local government

What can a president do without the board? Thoughts on leadership

By Ann Macfarlane / June 17, 2020 / Comments Off on What can a president do without the board? Thoughts on leadership

  Several readers have written to me recently with questions about their authority as president of a nonprofit organization. It seems that Jurassic Parliament has been almost too successful at expounding the principle that during the meeting, the chair is the servant of the group, and the group is the final authority. These readers drew…

Read More

Tips for government bodies meeting remotely

By Ann Macfarlane / March 30, 2020 /

  The big moment is here. You’ve done your due diligence by: reviewing any emergency declarations affecting local government meetings in your state, studying how your body can proceed in light of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 emergency, planning with your staff, consulting your attorney, and choosing an online platform. You’re all set to launch your first totally…

Read More

Essential tips for effective online meetings

By Ann Macfarlane / March 25, 2020 / Comments Off on Essential tips for effective online meetings

  Moving your meeting online presents special challenges. Here are our best tips for success. Make sure you can meet this way. Refer to state law and your bylaws to make sure you can meet by telephone or videoconference. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th edition, discusses this issue on pp. 97-99. According to…

Read More

Conflict of interest can be complicated

By Ann Macfarlane / February 14, 2020 / Comments Off on Conflict of interest can be complicated

The basic principle underlying conflict of interest is easy to state but applying it in real-life cases can be complicated. In a nutshell, when you accept a position on a local government body or a nonprofit board, you are obliged to put the interests of the organization above your own personal interest, and you can’t…

Read More

Renewing defeated motion at future meeting – “renewal”

By Ann Macfarlane / December 20, 2019 / Comments Off on Renewing defeated motion at future meeting – “renewal”

Updated July 11, 2023 Robert’s Rules of Order is quite strict about dealing with something once in a meeting and moving on. If a motion has been defeated, the only way to bring the same motion up again during that meeting is to move to reconsider the motion. You have to have voted with the…

Read More

Criticizing a board decision in public

By Ann Macfarlane / December 4, 2019 / Comments Off on Criticizing a board decision in public

It is a basic principle of parliamentary procedure that the decision of the majority, voting at a properly called meeting, is the decision of the body as a whole. The members whose views did not prevail are bound to go along with the majority. This goes back deep in time, to the origins of our…

Read More

Avoiding action in Robert’s Rules

By Ann Macfarlane / November 26, 2019 / Comments Off on Avoiding action in Robert’s Rules

Guest post by Colette Collier Trohan on how NOT to do things by avoiding action in Robert’s Rules. Many thanks Colette for this useful summary! Have you ever been in a meeting and had the sinking feeling there was no good path forward? If the motion was adopted, perhaps it would inadvertently send the wrong…

Read More

Rights and Responsibilities of the Member

By Ann Macfarlane / October 30, 2019 / Comments Off on Rights and Responsibilities of the Member

Updated February 25, 2021 Weldon L. Merritt, PRP, CPP, has graciously authorized Jurassic Parliament to publish this listing of the rights and responsibilities of ordinary members of an organization. All citations are taken from Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition (RONR). Download PDF Please note that neither the list of member rights nor…

Read More

Remedies for abuse of authority by the chair in a meeting

By Ann Macfarlane / September 25, 2019 / Comments Off on Remedies for abuse of authority by the chair in a meeting

Updated August 26, 2021 Abuse of authority by the chair can be challenging. Here is the guidance from Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition. Our blog posts listed below give more information on the practical aspects of dealing with abuse of authority by the chair. Download PDF Remedies for Abuse of Authority by…

Read More

Processing motions in Robert’s Rules

By Ann Macfarlane / September 13, 2019 / Comments Off on Processing motions in Robert’s Rules

There are eight steps to processing ordinary motions in Robert’s Rules. Download PDF At the right time in the agenda, after the member has been recognized by the chair, A member makes a motion. Another member seconds the motion. The chair states the motion. Members discuss and/or amend the motion. The chair restates the motion…

Read More