robert’s rules

Robert’s Rules succeed in high school classroom

By Ann Macfarlane / July 5, 2022 / Comments Off on Robert’s Rules succeed in high school classroom
An elderly man in a blue sweater speaks enthusiastically into a microphone, sharing his experience with Robert's Rules in high school. A framed portrait of the man is visible in the background.

Guest post by Wayne Jennings, Ph.D. Jurassic Parliament is delighted to share this real-life example of how the students of Wayne Jennings, an innovative high school teacher, brought Robert’s Rules alive in their classroom. Meetings in schools Meetings involve a group in making important decisions. At the student-group level, elected or volunteer student officers run…

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What does it look like if the chair is being a bully?

By Ann Macfarlane / December 2, 2021 / Comments Off on What does it look like if the chair is being a bully?
A bronze statue of a historical figure in armor, seated majestically on a chair with one arm extended pointing forward, set against a clear blue sky.

Guest post by Nicole Schenk Do you suspect that your chair is being a bully? Essentially, this occurs when the chair is not doing their duty to protect the rights of members during meetings, and allows their own personal beliefs or preferences to override their commitment to their duties as chair (or president or mayor—whoever…

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Don’t get into back-and-forth exchanges during public comment

By Ann Macfarlane / March 6, 2018 /
A handheld silver and black microphone is mounted on a black microphone stand against a white background, ready to provide language tips.

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…

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