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 »]
Category: Excellence in Student Leadership
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 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 »]
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 »]
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 »]
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 »]
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 »]