rights of members

Can you kick a member out of a membership meeting?

By Ann Macfarlane / May 29, 2020 / Comments Off on Can you kick a member out of a membership meeting?

  Nonprofit membership organizations sometimes are plagued with members who create difficulties at meetings. What can you do about that? Can you kick a member out of a membership meeting? And if so, how? Our article, Dealing with difficult members, lays the groundwork for this post. Download PDF Rights and responsibilities Attending membership meetings is…

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Our worst selves

By Ann Macfarlane / May 15, 2020 /

  When I served on the board of the American Translators Association, a fellow board member drove me crazy. His blithe assumption of superiority and his ego were insufferable. Of course, it is a truism of psychology that a strong emotional reaction like that is linked to unresolved inner issues. When I looked at the…

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Making a motion is a power move

By Ann Macfarlane / May 1, 2020 /

As readers know, in a small board (up to about 12 people), it is fine to discuss an issue without having a formal motion on the table. Many of our nonprofit boards do this. A topic is listed on the agenda, and people kick it around before coming to a consensus about what to do.…

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Don’t misuse Point of Personal Privilege

By Ann Macfarlane / February 5, 2020 / Comments Off on Don’t misuse Point of Personal Privilege

  A reader writes to say that in his city council, the members frequently say, “Point of Personal Privilege,” and then go on to give their opinion about something. This is wrong. Robert’s Rules of Order explains that in a meeting, members may raise a Point of General Privilege, or a Point of Personal Privilege.…

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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…

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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…

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What are rights of ordinary members at nonprofit board meetings?

By Ann Macfarlane / January 23, 2019 /

When you are considering the rights of ordinary members at nonprofit board meetings, first look to your state statutes.

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Point of Order and Appeal are heart of democracy

By Ann Macfarlane / January 18, 2019 /

In our view, the motions Point of Order and Appeal are the heart of our democracy. They provide the mechanism to stop a dictatorial chair who is acting like a “boss.” They are essential  for every local government body, nonprofit board, and any group that functions on democratic principles. Learn how to use them to ensure…

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Put away your cell phone on the dais

By Ann Macfarlane / December 7, 2018 /
sign restricting cell phones

Jurassic Parliament strongly recommends that local governments establish a policy requiring elected officials to put away their cell phones while on the dais.

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Make better decisions using Exploratory Round Robin

By Ann Macfarlane / November 23, 2018 / Comments Off on Make better decisions using Exploratory Round Robin

You can make better decisions about complicated proposals by using the Exploratory Round Robin.

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