Mwahh, ha, ha, ha! Welcome to Tales from the Gavel Crypt, the dark side of parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules! The end of the fall term is almost here and by now, you may have encountered the evils of procedure – Points of Order/Information/Privilege, Motions to Reconsider, and the dreaded Abstention! If your student government, programming board, club, or organization has become a Little Shop of Meeting Horrors, take heart. You can fight back these evils like a vampire slayer!
Whenever I do a program on parliamentary procedure, I ask the students if they have ever encountered someone who knows Robert’s Rules so much better than everyone else that they use it as a weapon. I usually see a lot of hands. Then, I have to admit that I was THAT person in college. I was in student government for four years and served as the International President of Circle K International. Those roles had me lead lots of meetings, such as delegate sessions with over 500 students in them. So, I knew parli-pro so well that during my senior year as vice-president pro-tempore of our student senate, I was able to usurp the power of the student government vice-president and leave him with little to no authority. What could I do? He beat me in the election! Then I used my powers for ev-il, now I use them for good.
Here are three often misunderstood, improperly used elements of procedure that can turn evil if you do not know what is going on:
- Points of Order/Information/Privilege: These are essentially interruptions to the meeting, but they do have a purpose. Unfortunately, the PP Geeks use them to get their way when other people do not know what is going on. A Point of Order is to question if procedure is being properly followed. For example, Robert’s Rules dictates that a member of the group can only speak twice on a topic. If a person were to speak a third time, then a Point of Order would be appropriate to question if that member of the body is allowed speak again. Often, it is used by the dark side as a way to question anything in a meeting, even if it is in order. Garlic or wolfs bane is usually useful in these instances to drive the evil out of your meeting.What about points of information or privilege? A point of information is exactly that, a request for more information or clarification. It allows a member of the body to ask a procedural question or to inquire of the maker of the motion to provide background or data on the motion without relinquishing one of their turns to speak.A point of privilege quite simply means someone needs to leave the room, either for a short time or for the entirety of the meeting and their absence needs to be recorded in the minutes. It is not, as one school recently told me they had a member do, to be used as a means of gaining more opportunities to talk on a subject or to filibuster that topic. These can be especially dangerous during full moons!
- A Motion to Reconsider: This is used to resurrect a motion that has already been settled, either passed or defeated, for the group to discuss further and act on again. Basically, this is like the cat with nine lives, the motion that never dies. Sometimes, though, it is important to be able to reconsider some topics. The rule is that if someone who voted with the prevailing side has changed their mind, then they can make a motion to reconsider. That means if the motion passed, they would have had to vote yes originally. If it failed, then they had to vote no. The motion to reconsider must be seconded and the seconder also had to vote with the prevailing side. It can be a little messy, but it does allow your group to make sure they have made the right decision.
- Abstentions: The most misunderstood part of parliamentary procedure. They are like the werewolves of Robert’s Rules. We know they are there, but what do they do, and how do you deal with them when they only rear their heads now and then? An abstention is essentially a refusal to vote by someone who is in the meeting. While they are not a no vote, in some cases, they have the effect of being on the no side because they are not for the motion. If your governing documents (constitution and/or by-laws) specify that votes must pass by the majority of members present, then this scenario applies. So, for example, if 20 members are at a meeting, 8 vote yes, 7 vote no, and 5 abstain, the motion fails because it did not get a majority, 11 in this example, of the members present. As I have done parliamentary procedure programs around the country this fall, I have found many schools who require that members of their student government must abstain from voting on matters that may affect a group they are members of, such as a funding request. There is no such provision in Robert’s Rules and, in fact, requiring such a recusal goes against the idea of members who have an interest in matters being discussed and debated being able to contribute. Some schools do have such a requirement in their constitution or by-laws and, in those cases, governing documents always come before Robert’s Rules. My suggestion is, in such cases, to ask those members to leave the room during the vote or their abstention may have the effect of a no vote as explained above.
Don’t be afraid of parliamentary procedure or Robert’s Rules. There are simple and practical ways to apply it for the student groups on your campus. I would love to come to your school to show you how! Your student government may need help in this area and many schools bring me in in the spring term to teach this in a fun, practical way to their leaders to set up the spring term for success. I also present for retreats, leadership conferences, and other events. Call me at 770-552-6592 or email me at DaveKelly@GonzoSpeaks.com to set up a date and time for this valuable training for your students.
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I look forward to serving your students!