What Is Parliamentary Law? Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Parliamentary Law is--  The rules for the game of democracy  Rules and customs that govern deliberative and decision making assemblies and organizations Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

What Is Parliamentary Procedure? Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Parliamentary Procedure is--  The process of following parliamentary law along with any rules of order the organization or assembly may have adopted Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Why Use Parliamentary Procedure? Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Use Parliamentary Procedure to--  Protect the rights of: The majority The minority Individual members Absentees All of these together. Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Use Parliamentary Procedure to--  Maintain order  Expedite business  Allow the organization or assembly to accomplish its purposes. Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Using Parliamentary Procedures at a Chapter and Business meetings Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

and  a secretary Minimum Necessary Officers Every deliberative assembly must have:  a presiding officer Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Presiding Tips  Knowledge is strength. Become thoroughly familiar with your own governing documents and with correct usage of parliamentary procedure  Maintain control over the progress of the meeting. Don’t allow members to press on or speak without a motion being made, seconded, and stated by the chair  Keep the membership informed. State the exact motion, or amendment so the assembly always knows what is under consideration Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

ALWAYS :  Maintain order  Provide strong leadership  Remain impartial  Be tactful  Be fair  Exercise good judgment NEVER:  Get excited  Be unjust, even to troublesome members  Take advantage of a member’s lack of knowledge  Be more technical than necessary  Say “I” Presiding Officer Tips Continued : Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Call to Order  On time  One rap of gavel  “The meeting will come to order.” Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Establish a Quorum*  Attendance sign-in  Roll call  Adopt agenda  as presented  as corrected *The minimum number of members who must be present for business to be transacted. Majority of Chapter members Majority of those present Two-thirds majority What do your bylaws or standing rules state? Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

In the absence of a quorum, the only legal actions that can be taken are: F ix the time to which to adjourn A djourn R ecess Take M easures to obtain a quorum  Determine if a quorum is present Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Opening Ceremonies (optional)  Invocation  Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America  Inspiration  Welcome and Introductions Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Standard Order of Business  M inutes  R eports of officers, boards and standing committees  S pecial committee reports  S pecial orders  U nfinished business  N ew business MRS SUN Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Minutes  Minutes are approved in chronological order  No motion is required  The Chair asks: Are there any corrections to the minutes?  Minutes are adopted as presented, mailed, corrected, etc.  Corrections can be made any time any year, whenever they are discovered Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

What are Minutes?  Official record of the proceedings of a deliberative assembly  Legal public record of a meeting  Should reflect what was done in the meeting, not what was said by the members  Should never reflect the recorder’s opinion, favorable or otherwise, on anything said or done Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Purpose of Minutes  Refresh the memory of the members who were present at the meeting,  Inform those who were absent from the meeting, and  Make possible a compiled history of the organization’s acts and accomplishments Demeter’s Manual on Parliamentary Law and Procedure indicates they serve to: Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

First Paragraph  Kind of meeting: regular, special, adjourned regular, or adjourned special  The name of the assembly  The date, time, and place of the meeting  If the regular chairman and/or secretary were not present, who substituted for them  Whether the minutes of the previous meeting were approved Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Body of the Minutes  All main motions or motions to bring a main question again before the assembly, except those that were withdrawn Bold motions in copy to be easily found at a later date.  The wording in which each motion was adopted or disposed of, including (parenthetically):  If the motion was debated, and/or  If the motion was amended Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

 All secondary motions that were not lost or withdrawn  All notices of motions  All points of order and appeals  Whether sustained or lost  Reasons given by the Chair for his or her ruling  Do not include what did not occur  NEW!! The name of the seconder of a motion should not be entered into the minutes unless ordered by the assembly. RONR Pg. 453 Body of the Minutes Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Last Paragraph of Minutes  The hour of adjournment  Signed by the person writing the minutes  Respectfully submitted no longer used  After final approval, the word “Approved” with the secretary’s initials and date should be written below Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Reports  Officers report in the order listed in the bylaws  Standing committees report in the order listed in the bylaws  Special Committees Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Standing Committees:  Are constituted to perform a continuing function  Are named in the bylaws or  May be authorized by resolution if provided for in the bylaws  Report to the organization, not to the board (Monthly and Annual Report) Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

 If a detailed report is required, it should contain:  A description of the way in which the reporting committee undertook its charge  The facts uncovered or information obtained  The findings or conclusions derived from the facts or information  Resolutions or recommendations Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

 Members of committee chosen in advance by the method prescribed in the bylaws  May nominate more than one candidate for each office but not advisable that it be done  Members of the committee are not barred from becoming nominees for office themselves  Committee members should contact each person in advance to obtain acceptance of the nomination Nominating committee: Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Special Committee Reports  Special committees report in the order they were established  Special committees cease to exist after their final report or  when task is complete  at the end of a biennium Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Special Orders  Items postponed from the previous meeting by a 2/3 vote, may be considered at a specific time, and may interrupt business  Items required by the bylaws to be handled at a particular meeting  Nominations  Budget Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Unfinished Business and General Orders  Items on the agenda and not completed at the last meeting  Items postponed from the last meeting Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

New Business  Any new item of business can be introduced when no other question is pending Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

1.A member makes a motion. 2.Another member seconds the motion. If from a committee it does not need a second. 3.The chair states the question. 4.Members debate the motion. Debate limit? 5.The chair puts the question to a vote. 6.The chair announces the result of the vote. After a person is recognized by the presider, they officially obtain and are assigned the floor, The presider needs to follow these six steps in handling a motion: Steps when a Motion is Made

Closing Activities  Good of the Order  Announcements  Program  Adjournment Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Participated in by everybody, Monopolized by nobody, and Where everybody is a somebody! The goals for an ideal meeting— Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016

Alpha Iota State Convention Romulus, Michigan April 16, 2011 Presenters and NAP members –Gloria Richards, Nu –J-Jay Pechta, Gamma Parliamentary Matters5/27/2016