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When city councils, school boards or other public bodies hold their meetings, it is usual to reserve a time in the meeting for members of the public to speak to their elected officials. One common name for this is the public comment period. We strongly recommend that elected officials should not get into back-and-forth exchanges…
Do you feel flummoxed by the language of Robert’s Rules? Is it a challenge for you to keep things running smoothly at your meetings? We have just what you need!
Here in Salt Lake City for the Utah School Boards Association, I find an interesting news item. The Kaysville city council is scheduled to pass a motion to censure a council member and request his resignation at this evening’s meeting. Read the Salt Lake Tribune news story here. Why pass a motion to censure? The…
If you serve as a director on a nonprofit board, you should know the types of remarks that are inappropriate during discussion at a meeting. Robert’s Rules of Order and the common parliamentary law it is based on require that: Directors on a board must be courteous to one another. They must speak to the…
If you serve as an elected official on a local government council or board, you should know the types of remarks that are inappropriate during discussion at meetings. Robert’s Rules of Order and the common parliamentary law it is based on require that: Members of a council or board must be courteous to one another.…
Your Citizen’s Guide to Effective Public Meetings is now available for interested citizens and residents. If you want to know the expectations for public meetings under parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order, explained clearly and elegantly, download this Citizen’s Guide today!
When I was serving in the U.S. Department of State, I sometimes felt in danger of becoming too wrapped up in bureaucratic machinations. There were so many angles to foreign policy, and so many different folks were involved!
As I watch meetings roll along, the good, the bad and the ugly, I often wish that chairs would observe the habits of the crouching tiger. This Sumatran beauty is lying on the rock, perfectly calm, alert and at ease – but ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. If you are chairing a meeting,…
As we head into the Fourth of July holiday, I would like to thank all my readers who are involved in local government. Whether you are serving on a city or county council, a school board, a utility district, an arts commission, a library board, or as staff, you are doing quiet work that is…
Updated July 14, 2021 The different 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 rules for small boards offer. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition says…
