisions for the lobby shall be instructed to consult with the building manager to ascertain the





feasibility of installing televisions in the lobby and to report the findings when it reports in August.”

Since this motion adds instructions and thereby changes something previously adopted, the chair took a rising vote and declared that the motion was lost, since there was less than two thirds in the affirmative.

Blunder #3.

The chair called the meeting to order and said, “The first item of business is the reading and approval of the minutes. Since the minutes have been distributed, they will not be read. Are there any corrections to the minutes?” A member asked to have the minutes read, to which the chair promptly asked if there was any objection to reading the minutes. Many members promptly objected, so the chair stated the question on reading the minutes, and after a lively debate, the motion to read the minutes was defeated by an enormous margin. Where was the blunder?

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Meaningful Unit Programs (continued from page 10)

only $25.00; and Parliamentary Games, a CD, only $25.00).

These resources would be a great investment for a unit.

Finally, don’t let the lessons get stale. Try new approaches. Do different things. Be creative. And by all means, if you come up with a really fantastic idea for a lesson, share it with other units. In December of the last two years, the Houston area units have had a Christmas dinner at a nice restaurant, where folks from the various units can get to know each other, talk about what’s going on in their units, and perhaps have a special program or speaker.

Make your members want to keep coming back to your meetings; make them want to bring a guest who would be interested in learning more and possibly becoming a member; make your members confident that they can present a lesson without fear.

The concept of “unit”, if you think about it, is a lot like the concept of “united.” We are in this thing together, united in helping each other to learn and to grow and to become more confident in the use of proper parliamentary procedure. 

Dennis Clark, PRP, has been a professional parliamentarian since 1976. He is a past state president of the Texas State Association of Parliamentarians (1986-87) and is currently serving as chairman of the TSAP Bylaws Committee. He is a certified trainer for the National Association of Parliamentarians and has taught hundreds of workshops around the country on parliamentary procedure, conflict resolution skills, and presiding skills.

Adventures on the Official RONR Forum (continued from page 19)

What vote is required to suspend the rules?

This will depend on the situation.

Ordinarily, a two-thirds vote is required to suspend the rules. But standing rules, which do not relate to parliamentary procedure, can

be suspended by a majority vote.

However, no rule that protects a minority of a particular size can be suspended in the face of a negative vote as large as the minority protected by the rule.

See RONR (11th ed.), section 25, for the details of this very useful motion.

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Ann Guiberson presents Maurice S. Henderson with a crystal gavel and a plaque of appreciation for his service as President of the NAP 2011–2013

Carol Habgood receives Diamond Pin from Nancy Sylvester, vice-president of the NAP Educational Foundation

Ron Guiberson places the Official President’s Pin on Ann Guiberson

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Two Minutes of Procedure Unanimous Consent

A great time-saving tool in a meeting is the device known as unanimous consent. With unanimous consent, an assembly can skip the steps of 1) making a motion, 2) seconding the motion, 3) placing the question before the assembly, 4) debating the motion, and 5) putting the question to a vote. For example, the chair can simply say, “If there is no objection, the member’s time will be extended two minutes.” At this point, any member has a right to object, by simply calling out “objection,” or “I object.” If no member objects, the chair says, “Since there is no objection, the member’s time is extended two minutes.” If a member does object, the normal steps of introducing and considering a motion are followed.

The correction of minutes is an example of business that is normally handled by unanimous consent. For another example, imagine a motion is pending “That $500 shall be donated to the NAP Foundation.” Imagine a member points out that the name of the foundation is actually the NAP Educational Foundation. The chair can then say, “If there is no objection, the motion will be amended to insert Educational before the word Foundation.”

See RONR (11th ed.), pp. 54-55 for the details of this handy parliamentary time saver.

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Call for Amendments to Nap Bylaws According to NAP Bylaws, Article XV, Section 1A, proposed amendments to the bylaws may be submitted by the NAP Bylaws Committee, the NAP Board of Directors, an NAP standing or special committee, a district conference, two associations or their boards of directors, three units, or at least ten NAP members-at-large.

Amendments must be submitted to the Bylaws Committee on or before February 1 the year of the convention. (For the 2015 Convention, the submission deadline will be February 1, 2015.)

Please be aware that this will be the only notice for amendments to the bylaws published in the NP. In order to meet the NP publication deadline and Call to Convention requirements, the committee requests that amendments be submitted as soon as possible. Those submitting amendments are encouraged to do so using the fillable form available at http://bit.ly/napbylaws-amendments.

The form also includes an option to attach a document (Word or PDF) if desired.

While use of the form is the preferred method, amendments also may be submitted by e-mail directly to weldonLmerritt@gmail.com, or by postal mail to the following address: Weldon L. Merritt, PRP, Chairman NAP Bylaws Committee 327 W. Brita Ave. Spokane, WA 99208 Please include appropriate formatting (see example below), all applicable conforming amendments, rationale, and statement identifying the submitter(s).

The following is a sample proposed amendment which is used strictly to demonstrate how to submit a proposed amendment (with conforming amendment if needed) and rationale, if the fillable form is not used: From: John Doe, john@johndoe.com, District # Conference To: NAP Bylaws Committee Date: December xx, 2014 Re: Proposed Bylaw Amendment

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Call For Amendments to NAP Bylaws (continued from previous page)

The District # Conference proposes the following bylaws amendment to the Bylaws Committee for consideration at the 2015 Convention: Amend Article IV, Divisions, Section 3, Associations, Subsection E, Bylaws of an Association, Paragraph 2, by striking out “provisionals who are association members” from the last sentence, and inserting “provisional members of the association”.

Current Wording

Proposed Amendment

An association shall provide for primary and affiliate members and may include provisional, honorary, and life members as association members, in accordance with the definitions of these terms in Article IV, Section 8A. The association bylaws may limit the rights of provisionals who are association members.

An association shall provide for primary and affiliate members and may include provisional, honorary, and life members as association members, in accordance with the definitions of these terms in Article IV, Section 8A. The association bylaws may limit the rights of provisionals who are association members provisional members of the association

If Adopted, Will Read An association shall provide for primary and affiliate members and may include provisional, honorary, and life members as association members, in accordance with the definitions of these terms in Article IV, Section 8A. The association bylaws may limit the rights of provisional members of the association.

Conforming Amendment(s): None ationale: Eliminates the use of the adjective “provisional” as a noun, R so that the sentence is grammatically correct.

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Parliamentary Language The world of parliamentary law has its own precise and unique language. Mastering this language is an important step in gaining a fuller understanding of proper procedure.

Ex Officio Many organizations have exofficio board members or committee members. “Ex officio” means “by virtue of the office.” Assume the bylaws state, “The President, VicePresident, Secretary, and Treasurer shall constitute the Executive Board.” In this situation, all of the members of the board are ex officio, since it is their holding of office that places them on the board. Now assume the bylaws state, “A Finance Committee composed of the Treasurer and four other members shall be appointed by the President.”

In this situation, the individual who serves as Treasurer is an ex-officio member of the committee.

There is a common misconception that an ex-officio member does not have the same rights as other members. General Henry M. Robert clears this up in Parliamentary Law, p. 570, when he writes that such an individual is “as a much a member or officer as if elected to the position.”

There are only two circumstances where an ex-officio member is

treated differently in a meeting than an elected or appointed member, and in each case, the difference relates only to the quorum, as follows: First, if an ex-officio member of a board or committee is NOT a member, employee, or an elected or appointed officer of the society, he has none of the obligations of board or committee membership, so he is not counted in determining the number required for a quorum or whether a quorum is present.

However, he has all the rights of membership to the board or committee of which he is a member.

See RONR (11th ed.), p. 483, l. 20 - p.

484, l. 10.

Second, when the bylaws provide that the president of a society shall be ex officio a member of all committees, he has the right, but not the obligation, to participate in the meetings of the committee, and he is not counted in determining the number required for a quorum or whether a quorum is present. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 497, l. 20-29.

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Parliamentary Language (continued from previous page)

Ex-officio vs. Ex officio Which is correct: with or without the hyphen? Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition uses both, depending on circumstance.

The practice is to hyphenate when used as a phrasal adjective before the noun and to NOT hyphenate

when used adverbially. See the following example from RONR (11th ed.), p. 484, ll. 3-5: “Whenever an ex-officio board member is also ex officio an officer of the board, he of course has the obligation to serve as a regular working member.”

Ordering Materials from NAP Five ways to order: 1) By Mail: 213 South Main Street Independence, MO 64050-3808 2) By Phone: (888) 627-2929 3) By Fax: (816) 833-3893 4) By E-mail: HQ@nap2.org 5) On the Web: http://parliamentarians.org

Categories of Materials Available Include: Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition Materials

Parliamentary Reference Cards

Other Parliamentary Manuals

Pathways to Proficiency

Eletronic Resources

References

Meeting Resources

Parliamentary Supplies

Leadership Spotlights

Teaching Resources

Parliamentary Study

Resource descriptions and a complete order form are available at the NAP Online Store: http://bit.ly/nap-online-store

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Parliamentary Myths The Myth of the Agenda

There is a common myth that items must be placed on an agenda to be considered. In fact, a session need not have an agenda at all. An agenda can be a useful tool for establishing the order in which specific items of business will be considered.

But an agenda is NOT a tool for preventing items of business from being considered. Simply adopting an agenda that includes specific items does not prohibit the consideration of additional items. And there is no requirement to “get an item on the agenda� in order to consider that item in the meeting.

A session has no agenda unless one is adopted inside the session to which it applies. This fact runs contrary to another myth: that the president sets the agenda. It is the assembly that decides whether or not an agenda will be adopted and what that agenda is to contain.

Instead of an agenda, most local organizations will do well to simply use the Standard Order of Business, which can be found in RONR (11th ed.), p. 353. Furthermore, any organization that frequently holds meetings and has adopted RONR as its parliamentary authority has already thereby adopted the Standard Order of Business. Under the Standard Order of Business, the presiding officer processes each item of business that properly arises under each heading to finally arrive at New Business, where members may introduce new items.

Of course, if the governing documents prescribe rules on the subjects of Agenda or Order of Business, those must be followed. So be sure to check there.

See RONR (11th ed.), pp. 371-75 for more information on Agendas.

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Florida State Association of Parliamentarians: Pat McDougle, Karen Price, Tim Wynn, Shirley Brodbeck, Ann Guiberson, Ron Guiberson, John Dauster, Todd Wynn, Julie Palm, Nancy Dauster, and Barbara Proctor

Alison Wallis, president of the American Institute of Parliamentarians, brings greetings to NAP

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James and Sharon Reed with Maurice S. Henderson

National Parliamentarian

Marcella Morrison (2nd from right) presents award for “Greatest Number of New Registered Parliamentarians� to (from left) Rosalie Stroman, Darlene Allen and Mona Calhoun from the DC Registered Unit

Carole Gloger, Ann Guiberson, Debbie Albert, and Alison Wallis

Chris Dickey, Janice Strand, Adolph Garcia, and Ron Stinson peruse items at the live auction for the NAP Educational Foundation

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Answer Key Quick Quiz

Answer 3

Answer 1 d. The chiar; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 39, l. 33–p. 40, l. 2.

b. Privileged Motions; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 398, ll. 9–11

Answer 4

Answer 2 Division of the Assembly, Call for the Orders of the Day, and Point of Order; see RONR (11th ed.), tinted page 40.

c. The chair makes a ruling on the point; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 253, ll. 24-29.

Mystery Motion Mystery Motion 11: Division of

the Assembly; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 280, ll. 10–15 & p. 281, ll.

19-20.

Mystery Motion 12: Postpone to a Certain Time; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 179, ll. 31–34

Mystery Motion 13: Point of

Order; see RONR (11th ed.), p.

247, ll. 3–7

Mystery Motion 14: Parliamen-

tary Inquiry; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 293, l. 29–p. 294, l. 1

Mystery Motion 15: Amend

Something Previously Adopted; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 305, ll.

12–14 & 28–31.

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Mystery Motion 16: Ratify; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 124, ll. 24–27

Mystery Motion 17: Adopt a Special Rule of Order; see RONR (11th ed.), tinted page 6, entry #7

Mystery Motion 18: Adopt Agenda; see RONR (11th ed.), tinted page 8, entry #10

Mystery Motion 19: Rise/Rise and Report; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 534, l. 33–p. 535, l. 11

Mystery Motion 20: Take From the Table; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 300–301

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(continued on page 39)

Questions & Answers

The intent of this column is to provide general answers or advice (not formal, official opinions) about the questions asked. The answers are based on RONR (11th ed.), unless otherwise indicated, and do not take into account such governing authorities as statutes, bylaws, or adopted special rules of order.

Questions should be mailed to Josh Martin, PRP, 1434 Grand Ave, Apt 9, St. Paul, MN 55105, or e-mailed to jcmartin7872@gmail.com.

Q&A 6

member’s intent is clear and the error will not cause harm to the assembly, it is likely best not to raise Improper Wording Used a point of order regarding the exWhen Making a Motion act wording the member uses. See If the maker of a motion RONR (11th ed.), p. 250, ll. 11–15. states, “I recommend…,” Even if a member were to raise a instead of “I move…,” does this Point of Order, this would need to be done promptly. See RONR (11th invalidate the motion? ed.), p. 250, ll. 18–19. A motion No, it does not invalidate cannot be invalidated after the fact the motion. So long as the due to minor irregularities.

Q A

Parliamentary Research Team

Josh Martin, PRP Parliamentary Research Editor

Ann Homer, PRP Assistant Research Editor

Ronald Stinson, PRP NAP Past President Consultant

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Leonard Young, PRP NAP Parliamentarian

37

Questions and Answers (continued from previous page)

Q&A 7

Use of the Term “Chairperson”

Q

Is “chairperson” now accepted for use in place of “chairman”?

A

While the use of the term “chairman” is long established for a presiding officer who is serving temporarily or has no regular title, alternative forms such as “chairperson” or “chair” are also used in some assemblies. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 23, ll. 11-17. NAP has adopted a resolution that the term “chairman” should be used. Ultimately, however, the customs of a particular assembly should be followed regarding the appropriate form of address for the presiding officer.

Q&A 8

Bylaws for Chapters of a National Society

Q

Some local organizations I have worked with claim that they do not need bylaws because the bylaws of the national organization are so specific and all inclusive. Is this correct?

A

Probably not, although you will need to review the governing documents of the society 38

in question to say for sure. In most cases, many of the sections of the bylaws of the national society will define the workings of the national society and have no bearing on the local society. The bylaws of a local society are only required to comply with the bylaws of the parent society on clearly requisite points. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 567, l. 24–p. 568, l. 2.)

The national society might provide rules about a minimum number of members for a local society, for instance, and local societies would be obliged to follow such rules. On the other hand, the rules for electing the officers of the national society would have no bearing on how local societies conduct their elections. While it is conceivable that the governing documents of a particular national society might be worded in such a way that local units would not need their own bylaws, this is certainly not the usual situation, and it is doubtful that such a practice would be advisable.

Q&A 9

How to Approve Minutes of an Assembly Dissolved by Statute

Q

I am a member of a task force created by state statute. The task force will soon be extinguished

National Parliamentarian

due to state law. How can we approve the minutes of our last meeting? They were not approved at that meeting.

A

RONR does not directly address the question of how to approve the minutes of an assembly which will soon cease to exist. The most advisable course of action would be to approve the minutes at the assembly’s last meeting (if this is practical) or to appoint a committee to approve the minutes, similar to the practice RONR recommends when an assembly will not meet within a quarterly interval or the membership of the assembly will change. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 474, l. 31 – p. 475, l. 7.

Unfortunately, it appears that the assembly has failed to do either of these things.

The simplest solution, if it is at all possible, would be for the assembly to hold one final meeting for the sole purpose of approving the minutes of its last meeting.

Since the minutes of such a meeting would be extremely brief, it should be possible to write them up quickly and approve them at that meeting.

It is also possible that the state has authorized the task force to conduct its business without a meeting, perhaps via e-mail, in which case the minutes could be approved in that manner. Ultimately, since this is a public body, legal advice may be necessary. 

Answers (continued from page 36)

What’s Wrong?

Blunder 1 The chair should have recognized Emily for her motion under Unfinished Business and General Orders, not New Business, since the giving of notice of a bylaw amendment makes it a general order.

See RONR (11th ed.), p. 596, ll. 25-27.

Blunder 2 The assembly can give a committee subsequent instruction by a majority vote; see RONR (11th ed.), p. 177, ll. 13-17.

Blunder 3 The minutes—and any document laid before the assembly for action—must be read at least once on the demand of a single member. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 299, ll. 4-8 and p. 474, ll. 19-23.

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In Memoriam NP commemorates the following members who have passed from our midst; may they rest in peace:

Robert J. Kraften, California Helen M. Kennedy, Minnesota Kevin M. Cleary, Japan Audra B. Rafter, District of Columbia Jodee Acoba-Suganuma, Hawaii Mary F. Jones, Alabama (resided in Virginia) David Jeong, Hawaii Lucille (Lu) Russell, Texas Peggie L. Atkins, Virginia Nita Bramble, Nebraska Phoebe Ann Glaze, California Catherine I. Wittman, Missouri Jim Monahan, Texas Bertha M. Cooper, Missouri Jean S. Mostrom, Virginia* *In the last issue, when Jean S. Mostrom was commemorated, her state of residence was incorrectly indicated as California. We commemorate her now as a resident of Virginia.

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Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules Receives 2013 Phifer Award Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules of Order, Fourth Edition has received the 2013 Phifer Award from the Commission on American Parliamentary Practice (CAPP), an affiliate of the National Communication Association (NCA). The Award recognizes distinguished scholarship in parliamentary procedure and was presented to authors Jon Ericson, Gaut Ragsdale, and Jim Slaughter at NCA’s recent 99th annual convention in Washington, DC. The Phifer Award is named for the late Gregg Phifer, a longtime professor of communication and instructor of parliamentary procedure at Florida State University.

“While a complete surprise, the Phifer Award from CAPP is a great honor,” says coauthor Jim Slaughter, an attorney with the law firm of Rossabi Black Slaughter, PA in Greensboro, North Carolina. “All three authors fondly remember Gregg Phifer, who was an excellent parliamentarian and instructor of parliamentary procedure. In fact, while the selection committee wouldn’t know this, Phifer reviewed the first edition of Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules in 1983.”

Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules is a user’s guide to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition and uses a question-andanswer format to cover the most misused and asked-about provisions.

More information and a review of the book can be found at www. jimslaughter.com.

Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules is available through the NAP store.

(Top left) Bailie Henry, Abigail Hood, and Trevor Sorenson help out at the NAP Educational Foundation auction (Bottom) The future of NAP poses with Maurice S. Henderson and Henry M. Robert III (Right) Claire Schiller, national parliamentarian of the Business Professionals of America, addresses NAP