national parliamentarian (vol. 75 no. 2)

Meaningful Unit Programs — p. 7Professional Development Committee Rolls Out New Professional Renewal Process — p. 11

NatioNalParliameNtariaNVolume 75, No. 2 | Second Quarter 2014

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April 26, 2015, from Budapest to Passau in Europe, while studying parliamentary procedure.

Take an eight day cruise with a river-view stateroom, 6 guided tours, all onboard meals featuring regional specialties (complimentary wine & beer with onboard lunch/dinner), Old World highlights, and a culture curriculum. Port charges are included while sailing on a NEW Viking Longship.

Air fares, pre-cruise hotels, post-cruise hotels, transfers, and gratuities are not included. Travel protection is available. PASSPORTS are mandatory. DEPOSIT only $625 per person ($1250 for two) by check. NAP Life Foundation members DEPOSIT only $500 per person. FINAL payment due December 18, 2014.

For More information please contact:Larry Martin, PRP

816-550-4429 (cell) • 816-254-4200 (office)

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CoNtENtS3 President’s Message5 From the Editor

News and Information from NAP14 Quick Quiz19 Motion Spotlight21 Mystery Motion22 Words From the Pros25 What’s Wrong?28 Two Minutes of Procedure31 Parliamentary Language32 Ordering Materials From NAP33 Parliamentary Myths36 Answer Key

Articles and features7 Meaningful Unit Programs

Dennis Clark, PRP11 Professional Development Committee Rolls Out New

Professional Renewal Process Lyle Kleman, PRP

15 Adventureson theOfficialRONRForum David Foulkes17 Commitment Sandy Olson, PRP29 Call for Amendments to NAP Bylaws 37 Questions and Answers (6–9)

Volume 75, No. 2 | Second Quarter 2014

NatioNalParliameNtariaN

editorTim Wynn, PRP P.O. Box 54Lake Helen, FL [email protected]

assistant editor Carol A. Henselder, RP

Parliamentaryreview Committee John Rempel, PRP, Chairman Jonathan M. Jacobs, PRP Sharon Reed, PRP

National ParliamentarianRegistered U.S. Patent and Trade-mark Office, ISSN 8755-7592. Pub-lished quarterly by the National Association of Parliamentarians.

©2014. All rights to reproduce or reprint any portion of this publica-tion are reserved, except by written permission of the editor. Opinions expressed herein are not necessar-ily endorsed by NAP.

First publication, January 1938.

Subscription and change-of-address requests should be directed to NAP headquarters at the address above.

Subscription rates: $30/year or single copy $8.

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Ann Guiberson, PRPMary L. Randolph, PRPAnn L. Rempel, PRPEvan A. Lemoine, PRPSteve Glanstein, PRPJames N. Jones, PRPJim Stewart, PRP

Denise Irminger, PRPDaniel Ivey-Soto, PRP

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publishes only original works that have not been published elsewhere. Articles will be edited to conform to The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.) and may be edited for content and length. Article text should be submitted on CD or via e-mail attachment in Microsoft Word or RTF format. Illustrations, photographic prints and high quality digital photos are welcome. Materials submitted cannot be returned unless special arrangements are made in advance with the editor.

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Submission DeadlinesThird Quarter 2014Fourth Quarter 2014First Quarter 2015Second Quarter 2015

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Dr. Bob Johansen, in his bookLeaders Make the Future, says that one of the skills we need to have to help our organizations grow and prosper is a maker’s instinct. The maker instinct is an inner drive to build and grow things as well asconnect with others in the making. Leaders with the maker instinct have

a constant desire to improve the organizations around them. They are always seeking to make things work better.

NAP needs leaders who have both a can-do and can-make spiritat all levels—unit, association, and national. In 2012, the board ofdirectors adopted a new strategic plan.Inthisbienniumtheleadershipteam is dedicated to carrying out that plan. Here’s what is going on:

Planning for the NAP Training Conference (NTC) is well underway with a very exciting take on this event. NTC Coordinator W. Craig Henry and Assistant Coordinator Patricia Hudson, along with Workshop Coor-dinator Colette Trohan and Assistant

Workshop Co-ordinator Marie Wilson, have put in many hours putting together a dynamic pro-gram for you. It’s all about learn-ing and applying your knowledge of parliamentary procedure. If you rememberTech101inAtlanta,GA,in2000, get ready for Tech 201 in Okla-

homa City. Register now and besureyouhaveaplaceat thisunique learning opportunity.

The greatest point of pain for NAP’s credentialed membershasbeentheprofessionalcourse.It didn’t seem fair and there was

a sense that it lacked relevance to ac-tualpractice.You’llbehappytolearnthat the professional development committeehasbeenhardatworkre-designing the course to provide more education and to allow more sharing of experiences among advanced prac-titioners. There are now three ways PRPs can renew their certification:through online modules, through classroom modules, and through the traditional two-daycourse. Fur-ther, members may complete theirrequirement throughacombinationof online and classroom modules. The whole idea is to make the course more accessible, reasonable in cost,and an engaging learning experience.

The new module format includes

President’s Message Leaders Make the Future

AnnGuiberson,PRP

Ann Guiberson, PRP NAP President

NAP needs leaders who have both a can-do and can-make spirit at all levels

Second Quarter 2014 3

National Parliamentarian4

fiverequiredmodules(Ethics,Opin-ion Writing, Meeting Parliamentar-ian, Governing Documents, and

Changes in RONR) and two electives (Teaching, Presiding Officer, theProfessional Parliamentarian Busi-ness, Script Writing, and Research & Writing). The online modules were launched in February with afullclassofninemembers.Inaddi-tion, several classroom modules are scheduled for the second quarter.NAPhasembarkedonaprocess

to develop a curriculum of education in parliamentary procedure and practice. The vision is that all members will have a pathway oflearning they may follow to achieve their goals in learning and applying parliamentary procedure. Along the way therewillbecertificatesof achievement that maybeattained.NAPmembersarelifelong learners, and all membersshould be recognized for theiraccomplishments in learning.Speaking of members, NAP

had an outstanding renewal rate this year.We all owe a big “thankyou” to the associations and units

for reaching out and making sure membersknowhowmuchwevalueand appreciate them. Thank you

also to our district directors for their support and encouragement in thiseffort.

Besides the on-line launch of the

professional renewal course, the Ed-ucational Resources Committee is schedulingwebinarsonceamonthformembers.As Iwrite this, therehave already been two webinarspresented, and both were a greatsuccess. We’re not forgetting the student members, as the commit-tee is planning—with student mem-bers—for a youth-focusedwebinar.You can experience great teachers and great topics all in the comfort of your home. In the near future, NAP plans to add leadership classes to

thewebinar schedule aswell. NAPeducation is definitely in the elec-tronic age!NAP’s communications efforts

took a step forward last bienniumwhen the monthly mailings that used to go only to association presidents weresentbye-mailtoallmembers.

President’s Message (continued from previous page)

You can experience great teachers and great topics all in the comfort

of your home.

The whole idea is to make the course more accessible, reasonable in cost, and an engaging learning experience.


Inthisissue,SandyOlson,PRP,tellsusaboutcom-mitment,DavidFoulkesreflectsontheInternet’smostvaluableparliamentaryforum,andDennisClark,PRP,shares helpful insights into creating meaningful unit meetings. A major topic of discussion around NAP recently has been the Professional Renewal Course.Chairman of the Professional Development Commit-tee,LyleKleman,PRP,describesthenewprofessional

renewal process in his article. And Weldon Merritt, PRP, chairman of the BylawsCommittee,explainstheamendmentsubmissionprocessandcallsforamendmentstotheNAPbylaws.Iappreciatethefeedbackthatreadershaveprovidedandlookforwardto

hearing more in the future, as we here at the NP strive to meet the expecta-tionsofNAP’smembers.And,asalways,membersareencouragedtosub-mitarticlesandphotosthatmaybeofinteresttotheNP readership.

from the Editor

The e-newsletter was rebrandedand is now theNAPNewsflash. Incase you’re wondering, 95% of NAP members now have e-mail. Ouropen rate is astounding in terms of theassociationworld’sbenchmarks.Most would be happy with about30%.NAP’srateis50%-60%.Now,the rest of you need to check your e-mailatleastonceaweek,oryou’llmiss out on those opportunities you might enjoy, reading the changes inmembershipandlearningwhat’sgoing on in NAP.

The National Parliamentarian is stillNAP’sflagshippublication.Itisyet another form of parliamentary educationformembers.Now,itwillalsosoonbeavailableonlineinflip-

book format. Ifyoucan’t findyourlatest issue, itwill be accessible toyouontheNAPwebsite.While I’ve been sharing about

NAP, I’m picturing you thinking about your maker’s instinct. Whatideas do you have to make things better?Howareyouimaginingyourassociation and your unit working better? Share those ideas and howyou are carrying them out with me. We are a learning community and we will fuel our own growth through what we do together and learn from each other.

Tim Wynn, PRP

New Professional Registered Parliamentarians!NP congratulates the following individuals for attaining the

highest credential awarded by the National Association of Parliamentarians:

DonFreese,Manitoba,CanadaPaula S. Lasky, Colorado

CarolJohnsonDavis,GeorgiaJasonMorgan,DistrictofColumbia

Leonora Branca, CaliforniaTannis Nelson, North Carolina

BarbaraC.Miller,DistrictofColumbia


From the Editor (continued from previous page)

Inclosing,Iwouldliketoacknowledgethefollowingtwocontributorstolast quarter’s NP,whosebiographicalinformationwasnotavailableatthetime of printing:CynthiaR.Mayo,PhD,PRPofGlenAllen,VA,isfirstvice-presidentof

the Virginia Association of Parliamentarians and Professor, HTM, College of Business, Delaware State University.DavidMezzera,PRP,—afrequentcontributortoNP — is a past president

of the California State Association and has served as District 8 director and chair of the Educational Resources Committee. He is currently a member of the Membership Examiners and Registered ParliamentarianExaminers Committee.

It is at the unit level where we can really learn proper procedure by listening and interacting during the programs presented by others, having our questions answered about material we are studying at home or about procedure we’ve witnessed in other meetings, and then by actually leading programs ourselves. So if you live in an area that has one or more units, and if you haven’t already done so, attend a meeting. And if you don’t have a unit near you, ask your state or province president or your district director to put on a parliamentary workshop in your area, which will likely attract other interested folks so you can possibly form a new unit.

It’s so important during the businessportionoftheunitmeeting(whichshouldbequiteshortsoyoucan get to the educational program,

which is really why folks attend) that correct procedure is modeled by the chair and the members. Itdoesn’t make sense to have lessons on proper procedure and then sit through a “gab-fest” during thebusiness portion. Does it?Insist that proper procedure be followed — otherwise myguess is that thebusinesswilllast longer than the program and folks will stop coming to the meetings. You may even want tohaveyourprogramfirstandthenhold the business portion of themeeting the last fifteen or twenty

minutes, depending upon how muchbusinessyouneedtoconduct.When I first started attending

the Bayshore Unit meetings backin ’73 or ’74, the programs were under the direction of the unit’s

Registered Parliamentarian (RP). TherewasnoPRPdesignationbackthen. Our RP was Christine Mayo, former president of the Texas State Association of Parliamentarians. At the beginning of each term in

September, she would assign folksa particular topic for a particular month, and then we’d have to present to the others when our

Dennis Clark, PRP

Meaningful Unit ProgramsDennis Clark, PRP

New Professional Registered Parliamentarians!NP congratulates the following individuals for attaining the

highest credential awarded by the National Association of Parliamentarians:

DonFreese,Manitoba,CanadaPaula S. Lasky, Colorado

CarolJohnsonDavis,GeorgiaJasonMorgan,DistrictofColumbia

Leonora Branca, CaliforniaTannis Nelson, North Carolina

BarbaraC.Miller,DistrictofColumbia


Insist that proper procedure be followed …

… I grew more and more apprehensive and studied my

topic harder and harder.

Meaningful Unit Programs (continued from previous page)

month arrived. It was not until my second year of attending meetings that I was given a topic and a month to present it in. As my month got closer I grew more and more

apprehensive and studied my topic harder and harder. Goodness, Iwasjustashavetailedkidofmaybetwenty years back then. ImagineME presenting to folks whom I’d come to admire and respect for their knowledge of a subject Iwasbecoming increasingly fascinatedby.ButitcamemynightandIstood

up to it—and I did it—and survived to tell! The point of all this is that you learn by teaching. You learnby preparing to the point wherehopefully you’ll know as much, if

notmore, about your topicthan most of the folks you’ll beteaching,knowingthatifyou don’t, you may end up with egg on your face. But if you prepare and prepare and

still end up falling on your face, who cares? You did your best, and youlearnedfromit!You’lldobetterthenext time, as you grow in knowledge and in self-confidence. That’s oneofthewonderfulthingsIloveaboutknowing parliamentary procedure: it increases your confidence onmany levels.

Here are some hints on preparation for teaching a unit program:

• Don’t bite off too big a chunk.If your topic is the motion to Amend, pick just one aspect of it for your lesson. For instance, you may just want to spend your time on the issue of germaneness, or primary and secondary amendments, and so on. If you try to cover too much of the subject, what you do cover willlikelybewatereddown.

• Be thoroughly familiar with your topic. Read the section on RONR you are to teach. Then reread it, and then read it again until it

makes total sense. If you have a copy of RONR in Brief (and I strongly recommend that you do, especially if you are a new student), use that to study as well. You can get a copy at the NAP online store.

• While you are researching your topic, if you come across something you aren’t sure of, ask your unit’s RP or PRP for help. If your unit doesn’t have a credentialed member, call ore-mailoneofus.Most,ifnotall,are always willing to help.


… [parliamentary procedure] increases your confidence on many levels.

• Decide what you want participants to glean from your lesson. Be sure to touch on aspects of your topic that you found interesting, or that you didn’t know, or that surprised you.Don’ttalkatlengthabouttheobvious, which other memberslikely already know or which they can easily ascertain. Make the lesson interesting by making itchallenging!

• Try to make at least a portion of your lesson interactive, such as some kind of role play or scripted exercise. Parliamentary procedure lends itself to this sort of activity, and remember thatfolks learnbest bydoing.Try tobe creative, and again, ask forhelp if you need it.

• Have questions (either verbal orwritten) at the end of the lesson to see what the participants learned from your presentation. You might want to draw from the bankofstudyquestionsfortheRPexam,whichisavailablethroughthe NAP online store. You can

cull questions relating to your particular topic. And save time at the end of your presentation for any other questions participants may have.

• Don’t wait until the last minute to begin work on your lesson.Proper preparation takes time. And participants will quickly notice any lack of preparation.

• Finally,askforfeedbackfromoneof the members whose opinionyou value.

• You’ll likely get polite applause no matter how dismal your lesson was,sobesuretoaskforwaystoimprove,soyou’lldoevenbetternext time.

• Teaching is a great way to learn, and by focusing intentlyon justone section, or even a portion of a section of RONR, you will beabletoputtheremainderofthebook into better perspective—honestly.

Here are some other ideas for unit lessons:

• Use the model which student groups (HOSA, BPA, etc.) use in their parli-pro competitionsto hold a mock meeting. Here’s how it’s done: The lesson leader puts together a list consisting of a main motion prompt and 5 to 7 secondary motions (Not sure

what a secondary motion is? Look it up NOW—RONR (11th ed), pp. 58-60). Participants arethengivenabout15to20minutesto prepare for the mock meeting. Then the mock meeting beginswith one of the participants acting as the chair and calling


Meaningful Unit Programs (continued from previous page)

for new business. The otherparticipants make motions per what was decided during the prep time. This exercise teaches the proper use of motions and the proper terminology for processing those motions. It also improves presiding skills (take turns presiding each time you do this). Once the mock meeting is finished, examine the successesand the mistakes.

• Hereisanexampleofa“problem”(that’s what the student groups call it) the leader might put forth: A main motion to have a fund-raising project; a primaryamendment; a secondaryamendment;amotiontocommitor refer; a point of order; anappeal;arecess.Duringthepreptime, the group would have to develop the main motion, for instance,“ThattheClubsponsora car wash on April 15, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., to be held at theMcDonald’s on Hwy 146, for our annual fund raiser.”

• Especially for units of credentialed members or those who areseekingtobecomeregistered,youcan hold a discussion using the bank of study questions for theRP exam (available from NAP).Youcaneven focusonaspecificmotion or topic and go through the questions related to just that motion/topic as a lesson. Don’t

just go through the questions and see what the answers are, but discuss WHY they are theanswers. It’s important to know why the incorrect answers AREN’T correct. Be sure that the leader for the lesson has gone over these, knows the correct answers, and can bring up discussionpointsabouteachquestion.

• Ask an RP or PRP from another unit to come speak, just to get a breath of fresh air occasionally.If this credentialed memberhas to travel a considerabledistance,youmightofferasmallhonorarium or a gift certificatefor a restaurant, etc.

• When members of your unitattend workshops at the state or national level, have them do a program on what they learned. Ordinarily, the handouts that one receives at these workshops may bereproduced.Ifyouaren’tsure,ask the instructor who gave the workshop.

• NAP has resources in the online store (see parliamentarians.org) for unit programs (e.g. Learn, Grow, Lead with Unit Lessons, a CD with 13 unit lessons, only $10.00;Solving the Parliamentary Puzzle, a CD with lessons to helpstudentsbecomemembers,

(continued on page 26)


As you read this, several of you already have participated in one of two or three Professional Renewal Modules. The Professional Development Committee has been working on the modules since the beginning of this administration. We on the committee trust you have found those modules interesting and helpful.

Those modules, of course, are part of a larger picture of a revamped Professional Renewal Course (PRC). The course is designed to meet the

needs of Professional Registered Parliamentarians in renewing their credentialsandprovidingagoodbitofflexibilityindoingso.

The new renewal process looks like this:

1. A PRP has six years during the credentialed period to complete the PRC.

2. Five modules are required for renewal:Ethics,GoverningDocuments, Writing Parliamentary Opinions, Understanding the Current Edition of RONR, and Serving as a Meeting Parliamentarian.

3. Two elective modules are required. To date, these include Doing Business as a Professional Parliamentarian, Research and Writing, Script Writing, ServingasaPresidingOfficer,and Teaching Parliamentary Procedure. More electives

maybedevelopedaswemoveforward in the program.

4. Several modules likely willrequirepost-moduledemonstrations: Serving as a Meeting Parliamentarian, ServingasaPresidingOfficer,and Teaching Parliamentary Procedure. Other modules also mayincludepost-coursework.

5. The instructors for these modules will have some discretion in judging whether or not a student successfully completesthemodules;thebasesforevaluation,however,remain demanding.

Lyle Kleman, PRP

Professional Development Committee Rolls out New Professional Renewal ProcessLyle Kleman, PRP


Professional Development Committee Rolls Out New Professional Renewal Process (continued from previous page)

6. Paralleling the course work, that is, in addition to successfully completing the seven modules, the Operational Policies and Procedures Manual still

provides that 150 points must beearneddoingparliamentarywork and serving organizations including NAP and its districts, associations, and units.

The goal of moving in this direction for PRP credential renewal is to helpusbecomebetterparliamentariansaswegoaboutourbusinessinthe “realworld.”

What About the Professional Qualifying Course?By the time of the NAP Training

Conference in August this year, the PDC will have developed a Professional Qualifying Course (PQC) using much of the material nowbeingusedinthePRCmodules.However, the material will bepresented at a level more consistent with someone beginning as aprofessional parliamentarian. Forexample,inthemodule“Do-

ing Business as a Professional Par-liamentarian,” PQC students will spendtimewiththebasics—whatisa letter of agreement, how does one market oneself as a parliamentarian, whatpeculiaritiesmighttherebeto

doingbusinessasaprofessionalpar-liamentarian versus another profes-sionorbusinessventure,andsoon.On the other hand, PRC students, if they take the same module, will spend more time in conversation aboutwhatworksandwhatdoesn’t,some pitfalls encountered, issues re-solved, personal experiences, ethics considerations, and the like.

The PDC is also in discussion about amending the requirementsfor successfully completing the PQC.

At this point, the PQC remains a two-dayface-to-facecourse.Whoisthe audience?

What About those two-Day PRCs?According to the NAP Operational Policies and Procedures Manual, the

PDCisobligedtoprovidethetwo-dayPQCandPRCaroundtheTrainingConference and the Convention:

“5.2.03 — The course [PQC] shall be given in conjunction with the biennial convention and the NAP Training Conference and may be given at other times at the discretion of the committee.”


“5.3.04 - The course [PRC] shall be given in conjunction with the NAP Biennial Convention and the NAP Training Conference and may be given at other times at the discretion of the committee.”

We will continue to do this, using the newly developed materials. The post-course work for the modulesnoted above will continue to berolledintothetwo-daycourses.Thecommittee will continue to monitor and“tweak”modulesasneeded.

Your committee, responding to numerous comments and requests, has spent much time and expended muchefforttoredothePRC.Asthechairman of the PDC, I thank the committee members for the workthey’ve done, and I also thank the many PRPs who are not committee

members,butwhospentmuchtimehelping the committee develop the modules and redo the content.And finally, on behalf of the

membersofthePDC—CarolAustin;Marcella Morrison; Dr. WilliamPuette; Ruth Ryan; Vice-PresidentMary Randolph, NAP Board of Directors liaison to thecommittee;and President Ann Guiberson, exofficio—I thank our President forher vision for NAP in this area of professional development and her persistence in helping to make the vision a reality.

Lyle Kleman, PRP, is chairman of the Professional Development Committee.

New Registered Parliamentarians!NP congratulates the following individuals for attaining

the status of Registered Parliamentarian:

RobertL.Duitsman,CaliforniaPhillipL.Goodman,Florida

Augie Stratoti, New HampshireDenise Hering, Ohio

AngelaB.Jenkins,Alabama



QUICk QUIz

It’s time for a Quick Quiz, to refresh your knowledge and sharpen your skills. Answers are found in the back of this publication. Be careful; some of these are tricky.

1. Whose duty is it to see that a motion is put into suitableform?

a. The maker of the motionb. The secretaryc. The seconderd. The chair

2. How many of the following motions are in order when anotherhasthefloor?

a. DivisionoftheAssemblyb. Amendc. Call for the Order of the Dayd. Suspend the Rulese. Previous Questionf. Point of Order

3. Which of the following classes of motions does not includeanydebatablemotions?

a. SubsidiaryMotionsb. Privileged Motionsc. Incidental Motionsd. Motions that Bring a Question Again

BeforetheAssembly

4. WhathappensafteramemberstatesaPointofOrder?

a. ThePointofOrdermustbefollowed, unless there is an appeal

b. The maker of the Point of Order speaks indebateonthepoint,ifhechooses

c. The chair makes a ruling on the pointd. The chair instructs the secretary to read

the rule relating to the point

As an aspiring parliamentarian, the best resource I happened across in the early days is the Official Robert’s Rules of Order Website (www.robertsrules.com). Don’t be fooled by pretenders and knock-offs, of which there are many. The official site is full of helpful information, including a short history of RONR, frequently asked questions, official interpretations, and links to purchasing both “The Right Book” as well as the RONR In Brief edition.

Withoutadoubt,though,thebestfeature of the site is the Question & Answer Forum.

There are currently over 3,000 registered users, including not only a number of RegisteredParliamentarians and Professional Registered Parliamentarians, butseveralmembersof the authorshipteam as well, among the many other knowledgeable parliamentarians,aspiring and otherwise.

The most active forum is the General Discussion, with nearly15,000 topics (as of this writing)

posted, with replies totaling over 80,000 and counting. Though many of the questions posed are

from unregistered guests and new members, most of whom do nothave a strong working knowledge of RONR, not all the questions are ofasimplenaturethatcanbeeasilyanswered with a quick citation. There are questions posed that spark lively debates among the regulars(RPs and PRPs included), even drawingmembersoftheauthorshipteam to weigh in.

In 2011, an Advanced Discussion forum was added, where experienced parliamentarians are invited to post their questions. Here you’ll

find questions from RPs,PRPs, CPs, CPPs, and some from members with noparliamentary “degrees,”inquiring into some of the subtle shadings of rulesthat on the surface seem

no more complex than what makes up a majority vote. But upon closer inspection, you’ll find that these

David Foulkes

Adventures on the official RoNR forumDavid Foulkes

… not all the questions are of a simple nature that can be easily answered with a quick citation.


Adventures on the Official RONR Forum (continued from previous page)

questions tend to delve into the core foundations of parliamentary law.Even before my first election to

a Board of Trustees, I was familiar with the term Robert’s Rules of Or-der, but had no real awareness ofwhat was contained within, or the depthtowhichtheseruleshadbeen

developed over the years. And those on the Board with me had a rather rudimentary comprehension of the rules, comfortably supplementedwith mythology and misinterpreta-tion. Being eager for accurate knowl-edge, I turned to the Internet and quickly found my way to the RONR website.

So many of the responses to questions posed on the forum referred to the book, citing page and linenumbers.With nothing toturn to for further research, my next step was clear: I brokeopenthepiggybankandpurchasedmy own copy of “The Right Book”(RONR 10th ed, at the time). At first, this seemed tantamount topurchasingthecomplete20-volumeset of the Oxford English Dictionary,

simplytolookuptheword“cat.”Theamount of information, and detail, was overwhelming. But soon, the fogbegantoliftandmoreandmorebecameclear.When I first started visiting

the Question & Answer Forum, I spent most of my time reading the

questions and responses, and reviewing the cited pages. It was much like a homestudy course, withthebestofteachersand no homework assignments to turn in, and the explanations offered by some of the

responders really helped to clarify the nuances of the wording in the book.Manytimes,aslightvariationof a previous question would be posted, and the repetition ofreading the similar answers made theknowledge“stick”forme,anditsoonbecamepossibleformetostartposting answers myself.

I must admit that at first I wasanswering questions too quickly without catching all of the details, and some of the answers I posted were…well,let’ssayslightlyoffthe

I had no real awareness of what was contained within, or the depth to which these rules had been developed over the years.

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”



What does commitment mean to you and to those who look to you for assistance? Author and management pioneer Peter Drucker said, “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes … but no plans.”

Your commitment to an orga-nization leads to commitment to yourself. A sense of belonging isso important to building loyaltyand commitment. If you know of your importance as an individual to achieving successful goals and the continuation of an organization, you usually will continue to commit andgrowinself-esteem.

Sometimes our commitment issues produce dilemmas as we take on family, career, and health commitment,butinthelongrun, after the initial stress settles down, that sense of belongingandcommitmenttoourbelovedorganizationand its dedicatedmembersmotivates us to continue to lend a hand to the success of the organization and the fun ofbelonging.

Commitment comes when we experience that occasional pat on the back or that welcome smileand hug as we enter the room. The dipperisinourbucket.JohnAdams,thesecondpresident

oftheUnitedStates,said,“Thereareonly two creatures of value on the

face of the earth: those with commitment, and those who require the commitment of others.”

The following tale from Aesop’s Fables illustrates an important point aboutcommitment:Oncetherewasa wise farmer whose quarrelsome family drove him almost to distraction. He strove in vain to reconcile his bickering sons withwords of good counsel. Then one

day he called his sons to his room. Before him lay a bundle of stickswhich he had tied together.

Each one of his sons in turn was commanded by the farmer to takeup thebundleandbreak it in two.They all tried, but tried in vain.Then,untyingthebundle,thefather

Sandy Olson, PRP

CommitmentSandy Olson, PRP

… after the initial stress settles down, that sense of belonging

and commitment to our beloved organization and its dedicated

members, motivates us …


gavethemthestickstobreakonebyone. This, of course, they did with the greatest ease. Then the father said, “My sons, by this exampleyou all can see that as long as you remain united, you are a match for all your enemies. But once you quarrelandbecomeseparated,thenyou are destroyed.” In union there is strength.A boy playing in the fields one

day was stung in the hand by anettle. Running home to his mother hecried, “Seewhat thenastyweed

didtome.Ibarelytoucheditwhenitburieditsprickersinmyhand.”“It was because you touched it

lightly, that it stung you,” replied the boy’s mother, “The next time,

dear son, that you play with a nettle, grasp it tightly, and it will do you no harm.”Doboldlywhatyoudoatall.Best-selling author Barbara De

Angelis, Ph.D., said, “When you make a commitment to a relation-ship, you invest your attention and energy in it more profoundly be-cause you now experience owner-ship of that relationship.”The difference between involve-

ment and commitment is like an eggs-and-hambreakfast:thechick-en was involved, the pig was com-

mitted. How committed are you to NAP? Our organiza-tion is only as strong as we en-vision it to be.NAP needs you and your strong

commitment to its mission and vi-sion. Create the future by shar-ing your time and talents with our membership.Weneedyou!

Sandy Olson, PRP, president of the NAP Educational Foundation and chairman of the Membership Extension-Retention Committee, has been a member of NAP for over twenty years. She is past president of the Nebraska State Association of Parliamentar-ians and has served two terms as the national secretary for NAP.

Commitment (continued from previous page)

“When you make a commitment to a relationship, you invest your attention and energy in it more profoundly because you now experience ownership of that relationship.”


MotIoN SPotLIghtSuspend the Rules

The motion to Suspend the Rules is an incidental motion that can be very useful, but the principles underlying the motion are often misunderstood. Let’s take a look at some of the most

common questions about this fascinating motion.

What good are the rules if they can be suspended?

It’s important to understand that suspending the rules does not throw the rule book out the window. Itmerely allows theassembly to takea specific action that it could nototherwise take without violating one or more of its rules. In this way, suspending the rules is akin to making an exception to the rules, not eliminating the rules. And it allows theassemblythefreedomtoensurethat the rules serve the members,instead of the other way around.

If the rules are suspended, when do they go back into effect?

This is a major misconception. Suspending the rules does not shut offanyrule.Alloftherulesmainineffect. The suspension appliesonlytothespecifiedactionthatwouldbeout of order without the suspension. So, suspending the rules to allow Ms. Adams (anonmember) tospeak indebateonadoptingthebudget,doesnot allow any other nonmemberstospeak indebateonadoptingthe

budget, and it does not allow Ms.Adams to speak in debate on anyother motions. It merely suspends any rule that would prevent Ms. Adams fromspeaking indebateonthe budget. The specific rules arenot mentioned in the motion. The motionwouldsimplybe“Tosuspendthe rules to allow Ms. Adams to speak indebateontheadoptionofthebudget.”

Are there rules that CANNOT be suspended? Yes,thefollowingrulescannotbe

suspended:Rules prescribed in federal,

state, or local law; Rules thatembody fundamental principlesof parliamentary law; Rules inthe bylaws that are NOT rules oforder; Rules protecting absentees;Rules protecting the basic right ofan individual member; Rules thathave their application outside of the current session; and Rules in thebylawsrequiringavotetobetakenbyballot.



mark. In those instances, more ex-perienced parliamentarians pointed out my errors with instructive cor-rection, complete with page cita-tions.Suchmomentsdrovemebacktothebook,readingandrereading,and paying closer attention to future questions. The learning never stops. As Socrates said, “Education is thekindlingofaflame,notthefillingofa vessel.”

On some occasions, the regular contributorstotheForumwillfindthemselves disagreeing (arguing is too strong a term here) over

the meaning of some particular language in the book and itsapplicability to the “immediatelypending question.” Most times, anaccordwill be reachedwhenanexplanation is offered. Now andthen, though, thedebate results inan agree-to-disagree impasse, andeveryone moves on. It’s refreshing at these times to see that even

those who are much wiser in their knowledgeoftherulescanstillfindroomonbothsidesof the fence intheir interpretations.

In 2011, the 11th Edition of RONR waspublished,whichincludessomenewentriesaswellasclarificationsof existing rules. Fortunately, the website includesa list briefly sum-marizing 125 of the changes, draw-ing attention to those pages in the book.Ithelpedmetohavethe10thEdition handy to compare these changes and better grasp how therules now applied.

While waiting for the 12th Edition to find itsway to print, I draw some comfort from knowing that I have another eight or nine years to famil-iarize myself with the

new additions to the most popular parliamentary authority. Perhaps bythenI’llneedtorebindmywell-worn copy with some duct tape. In the meantime, it’s enough to keep page 355/356 (now loosed from its adhesive) from finally falling outandflutteringunderthedeskoutofreach. Until then, I wish you Happy Presiding!

David Foulkes has been a member of NAP since April 2011. He has served as trusteeand president of his church, trustee of the state board, and is a 5 year+ member of the RONR Forum.

Adventures on the Official RONR Forum (continued from page 16)

As Socrates said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”


MyStERy MotIoNSee if you can uncover the identity of the mystery motions below

by reviewing the clues. Report to the back of this issue to find out if you nabbed the right suspect.

Mystery Motion 11 (easy) Icanbeusedtoforceavoicevotetoberetakenasarisingvote,whichcanbedonebyasinglemembercallingoutmyfirstname.

Mystery Motion 12 (easy) Icanbeusedtoputoffapendingmotiontoadefiniteday,meeting,or hour, or until after a certain event.

Mystery Motion 13 (easy) I am used to point out a violation of the rules and to insist that theybeenforced.

Mystery Motion 14 (intermediate) Icanbeusedtoaskthechairaprocedural question related to thebusinessathand,anditisthe chair’s duty to answer if the answermayassistamemberwith the current parliamentary situation.

Mystery Motion 15 (intermediate) I am used to change existing bylawsortocorrectminutesAFTERtheyhavebeenapproved,buttheseareonlytwoofmymanyuses,sinceIcanbeappliedto almost anything that has

continuingforceandeffectastheresult of the adoption of one or more main motions.

Mystery Motion 16 (intermediate) Icanbeusedtomakevalidanactionthathasalreadybeentakenthatcannotbecomevaliduntilapprovedbytheassembly.

Mystery Motion 17 (intermediate) I am used to create a rule that is notcontainedinthebylaws,andI require previous notice AND a two-thirdsvote,oravoteofama-jorityoftheentiremembership.

Mystery Motion 18 (intermediate) I’m usually considered at the outsetofasession;Iamdebat-ableandamendable,andIcreatea series of special orders or gen-eralordersoramixtureofboth.

Mystery Motion 19 (difficult)I am used to end a meeting of a committee of the whole.

Mystery Motion 20 (difficult)Icanbeusedtobringaquestionagainbeforetheassembly;I’mnotdebatableoramendable; I require a majority vote, and nosubsidiarymotioncanbe applied to me.



Words from the Pros

In this feature, professional parliamentarians offer some advice from their experiences in the parliamentary world.

Question: How did you get your first client?

Art Hays, who was a mentor in ourchapter,gotmemyfirstgig.Thegigturnedouttobeeasy,andsmooth. But how was I to know that,beforehand?

- Kim Goldsworthy, PRP

She knew me.

- Jonathan M. Jacobs, PRP

My mentor referred me to the client

- Karen Watson, PRP

Question: What are the key attributes that you hope for in a client?

When I give them advice that they don’t want to hear, they will listen.


Beingabletopaythebill!

- Karen Watson, PRP

Question: Which types of organizations are your favorite to serve?

My most memorable organiza-tion was the one comprised of all engineers.Theirbylawswereme-ticulous in look, structure, and detail. I wish I could frame their

bylaws, because the document,andthethoughtbehindit,wasathingofbeauty.



It is the ‘serving’ the organization that is my favorite, regardless of the type of organization.

- Karen Watson, PRP

I don’t have one.


Question: Where is the most interesting place that parliamentary procedure has taken you?

My favorite city for parliamentary gigsisinAnaheim,becauseIholda Disneyland Annual Passport, so Iwouldstopinat“TheHappiestPlace On Earth” for fun for a cou-pleofhoursbeforedrivinghome.I have had gigs at some pretty ritzy hotels in Palm Springs, Uni-versal City, and San Diego, the in-

sides of which I never would have seen, otherwise.


A coup d’état that made the cover of Time.


Question: What’s the most common mistake you see committed at meetings, and how do you correct it?

Notthe“biggest”mistake,butthemost “popular” mistake in thatithappenssoincrediblyoften, isthe takingofavoteby thechairwhere the chair prompts for abstentions.


Cross talking, [which I correct by]tellingthechairtotapthegavel.


The most ‘frequent,’ typical mistakeIseeismembersvyingtomove to approve the minutes and/or moving to adjourn. This is not a gross mistake, and often times theresultofthepresidingofficerneglecting to use unanimous consent. But more often than not,Ibelieveitisduetomemberswanting so much to participate. After the meeting, I will attempt to arrange a training session for the organization with topics

Word From the Pros (continued from previous page)


such as “How to ImproveMeetingEfficiency” or “10 ProceduresMembers can Use to Participate

in a Meeting”. This is usually well received.

- Karen Watson, PRP

Question: What feedback do you usually provide to the presiding officer after a meeting?

Theyusuallyaskme, “Howdoyouthink the meeting went?” Akin to implying, “How bad did we messup Robert’s Rules?”and“Ihopeweweren’t as hopeless as other organi-zations you have sat in on.”


Whatprocessescanbeimproved.


Anhonestreviewoftheeffectiveness,fairness, and efficiency of themeeting. Then, I offer to providesuggestions (for services I could provide the organization) that wouldaddressanydeficiencyfoundin the review of the meeting.

- Karen Watson, PRP

WhAt’S WRoNgCan you spot the parliamentary blunders in the following stories?

Answers are located at the back of this issue.

Blunder #1. At the regular meeting in

January,Emilygavenoticeofabylawamendment. At the next regular meeting, in February, when theheading of New Business arrived, the chair recognized Emily to make her motion. When the motion died for lack of a second, Emily gave notice that she would make the samemotion toamend thebylawsat the next regular meeting in March.Wherewastheblunder?

Blunder #2.At the May meeting, a motion

waspending “That two televisionsbe purchased for the lobby.” Themotion was then referred to a special committee with instructions to report its recommendations at the regular meeting in August. At the regularmeetinginJune,amembermoved“Thatthespecialcommitteeto which was referred the motion concerning the purchase of televisions for the lobby shall beinstructed to consult with the buildingmanager to ascertain the

feasibility of installing televisionsin the lobby and to report thefindingswhenitreportsinAugust.”Since this motion adds instructions and thereby changes somethingpreviously adopted, the chair took a rising vote and declared that the motion was lost, since there was less thantwothirdsintheaffirmative.

Blunder #3. The chair called the meeting to

order and said, “The first item ofbusinessisthereadingandapprovalof the minutes. Since the minutes havebeendistributed,theywillnotbe read.Are there any correctionsto theminutes?” Amember askedto have the minutes read, to which the chair promptly asked if there was any objection to reading theminutes.Manymemberspromptlyobjected, so the chair stated thequestion on reading the minutes, andafteralivelydebate,themotiontoreadtheminuteswasdefeatedbyan enormous margin. Where was theblunder?


What vote is required to suspend the rules?

This will depend on the situation. Ordinarily, a two-thirds vote isrequired to suspend the rules. But standing rules, which do not relate to parliamentary procedure, can

be suspended by a majority vote.However, no rule that protects a minorityofaparticularsizecanbesuspended in the face of a negative vote as large as the minority protectedbytherule.

See RONR (11th ed.), section 25, for the details of this very useful motion.

Adventures on the Official RONR Forum (continued from page 19)

only $25.00; and Parliamentary Games, a CD, only $25.00). Theseresourceswouldbeagreatinvestment for a unit.

Finally, don’t let the lessons get stale. Try new approaches. Do differentthings.Becreative.Andbyall means, if you come up with a really fantastic idea for a lesson, share it with other units. In December ofthe last two years, the Houston area units have had a Christmas dinner at a nice restaurant, where folks from the various units can get to knoweachother,talkaboutwhat’sgoing on in their units, and perhaps have a special program or speaker.

Make your members want tokeepcomingbacktoyourmeetings;make themwant to bring a guestwhowouldbeinterestedinlearningmore and possibly becoming amember; make your membersconfident that they can present alesson without fear.The concept of “unit”, if you

think about it, is a lot like theconceptof “united.”Weare inthisthing together, united in helping each other to learn and to grow and to become more confident in the use of proper parliamentary procedure.

Dennis Clark, PRP, has been a professional parliamentarian since 1976. He is a past state president of the Texas State Association of Parliamentarians (1986-87) and is currently serving as chairman of the TSAP Bylaws Committee. He is a certified trainer for the National Association of Parliamentarians and has taught hundreds of workshops around the country on parliamentary procedure, conflict resolution skills, and presiding skills.

Meaningful Unit Programs (continued from page 10)


Carol Habgood receives Diamond Pin from Nancy Sylvester, vice-president of the NAP Educational Foundation

Ron Guiberson places the Official President’s Pin on Ann Guiberson

Ann Guiberson presents Maurice S. Henderson with a crystal gavel and a plaque of appreciation for his service as President of the NAP 2011–2013



tWo MINUtES of PRoCEDUREUnanimous Consent

Agreattime-savingtoolinameetingisthedeviceknown as unanimous consent. With unanimous consent,anassemblycanskipthestepsof1)makinga motion, 2) seconding the motion, 3) placing the questionbeforetheassembly,4)debatingthemotion,and 5) putting the question to a vote. For example, thechaircansimplysay,“Ifthereisnoobjection,themember’stimewillbeextendedtwominutes.”Atthispoint, anymember has a right to object, by simplycalling out “objection,” or “I object.” If no memberobjects,thechairsays,“Sincethereisnoobjection,themember’stimeisextendedtwominutes.”Ifamemberdoes object, the normal steps of introducing andconsidering a motion are followed.

Thecorrectionofminutesisanexampleofbusinessthatisnormallyhandledbyunanimousconsent.Foranotherexample,imagineamotionispending“That$500shallbedonatedtotheNAPFoundation.”Imagineamemberpointsoutthatthenameofthefoundationis actually the NAP Educational Foundation. The chair can then say, “If there is no objection, the motion willbeamendedtoinsertEducationalbeforethewordFoundation.”

SeeRONR(11thed.),pp.54-55forthedetailsofthishandyparliamentary time saver.

CALL foR AMENDMENtS to NAP ByLAWS

According to NAP Bylaws, Article XV, Section 1A, proposed amendments to the bylaws may be submitted by the NAP Bylaws

Committee, the NAP Board of Directors, an NAP standing or special committee, a district conference, two associations or their boards of

directors, three units, or at least ten NAP members-at-large.

AmendmentsmustbesubmittedtotheBylawsCommitteeonorbe-foreFebruary1theyearofthecon-vention. (For the 2015 Convention, thesubmissiondeadlinewillbeFeb-ruary 1, 2015.)Pleasebeaware that thiswillbe

the only notice for amendments to thebylawspublishedintheNP.

In order to meet the NPpublica-tion deadline and Call to Conven-tion requirements, the committee requests that amendments be sub-mitted as soon as possible. Thosesubmitting amendments are en-couragedtodosousingthefillableform available at http://bit.ly/nap-bylaws-amendments.

The form also includes an option to attach a document (Word or PDF) if desired.

While use of the form is the pre-ferred method, amendments also maybesubmittedbye-maildirectlyto [email protected], or bypostalmail to the followingad-dress:

WELDoN L. MERRItt, PRP, ChAIRMAN

NAP Bylaws Committee327 W. Brita Ave.

Spokane, WA 99208

Please include appropriate for-matting(seeexamplebelow),allap-plicable conforming amendments,rationale, and statement identifying thesubmitter(s).

The following is a sample proposed amendment which is used strictly todemonstratehowtosubmitaproposedamendment(withconformingamendmentifneeded)andrationale,ifthefillableformisnotused:

fRoM: JohnDoe,[email protected],District#Conferenceto: NAP Bylaws CommitteeDate:Decemberxx,2014Re: Proposed Bylaw Amendment


CURRENt WoRDINg

PRoPoSED AMENDMENt

If ADoPtED, WILL READ

An association shall provide for primary and affiliate members and may include provisional, honorary, and life members as asso-ciation members, in accordance with the definitions of these terms in Article IV, Section 8A. The as-sociation bylaws may limit the rights of provisionals who are association members.

An association shall provide for primary and affiliate members and may include provisional, honorary, and life members as associa-tion members, in ac-cordance with the definitions of these terms in Article IV, Section 8A. The as-sociation bylaws may limit the rights of provisionals who are association members provisional members of the association

An association shall provide for primary and affiliate members and may include provisional, honorary, and life members as association members, in accordance with the definitions of these terms in Article IV, Section 8A. The association bylaws may limit the rights of provisional members of the association.

Conforming Amendment(s): None

Rationale:Eliminatestheuseoftheadjective“provisional”asanoun, so that the sentence is grammatically correct.

TheDistrict#Conferenceproposesthefollowingbylawsamendmenttothe Bylaws Committee for consideration at the 2015 Convention:

Amend Article IV, Divisions, Section 3, Associations, Subsection E, Bylaws of an Association, Paragraph 2, by striking out “provisionals who are association members” from the last sentence, and inserting “provisional members of the association”.

Call For Amendments to NAP Bylaws (continued from previous page)



PARLIAMENtARy LANgUAgE

The world of parliamentary law has its own precise and unique language. Mastering this language is an important step in gaining a fuller understanding of proper procedure.

Ex officioMany organizations have ex-

officioboardmembersorcommitteemembers. “Ex officio” means “byvirtue of the office.” Assume thebylawsstate, “ThePresident,Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall constitute the Executive Board.” In this situation, all of the membersoftheboardareexofficio,since it is their holding of officethatplacesthemontheboard.Nowassumethebylawsstate,“AFinanceCommittee composed of the Treasurerand fourothermembersshallbeappointedbythePresident.”In this situation, the individual who serves as Treasurer is an ex-officiomemberofthecommittee.

There is a common misconcep-tion that an ex-officio member does not have the same rights as othermembers.GeneralHenryM.RobertclearsthisupinParliamen-tary Law, p. 570, when he writes that suchan individual is “asamuchamember or officer as if elected tothe position.”

There are only two circumstances where an ex-officio member is

treateddifferentlyinameetingthanan elected or appointed member,and in each case, the differencerelates only to the quorum, as follows:First, if an ex-officio member

ofa boardorcommittee isNOTamember, employee, or an electedorappointedofficerof thesociety,he has none of the obligations ofboard or committee membership,so he is not counted in determining thenumberrequiredforaquorumor whether a quorum is present. However, he has all the rights of membership to the board orcommitteeofwhichheisamember.SeeRONR(11thed.),p.483,l.20-p.484, l. 10.Second,whenthebylawsprovide

that the president of a society shall beexofficioamemberofallcommittees, he has the right, butnottheobligation,toparticipateinthe meetings of the committee, and he is not counted in determining thenumberrequiredforaquorumor whether a quorum is present. See RONR(11thed.),p.497,l.20-29.

Parliamentary Language (continued from previous page)


Ex-officio vs. Ex officioWhich is correct: with or without

the hyphen? Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition uses both, depending on circumstance.The practice is to hyphenate when used as a phrasal adjective beforethe noun and to NOT hyphenate

when used adverbially. See thefollowing example from RONR (11th ed.), p. 484, ll. 3-5: “Whenever anex-officioboardmember isalsoexofficioanofficeroftheboard,heofcoursehastheobligationtoserveasaregularworkingmember.”

oRDERINg MAtERIALS fRoM NAP five ways to order:

1) By Mail: 213 South Main Street Independence, MO 64050-3808

2) By Phone: (888) 627-2929 3) By Fax: (816) 833-38934) By E-mail: [email protected]) On the Web: http://parliamentarians.org

Categories of Materials Available Include:

Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition Materials

Other Parliamentary Manuals

Eletronic Resources

Meeting Resources

Leadership Spotlights

Parliamentary Reference CardsParliamentary StudyPathwaystoProficiencyReferencesParliamentary Supplies

Teaching Resources

Resource descriptions and a complete order form are available at the NAP online Store: http://bit.ly/nap-online-store


PARLIAMENtARy MythSThe Myth of the Agenda

Thereisacommonmyththatitemsmustbeplacedonanagendatobeconsidered.Infact,asessionneednothaveanagendaatall.Anagendacanbeausefultoolforestablishingtheorderinwhichspecificitemsofbusinesswillbeconsidered.ButanagendaisNOTatoolforpreventingitemsofbusinessfrom being considered. Simply adopting an agenda thatincludesspecificitemsdoesnotprohibittheconsiderationofadditionalitems.Andthereisnorequirementto“getanitemon the agenda” in order to consider that item in the meeting.

A session has no agenda unless one is adopted inside the session to which it applies. This fact runs contrary to another myth: that thepresidentsets theagenda. It is theassemblythatdecideswhetherornotanagendawillbeadoptedandwhat that agenda is to contain.

Instead of an agenda, most local organizations will do well to simply use the Standard Order of Business, which can be found inRONR (11thed.), p. 353. Furthermore, anyorganization that frequently holds meetings and has adopted RONR as its parliamentary authority has already therebyadopted the Standard Order of Business. Under the Standard OrderofBusiness,thepresidingofficerprocesseseachitemofbusinessthatproperlyarisesundereachheadingtofinallyarriveatNewBusiness,wheremembersmayintroducenewitems.

Ofcourse,ifthegoverningdocumentsprescriberulesonthesubjectsofAgendaorOrderofBusiness,thosemustbefollowed.Sobesuretocheckthere.

SeeRONR(11thed.),pp.371-75formoreinformationonAgendas.


Florida State Association of Parliamentarians: Pat McDougle, Karen Price, Tim Wynn, Shirley Brodbeck, Ann Guiberson, Ron Guiberson, John Dauster, Todd Wynn, Julie Palm, Nancy Dauster, and Barbara Proctor

James and Sharon Reed with Maurice S. Henderson

Alison Wallis, president of the American Institute of Parliamen-tarians, brings greetings to NAP


Chris Dickey, Janice Strand, Adolph Garcia, and Ron Stinson peruse items at the live auction for the NAP Educational Foundation

Carole Gloger, Ann Guiberson, Debbie Albert, and Alison Wallis

Marcella Morrison (2nd from right) presents award for “Greatest Number of New Registered Parliamentarians” to (from left) Rosalie Stroman, Darlene Allen and Mona Calhoun from the DC Registered Unit


Answer keyQuick Quiz

aNSwer 1 d.Thechiar; seeRONR (11thed.), p. 39, l. 33–p. 40, l. 2.

aNSwer 2 Divisionof theAssembly,Callfor the Orders of the Day, and PointofOrder; seeRONR (11thed.), tinted page 40.

aNSwer 3 b.PrivilegedMotions;seeRONR(11th ed.), p. 398, ll. 9–11

aNSwer 4 c. The chair makes a ruling on the point;seeRONR(11thed.),p.253,ll.24-29.

MyStERy MotIoN

Mystery Motion 11: Division of the Assembly; see RONR (11thed.), p. 280, ll. 10–15 & p. 281, ll. 19-20.

Mystery Motion 12: Postpone to a Certain Time; see RONR(11th ed.), p. 179, ll. 31–34

Mystery Motion 13: Point of Order; see RONR (11th ed.), p.247, ll. 3–7

Mystery Motion 14: Parliamen-tary Inquiry; see RONR (11thed.), p. 293, l. 29–p. 294, l. 1

Mystery Motion 15: Amend SomethingPreviouslyAdopted;see RONR (11th ed.), p. 305, ll. 12–14 & 28–31.

Mystery Motion 16: Ratify;seeRONR (11th ed.), p. 124, ll. 24–27

Mystery Motion 17: Adopt a SpecialRuleofOrder;seeRONR(11thed.),tintedpage6,entry#7

Mystery Motion 18: Adopt Agenda; see RONR (11th ed.),tintedpage8,entry#10

Mystery Motion 19: Rise/Rise andReport;seeRONR(11thed.),p. 534, l. 33–p. 535, l. 11

Mystery Motion 20: Take From theTable;seeRONR(11thed.),p. 300–301


Questions & Answers

The intent of this column is to provide general answers or advice (not formal, official opinions) about the questions asked. The answers are based on RONR (11th ed.), unless otherwise indicated, and do not take into account such governing authorities as statutes, bylaws, or adopted special rules of order.

Questions should be mailed to Josh Martin, PRP, 1434 Grand Ave, Apt 9, St. Paul, MN 55105, or e-mailed to [email protected].

Q&A 6Improper Wording Used When Making a Motion

Q If the maker of a motion states, “I recommend…,”

instead of “I move…,” does this invalidate the motion?

A No, it does not invalidate the motion. So long as the

member’s intent is clear and the error will not cause harm to the as-sembly, it is likely best not to raise a point of order regarding the ex-act wording the member uses. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 250, ll. 11–15. Even if a member were to raise a Point of Order, this would need to be done promptly. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 250, ll. 18–19. A motion cannot be invalidated after the fact due to minor irregularities.


Parliamentary Research Team

Josh Martin, PRPParliamentary Research Editor

Ann Homer, PRPAssistant Research Editor

Ronald Stinson, PRPNAP Past President Consultant

Leonard Young, PRPNAP Parliamentarian

Q & A 7Use of the Term “Chairperson”

Q Is “chairperson” now ac-cepted for use in place of “chairman”?

A While the use of the term “chairman”islongestablished

forapresidingofficerwhoisservingtemporarily or has no regular title, alternative forms such as “chairperson”or“chair”arealsousedinsomeassemblies.SeeRONR(11thed.),p.23,ll.11-17.NAPhasadoptedaresolutionthattheterm“chairman”shouldbeused.Ultimately,however,thecustomsofaparticularassemblyshould be followed regarding theappropriate form of address for the presidingofficer.

Q & A 8 Bylaws for Chapters of a National Society

Q Some local organizations I have worked with claim that

theydonotneedbylawsbecausethebylawsof thenationalorganizationare so specific and all inclusive. Isthis correct?

A Probably not, although youwill need to review the gov-

erning documents of the society

in question to say for sure. In most cases, many of the sections of the bylaws of the national societywilldefinetheworkingsofthenationalsocietyandhavenobearingonthelocalsociety.Thebylawsofa localsociety are only required to comply withthebylawsoftheparentsoci-ety on clearly requisite points. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 567, l. 24–p. 568, l. 2.)

The national society might pro-viderulesaboutaminimumnum-berofmembers fora localsociety,for instance, and local societies would be obliged to follow suchrules. On the other hand, the rules for electing the officers of the na-tionalsocietywouldhavenobear-ing on how local societies conduct their elections. While it is conceiv-ablethatthegoverningdocumentsof a particular national society mightbewordedinsuchawaythatlocal units would not need their ownbylaws,thisiscertainlynottheusual situation, and it is doubtfulthatsuchapracticewouldbeadvis-able.

Q & A 9How to Approve Minutes of an Assembly Dissolved by Statute

Q Iamamemberofataskforcecreated by state statute.Thetaskforcewillsoonbeextinguished


Questions and Answers (continued from previous page)

due to state law. How can we approve the minutes of our last meeting? They were not approved at that meeting.

A RONR does not directly address the question of how to

approvetheminutesofanassemblywhich will soon cease to exist. The most advisable course of actionwouldbetoapprovetheminutesattheassembly’slastmeeting(ifthisispractical) or to appoint a committee to approve the minutes, similar to the practice RONR recommends when an assembly will not meetwithin a quarterly interval or the membership of the assembly willchange. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 474, l. 31 – p. 475, l. 7.

Unfortunately, it appears that theassemblyhasfailedtodoeitherof these things.

The simplest solution, if it is at all possible, would be for theassemblytoholdonefinalmeetingfor the sole purpose of approving the minutes of its last meeting. Since the minutes of such a meeting wouldbeextremelybrief,itshouldbepossibletowritethemupquicklyand approve them at that meeting. Itisalsopossiblethatthestatehasauthorized the task force to conduct its business without a meeting,perhaps via e-mail, in which casetheminutes could be approved inthat manner. Ultimately, since this isapublicbody,legaladvicemaybenecessary.

Answers (continued from page 36)


What’s Wrong?

BlUNDer 1 The chair should have recognized Emily for her motion under UnfinishedBusinessandGeneralOrders,notNewBusiness, sincethegivingofnoticeofabylawamendmentmakes itageneralorder.SeeRONR (11thed.),p. 596, ll. 25-27.

BlUNDer 2 Theassemblycangiveacommitteesubsequent instructionbyamajorityvote;seeRONR (11thed.),p. 177, ll. 13-17.

BlUNDer 3 Theminutes—andanydocument laidbefore theassembly foraction—mustbereadat leastonceon thedemandofasinglemember. SeeRONR (11thed.),p. 299, ll. 4-8andp.474, ll. 19-23.

In MemoriamNP commemorates the following members who have passed from our midst;

may they rest in peace:

RobertJ.Kraften,CaliforniaHelen M. Kennedy, Minnesota

KevinM.Cleary,JapanAudraB.Rafter,DistrictofColumbiaJodeeAcoba-Suganuma,Hawaii

MaryF.Jones,Alabama(residedinVirginia)DavidJeong,Hawaii

Lucille (Lu) Russell, TexasPeggie L. Atkins, VirginiaNitaBramble,Nebraska

PhoebeAnnGlaze,CaliforniaCatherine I. Wittman, Missouri

JimMonahan,TexasBertha M. Cooper, Missouri

JeanS.Mostrom,Virginia*

*In the last issue, when Jean S. Mostrom was commemorated, her state of residence was incorrectly indicated as California. We commemorate her now as a resident of Virginia.


In MemoriamNP commemorates the following members who have passed from our midst;

may they rest in peace:

RobertJ.Kraften,CaliforniaHelen M. Kennedy, Minnesota

KevinM.Cleary,JapanAudraB.Rafter,DistrictofColumbiaJodeeAcoba-Suganuma,Hawaii

MaryF.Jones,Alabama(residedinVirginia)DavidJeong,Hawaii

Lucille (Lu) Russell, TexasPeggie L. Atkins, VirginiaNitaBramble,Nebraska

PhoebeAnnGlaze,CaliforniaCatherine I. Wittman, Missouri

JimMonahan,TexasBertha M. Cooper, Missouri

JeanS.Mostrom,Virginia*

*In the last issue, when Jean S. Mostrom was commemorated, her state of residence was incorrectly indicated as California. We commemorate her now as a resident of Virginia.

Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules of Order, Fourth Edition has received the 2013 Phifer Award from the Commission on American Parliamentary Practice (CAPP), an affiliate of the National Communication

Association (NCA). The Award recognizes distinguished scholarship in parliamentary procedure and was presented to authors JonEricson, Gaut Ragsdale, and Jim Slaughter at NCA’s recent 99thannual convention in Washington, DC. The Phifer Award is named forthelateGreggPhifer,alongtimeprofessorofcommunicationandinstructor of parliamentary procedure at Florida State University.

“Whileacompletesurprise,thePhiferAwardfromCAPPisagreat

honor,” says coauthor Jim Slaughter, anattorneywith the lawfirmofRossabiBlackSlaughter,PA inGreensboro,NorthCarolina. “Allthreeauthors fondlyrememberGreggPhifer,whowasanexcellentparliamentarian and instructor of parliamentary procedure. In fact, while the selection committee wouldn’t know this, Phifer reviewed thefirsteditionofNotes and Comments on Robert’s Rules in 1983.”

Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules is a user’s guide to Robert’s

Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Editionandusesaquestion-and-answerformattocoverthemostmisusedandasked-aboutprovisions.More informationanda reviewof thebookcanbe foundatwww.jimslaughter.com.

Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules is available through theNAP store.

NOTES AND COMMENTS ON ROBERT’S RULES RECEIvES 2013 PHIFER AwARD

(Top left) Bailie Henry, Abigail Hood, and Trevor Sorenson help out at the NAP Educational Foundation auction

(Bottom) The future of NAP poses with Maurice S. Henderson and Henry M. Robert III

(Right) Claire Schiller, national parliamentarian of the Business Professionals of America, addresses NAP

national parliamentarian (vol. 75 no. 2)

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