Robert’s Rules of Order
When deciding about recording votes in meeting minutes, first review any legal requirements in your state of incorporation. For instance, in California, public bodies must record how each board member cast their vote by name in the minutes. Those requirements may settle the matter for you. If your state doesn’t specify how to record the…
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In this country today, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the foundation of our civil liberty.
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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 possible to change them without…
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There are a number of “urban myths” about Robert’s Rules of Order that can get in the way of democratic process for your council. If your municipality, county council, or special district avoids these bad habits, congratulations! If these errors happen at your meetings, however, you might want to bring them to the attention of your colleagues…
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When it comes time for electing nonprofit officers, far too often we see announcements like this: “The election for president was held and Director Black was elected to the office.” This is a mistake! When you hold an election for office, BE SURE to include the numbers of votes cast for each individual in your…
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Updated November 20, 2022 Readers sometimes ask us what exactly to include in meeting minutes. This is our best understanding of the content according to our experience and Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 12th edition. The name of the body that is meeting and the type of meeting (regular, special, annual, continued, study session,…
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What can you do when the chair is a bully, or out of line? Unfortunately, sometimes the chair lets their position go to their head. We outlined some basic principles about bullying in this post, “Do you have a bully on board?” If you are burdened with a chair who bullies or intimidates others, we suggest…
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Do you serve on a private nonprofit board? Did you know that according to Robert’s Rules of Order, you shouldn’t vote to approve minutes? Instead, use this simple procedure. The secretary reads the minutes aloud. If the draft minutes have been distributed in advance, so everyone has had a chance to review them, this step is…
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A friend recently described a board meeting when 20 members, who had driven or flown in from distant parts, sat around waiting because they couldn’t take action – they didn’t have a quorum. Eventually one straggler arrived and the meeting could begin. What is a quorum? A quorum is the minimum number of voting members…
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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”?
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