The fascinating exchange on July 27, 2017 between Representative Maxine Waters (California) and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin has reverberated far beyond Washington, DC. Representative Waters sought a direct answer to a specific question. When the Secretary failed to … [Read more...]
Learn to use Roberts Rules of Order to your advantage
Read our posts for simple, clear explanations of the key points of Roberts Rules of Order. Enjoy the satisfaction of following the standard guide for nonprofit and civic meetings, keeping meetings democratic and fair, and helping your organization make high-quality decisions.
Robert’s Rules has special rules for small boards
The special rules for small boards are one of the best-kept secrets of Robert's Rules of Order. If you serve on a small board (up to about 12 people) you may benefit from the flexibility that the special rules for small boards offer. Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th … [Read more...]
Fill in the blank: an easy way to make hard choices
Have you ever wondered whether a fill in the blank approach could be useful to your board or council? Sometimes a board of directors has to make hard choices about selling property, giving the executive director a raise, making an appointment or choosing a date to schedule an … [Read more...]
Amend bylaws or revise bylaws?
A reader contacted us to find out how to tackle a number of changes needed for his bylaws. He was uncertain as to how to go about it and felt intimidated by the task. While it’s true that almost everyone hates bylaws (attorneys and parliamentarians are the exception), it is … [Read more...]
Republicans won’t propose Robert’s Rules for convention
The news that the Republican National Committee voted down a proposal to substitute Robert’s Rules of Order for the RNC standard rules at their national convention in Cleveland this July comes as no surprise. As a committee member from Georgia said, “We’re basically in the … [Read more...]
When can you withdraw a motion?
Have you ever been at a meeting where the person who made a motion becomes unhappy about the direction of the discussion, and says, “OK, I withdraw my motion”? There is a common misunderstanding that when this happens, the motion is no longer under consideration by the body. NOT … [Read more...]
Keep the chair in line using appeal
The “motion to appeal” is one of the least-known motions in Robert’s Rules of Order, and the most powerful. All of us are very familiar with the role of the chair of the meeting. Under Robert’s Rules of Order, the chair has the duty of keeping things on track. He is responsible … [Read more...]
How do you “call the question” in Robert’s Rules?
The motion “to call the question,” which has the technical name of “previous question,” may be the most abused motion in all of Robert’s Rules of Order. It is very common for people to shout out the word “question” or “I call the question” in the expectation that debate will … [Read more...]
What are special rules of order in Robert’s Rules?
Special rules of order are permanent rules, specific to your group, that guide your discussions and meetings. They allow you to make sure that your group talks about things and makes decisions in the way that works best for you. Robert’s Rules of Order encourages groups to set … [Read more...]
Explaining Robert’s Rules with live webinars
Jurassic Parliament is delighted to announce that we are explaining Robert's Rules with live webinars. In these engaging sessions, Ann Macfarlane will demystify the rigamarole. She will show you how to use Robert's Rules of Order to your advantage. Each session is … [Read more...]