Parliamentary procedure is a way to conduct a meeting in an orderly manner. Parliamentary procedure, also known as rules of order, helps the presiding officer keep order during a meeting as well as guide participants in transacting business. The procedure is called parliamentary because it comes from the rules and customs of the British Parliament. By the end of the 1600’s, the broad principles had become well established. As actual procedures developed, they became the basis for deciding later questions of parliamentary law. In 1876, Major Henry M. Robert, a United States Army Engineer, wrote what became the most popular book on parliamentary procedure, Robert’s Rules of Order.
Any group that conducts its meetings according to parliamentary rules will encounter questions about the proper procedure to be used. To answer such questions, the group should consult Robert’s Rules of Order or another standard authority on parliamentary procedure. All such authorities tend to follow the same general principles, but they may differ on specific points. Thus, an organization should adopt a single authority for consistency.
Any system of parliamentary procedure should be both democratic and efficient. To ensure democracy, the rights of the minority must be protected and all members of the group must be able to discuss a matter before the majority disposes of that matter. To be efficient, the procedure must assist the group with a minimum of confusion and delay. It must also ensure that all members are aware of the substance and implications of each matter considered.
Forming an organization
A group that wishes to form an organization first calls a meeting of those who may be interested. At this meeting, a temporary organization is established. The group selects an acting presiding officer and an acting secretary, who begins keeping a record of the business transacted. The members then elect a temporary presiding officer and a temporary secretary, who serve until the organization is established permanently and permanent officers are elected.
Bylaws.
Before a group officially becomes a permanent organization, it must prepare a set of bylaws. The bylaws can be prepared by a committee elected by the organization or appointed by the temporary presiding officer. The bylaws may be adopted as suggested by the committee, or they may be changed through the process of discussion and voting.
The bylaws should define the characteristics of the organization and describe how the organization will operate. They should also include any rules that the organization considers sufficiently important to require prior notice and a large majority for changing. These rules cannot be suspended except as provided for in the bylaws.
Adoption of the first set of bylaws requires a majority vote by the members of the organization. Upon adoption, the bylaws immediately go into effect. As soon as possible, all members should be provided with a copy, as well as copies of other pertinent documents.
Officers.
The essential officers for any organized group are a president and a secretary. If the members pay dues or raise money for the organization in any way, a treasurer is also necessary. Some groups have an officer who serves as both secretary and treasurer.
The president
(1) presides over all meetings, (2) supervises the work of other officers and committees, (3) represents the organization, and (4) appoints committees if the bylaws grant the officer this power.
The secretary
(1) notifies members of scheduled meetings, (2) keeps and reads the minutes, and (3) handles correspondence.
The treasurer
(1) handles all the organization’s finances, (2) keeps a record of income and expenses, and (3) helps prepare the annual budget.
Other officers.
Many organizations, especially if they are large or carry on extensive activities, have additional officers. These usually include a vice president, who aids the president and takes the president’s place when that officer is unable to perform the duties of the position. An organization may divide the secretary’s job between a recording secretary, who keeps the minutes and other records, and a corresponding secretary, who handles all letter-writing. Some clubs elect a historian, who keeps a permanent record of activities and members, and a sergeant at arms, who maintains order during meetings. A club might also have a parliamentarian. The parliamentarian advises the president on matters of procedure.
Electing officers.
Most organizations elect officers once a year. There are two methods of nominating officers. Under the first method, the group chooses a nominating committee to propose one or more candidates for each office. After the committee makes its nominations, other candidates may be nominated from the floor (by the members attending the meeting). Under the second method, the presiding officer declares that “nominations are in order.” He or she then accepts nominations from the floor for each office.
A vote for officers, like votes on other business matters, may be held (1) by a show of hands or (2) by secret ballot. There are fewer risks of embarrassing any of the candidates when the members vote by secret ballot. In addition, the candidates do not have to leave the room during the voting. If only two candidates are nominated for an office, one must receive a majority of the votes to win. Usually, if three or more are nominated, the one who receives a plurality (the most votes) wins. But the bylaws may require that a candidate must receive a majority vote to be elected. In such cases, the winner would be chosen in a run-off election between the two candidates with the most votes.
Committees
handle many duties that a group’s officers do not or cannot perform. They also do jobs that cannot be done by the entire membership at regular meetings. Most organizations have two types of committees: (1) standing committees and (2) special committees.
Standing committees
deal with regular and continuing matters, such as membership and finance. These committees are usually selected after each annual election, and they stand (remain active) through the year.
Special committees
may be selected at any time to deal with specific matters. This committee might be appointed to plan a social event, to revise the group’s bylaws, or to nominate new officers. The special committee ceases to exist after it completes its assigned task.
Bylaws usually state whether standing committees shall be appointed or elected. If they are to be appointed, the president names the members of each committee. The president usually creates special committees and appoints their members. Organization members can also create special committees by voting to do so. Each committee should have an odd number of members, in order to avoid tie votes on committee decisions. The president may select one of the committee members to be chairperson, or the committee may elect its own chairperson. He or she participates in the discussion and voting. Committees do not have to follow the rules of parliamentary procedure. Thus, their meetings are usually informal discussions.
Holding meetings
A meeting officially begins when a quorum is present and the presiding officer calls the group to order. A quorum is the minimum number of members who must be present in order for the organization to transact business. In most organizations, a majority of the membership must be present in order to have a quorum. But a group’s bylaws can name any part of the total membership as a quorum.
Order of business.
If the organization’s bylaws do not prescribe an order of business, there is a series of steps that are commonly accepted: (1) call to order at the appointed meeting time with a quorum present; (2) read, correct, and approve the minutes of the previous meeting; (3) hear reports of officers; (4) hear reports of boards; (5) hear reports of standing committees; (6) hear reports of special committees; (7) consider unfinished business; (8) consider new business; (9) hear announcements and requests that require no formal action; and (10) adjourn.
Minutes.
The secretary’s minutes should be an accurate record of all the organization’s actions. At the start of each meeting, the secretary reads the minutes of the previous meeting so the members can recall the actions taken. The minutes do not summarize the discussions that take place during the meeting. They simply state the actions proposed, and what the organization decided to do about each one.
In most organizations, the secretary records the minutes in a book. Each set of minutes begins with the date and place of the meeting, the time the meeting began, and the name of the presiding officer. Some groups call the roll at the beginning of each meeting, and include a list of the members present in the minutes.
After the secretary has read the minutes, the president asks whether any member wants to make any corrections or additions. If so, the group must vote on each correction or addition. The president then asks for approval of the minutes. In some organizations, a member must propose that the group approve the minutes. But the simplest way is for the president to state that if there are no objections, the minutes will be considered approved. The secretary notes the approval and the date at the end of the minutes.
Motions.
A motion is a brief, precise statement of a proposed action. A member can make a motion only when that member has been recognized by the presiding officer and has the floor–that is, has been given permission to speak. Some motions require a second before they can be discussed by the group. The act of seconding does not commit that member to supporting the motion. It signifies that member’s interest in having the motion considered. After a motion has been made and seconded, the presiding officer restates the motion for the benefit of the rest of the members. In the case of a complicated motion, the secretary may be asked to read the motion from the minutes. The members then debate the motion. Perhaps the members want to amend (change) the motion in some way. If so, they must propose and pass (approve) a new motion amending the original motion. They must then debate the original motion as amended.
Debate on a motion usually continues until each member who wants to speak has done so. But the members can end the debate at any time by passing a motion to have the group vote immediately. To do so, a member would move the previous question. The members can also pass a motion to set a time limit on the debate. In legislative bodies, this rule of parliamentary procedure is known as cloture. See Cloture.
Each motion must be resolved of in some way before the group can take up another item of business. If the members want to postpone action on a motion, they may vote to “table the motion.” The presiding officer or the group may dispose of a motion temporarily by referring it to a committee. The committee investigates the matter and presents a report at a later meeting. The group then decides what action it wants to take on the motion. Eventually, all motions must be either approved or disapproved by a majority of the membership.
Voting on motions
takes place when there are no more requests to speak on a motion, or after debate has ended. First, the presiding officer restates the motion or has the secretary read it. Then the presiding officer calls for a voice vote. All in favor of the motion say “aye,” then all those opposed say “nay.” If the presiding officer cannot tell which side has the majority, he or she can ask supporters or opponents of a motion to stand or to hold up a hand.
The bylaws may require a roll-call vote on certain types of motions. A secret ballot is usually taken when electing officers and as required by the bylaws. A majority vote is more than half of the legal votes cast unless otherwise defined in the bylaws.
The presiding officer has the right to vote on all issues but usually only votes when that vote would change the result of the vote by the members. The presiding official may vote to break a tie vote. If the nay votes total one less than the aye votes, the presiding officer may cast a nay vote in order to create a tie vote and thus defeat the motion.
Parliamentary procedure does not have to be complicated and mysterious. As long as the presiding officer conducts meetings fairly and judiciously, and members learn the basic principles and procedures of parliamentary procedure, business can be transacted democratically and efficiently.
