Parliamentary Procedure is the rules and procedures that groups follow to run meetings, conferences, and conventions. The name comes from Parliament in Great Britain and was first put into written form in the 1580s. Many people refer to it as Robert’s Rules or Robert’s Rules of Order, first published by … [read more »]
Author: Dave Kelly
Civil Discourse in Student Leadership
We live in very polarizing and divided times. Rhetoric has gone from differences of opinion to outright disdain, disgust, and hatred of others who do not share the same view. Peaceful protest has given way to violence, impartiality in journalism has gone by the wayside, and the wrong post on … [read more »]
The Role of the Advisor
I have conducted several virtual training programs for club and organization advisors this fall. Before I get to their responsibilities later in this article, I want to talk about the big question that I often hear from them: “Should we even be having clubs and organizations right now?” The answer … [read more »]
3 Ways to Make Meetings Fun and Interesting!
Do your campus clubs and organizations see a drop-off in meeting attendance throughout the year? It is probably because of boring meetings which are typically characterized by the droning on of a monotone voice from the front of the room or the meeting leader who sits in the middle of … [read more »]
The Dark Side of Parliamentary Procedure and Robert’s Rules
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! … [read more »]
The Magically, Mysteriously, Disappearing Motion
I have had the opportunity to serve in a number of leadership roles throughout my life and I estimate that I have run more than 1,000 meetings and programs to date! I know parliamentary procedure very well. In fact, I consider myself an expert on it as it relates to student … [read more »]
The ABCs of Student Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving week is a special time of year! The former pastor of my church would share his ABCs of Thanksgiving each November. I always enjoyed that sermon, especially as he would mix it up from year to year – except for “N”, which was always NASCAR. So, I thought … [read more »]
Building Your Team on Campus
Team building activities and games are usually a part of leadership workshops, retreats, and conferences. Following are some of my approaches and favorite interactives to help build teams such as student government, the programming board, residence hall leadership, and other clubs and organizations. Common Ground: It is necessary to know why you … [read more »]
Template for Meeting Minutes
Writing effective and efficient minutes is important for every club and organizations. The minutes provide a record of what has been discussed and actions taken and can help in future planning. Make use of this for your group and email DaveKelly@GonzoSpeaks.com if you have any questions! Template for Meeting … [read more »]
Motivate Others the Easy Way – with Compliments and Thank Yous!
So, a few years ago, when I was the Circle K District Administrator for Georgia, I was sitting at Sunday morning’s breakfast at the Kiwanis Family Service Leadership Programs conference in Arlington, TX. I had enjoyed a great weekend of motivation, planning, and enthusiasm — as a participant — and … [read more »]
A Service Project that Makes an Impact in More Ways than One
Revelations of unacceptable, dangerous, and predatory behavior have been in the news almost daily for the past six months. These revelations have been a good thing; the actions of those perpetrating them are not. Their victims must live with what happened to them for the rest of their lives, no … [read more »]
Engage Students on Campus with a Day of Service
A Day of Service is an opportunity for students across the campus to come together in service. Some of my favorite times to do A Day of Service include new student orientation; club/activity fairs; Make a Difference Day in October; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Day and Week in January; and Earth Day … [read more »]
Student Engagement Leads to Student Success!
As a new year is here, I like to reflect on why I do what I do and how that can impact on the lives of students. One of the wisest investments a student can make in their collegiate experience is by engaging in co-curricular activities. I like the term CO-curricular because … [read more »]
When Should I Train My Student Leaders?
When should I train my student leaders? That’s a question I get a lot. And the answer is that it varies from school to school, what stage of leadership your student leaders are at, and what you are trying to accomplish. Since I can’t cover every conceivable situation in this email, … [read more »]
Dealing with Conflict and Drama in Clubs and Organizations, Part 1
Conflict in clubs and organizations can be the big “Ouch”. It hurts, it’s not fun. But, it happens for lots of reasons. When it happens, you have to be ready to deal with it. During my 30+ years of experience as a student leader, advisor, and speaker, I have … [read more »]
Dealing with Conflict and Drama in Clubs and Organizations, Part 2
Conflict in clubs and organizations can be the big “Ouch”. It hurts, it’s not fun. But, it happens for lots of reasons. When it happens, you have to be ready to deal with it. During my 30+ years of experience as a student leader, advisor, and speaker, I have … [read more »]
Leadership vs. Liarship in Campus Clubs and Organizations
A student’s leadership skills are developed through campus organizations, serving in the community, and other opportunities where they can stretch those muscles. But is liarship creeping into students’ officer and leadership roles? You are familiar with liarship: it thinking and believing that you are acting as a leader, … [read more »]
Meeting Essentials: Quorum, Voting, and Abstentions!
Oh, really, Dave? You’re doing a blog about quorums, voting, and abstentions? Yes, because many clubs and organizations may not know what these mean, how they work, or the impact on decisions they make. So, send this to them as a guide! Quorum: Quorum is the amount of members of a … [read more »]
Excellence Can Be Achieved by Every Student!
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” Vince Lombardi (1913-1970), Legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers “Ah, it’s good enough. Let’s just go with what we have.” Have you ever heard that? Have you ever said that? While it may be true … [read more »]
The Two Most Important Words in Any Campus Club or Organization!
One Minute Student Leadership Update Video: The Two Most Important Words The two most powerful words for any member of a campus club or organization are “I move.” Whether it is student government, the programming board, Circle K, the Gamers Club, or any other group, “I move” is where it … [read more »]
Keys to Serving When There is an Urgent Need
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey hitting Texas and other parts of the Gulf Coast, many people, groups, churches, organizations, companies, and schools have been mobilizing to serve those affected. Students are very compassionate and colleges and universities have a lot of resources to offer when there is a tragedy. … [read more »]
7 Keys to Student Leadership Customer Service
One Minute Video on this topic: Student Leadership as Customer Service A lot of the speaking and training that I do is for student governments, orientation leaders, programming boards, and officers of clubs and organizations at retreats, leadership conferences, and in workshop settings. The information that I present and the questions that I am asked about campus … [read more »]
Keys to Helping Students Create a Vision for Their Organization
Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” OK, maybe nothing quite that dramatic will happen if the leaders of your campus’ clubs and organizations don’t create a vision. But, they may not have as much fun if they have no idea where they are going … [read more »]
The 6 Things You Must Have on Your Recruitment Table
One Minute Video on this topic: Closing the Sale – Recruitment Membership recruitment for campus clubs and organizations is a key component of success for the year. How the recruitment table is set up can go a long way to determining your success in getting new members. Much of … [read more »]
Easy Ways to Use Parliamentary Procedure on Your Campus
An important topic in student leadership training is the use of Robert’s Rules of Order or parliamentary procedure. Many student leaders dread it, most are confused by it and some just abandon it altogether – which is NOT a good idea if you want to run better organizations. I have … [read more »]