Posts
Dear Dinosaur: Is a newly voted board member allowed to see the previous 12 months of board minutes? Answer: A board member has the right to view all the board meeting minutes. This is necessary because a board member is a fiduciary for the organization, in a position of trust. One has the obligation to…
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Dear Dinosaur: Does a motion that was passed, then rescinded at the same meeting, go in the minutes? If not, then is the motion to rescind also not put in the minutes? Answer: Yes, both the motion itself, and the motion to rescind, go into the minutes. Each is a separate action of the board.…
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Robert’s Rules of Order is a daunting subject for many folks who haven’t yet seen how much it improves meetings. We strive in Jurassic Parliament to distill key information that will help you run effective and fair meetings. Distillation is one thing, but ADDING RULES? When there are already hundreds of pages of rules in…
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Dear Dinosaur: At our council meeting, councilmembers will appoint a mayor for the new year from among the council. My question is how to manage the possibility of there being more than one nomination. I can’t say that we will, but I want to be prepared. Answer: At the meeting, as presiding officer you open…
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It is a fundamental principle of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition (RONR) that main motions must be taken up at the proper time on the agenda. (A main motion proposes action by the body). This is necessary in order to preserve order, and the rights of members. To that end, RONR establishes…
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Several local government officials have recently described to us situations where elected officials are criticizing and attacking the staff during public meetings. This must not happen. Councilmembers and board members must respect the role of the administrative head of the organization (mayor, city manager, general manager, etc.). They may not criticize the staff in public.…
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Dear Dinosaur: Can we totally dispense with written minutes and simply make a recording of the meeting available and the official record? Answer: Under the requirements of common law, minutes are a written record of a body’s decisions. A recording does not qualify. It is merely a passive capturing of the meeting. Minutes, on the…
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Reader, I am over the moon about Jim Slaughter’s new book, Robert’s Rules of Order Fast Track. This brief, affordable and funny guidebook will give you the tools to apply Robert’s Rules immediately and effectively. Jim’s humor and focus kept me reading with enjoyment, underlining key phrases, and dotting the text with exclamation points. Jim…
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Dear Dinosaur: A councilmember made a motion and no one seconded it. Should it be included in the minutes? Answer: This is a simple question with a slightly complex answer. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition says that all main motions which are moved in the course of a meeting, except normally any…
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Dear Dinosaur: Our local bylaws are old and have clauses that conflict with the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. Does Robert’s Rules overrule the conflicting errors? Answer: No. Bylaws have higher authority than Robert’s Rules, so if the clauses conflict, in general, the bylaws take precedence (have authority). It is a good idea…
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