Robert's Rules of Order Revised for Deliberative Assemblies/Plan for Study of Parliamentary Law.
PLAN FOR STUDY
OF PARLIAMENTARY LAW
INTRODUCTION.
These Lesson Outlines are designed to assist clubs and individual students who wish to study Robert's Rules of Order Revised. The Manual is not arranged primarily with a view to study, but for the special object of providing a set of rules for adoption by city councils, corporations, literary societies, clubs, assemblies, and occasional meetings. In studying it the preferable way is to learn the few elementary things that one must know in order to take the slightest part in a deliberative meeting and then to learn how with ease to use this Manual to find the correct ruling or decision on any point that may arise. When one has accomplished this, which is covered by the first four lessons outlined below, he is prepared to study in detail any portion of the Manual, and in any order that may suit him.
In these Lesson Outlines the four introductory lessons are followed by the all-important subject of Amendments, to which an entire lesson is given. This lesson should be thoroughly mastered, as the subject of amendments is probably equal in difficulty and importance to all the rest of parliamentary law.
After Amendments, the order of the subjects in the Manual is followed in the Lesson Outlines with the following exceptions: Incidental Motions are not taken up until all the other motions are disposed of; the Orders of the Day are treated in connection with the motions to Postpone Definitely and Indefinitely, because they are so intimately connected, the Orders of the Day being made by postponing to a certain time or by adopting a program; the subject of Committees is treated in connection with the motion to Commit; and to Take from the Table is treated in connection with to Lay on the Table.
The Rules of Order is essentially a work of reference, and the student should keep this in view. He should aim at learning how to find a ruling quickly, rather than at remembering the ruling. On this account each student should always have his copy of the book with him at every meeting and familiarize himself with its use. Efficiency, however, as a parliamentarian is acquired only by practice. "Book knowledge" is valuable just as with games and athletics, but just as no amount of theoretical knowledge without practice will enable a man to excel in playing chess or in swimming, so no amount of theoretical knowledge of parliamentary law without practice will make a man a good practical parliamentarian.
If the student has the advantage of being a member of a class, the teacher will, doubtless, use parliamentary drills. If he has no teacher he should study the Manual as laid down in the Lesson Outlines, and try to interest others to join him in forming a practice club. This practice club should hold frequent meetings, thus giving an opportunity for putting into practice what has been learned. The officers should be constantly changed so as to give different members the opportunity to preside.
These practice meetings should begin at least as soon as the students have learned what is covered by the first four lessons as outlined further on. At the beginning of each meeting it would be profitable to call for criticisms of the previous meeting. This would encourage the members after each meeting to investigate all doubtful points that have arisen, and would call attention to mistakes that otherwise would be overlooked. It will be of great assistance to them if during the meetings they have on the walls of their room the three Charts hereafter described.
What has just been said in reference to the importance of practice meetings or drills in parliamentary law applies equally to clubs or societies, as only a few of the simplest rules are usually called for in an ordinary meeting. When the club cannot have a suitable teacher it can carry on the work by electing a member to take charge of the parliamentary drills. This leader should study the course so as to be able to take the place of a teacher.
It will probably be best in all cases to follow the order of the first four lessons, and perhaps the fifth also. But where the time for the meeting is short it may be advisable to increase the number of lessons. After the fifth lesson circumstances may make it advisable to select only a few out of the remaining lessons and omit the others, or to divide some of the lessons. The outlines as given will serve as a basis for a scheme of lessons adapted to the special conditions in each case.
All through the course there should constantly be drills with open books, to enable the students to acquire facility in referring to a desired point, since, as previously stated, this Manual is a work of reference.
[1]Three charts, averaging 34 by 42 inches, have been prepared and printed on cloth in large, heavy face type that can be read at a distance of thirty feet. If displayed during every business meeting, they would conduce greatly to the orderly transaction of business. They are a necessity for the teacher of parliamentary law, and should be on the wall at every practice meeting or drill whether there is a teacher or not. They enable each member without referring to his book to see instantly when a motion is made whether it is in order, whether it can be amended or debated, whether it opens the main question to debate, whether it requires a two-thirds vote, and what other motions may be made while it is pending. Besides giving the order of precedence of privileged and subsidiary motions, they show the incidental motions, the unclassified motions mentioned on page 58, and what motions to use to accomplish certain objects, as given on page 44. LESSON OUTLINES
I.
Organizing and Conducting Business in Mass Meetings and Permanent Societies.
Organization, pp. 275-277.
Offering, Amending, and Adopting Resolutions, pp. 277-280.
Committee on Resolutions, pp. 280-283.
Permanent Society, 1st Meeting, pp. 284-286.
Permanent Society, 2d Meeting, pp. 286-291.
Permanent Society, Regular Meeting, pp. 291, 292.
Obtaining the Floor, etc., pp. 25-28.
Preparing, Making, and Seconding Motions and Resolutions, pp. 33-38.
II.
Debate, Stating and Putting Questions, and What Motions to Use to Accomplish Certain Objects.
Stating the Question, p. 38.
Debate, pp. 38, 39.
Secondary Motions, p. 40.
Putting the Question and Announcing the Vote, pp. 40-43.
What Motions to Use to Accomplish Certain Objects, pp. 43-51.
[The form of making each of these motions should be explained by the leader or teacher.]
III.
How to Find if a Motion is in Order, if it can be Debated, Amended, or Reconsidered, and if it Requires a Second, or a 2⁄3 Vote, etc.
Order of Precedence of Motions, p. 5.
Table of Rules Relating to Motions, pp. 6-12.
[The order of Precedence of Motions, p. 5, should be memorized, and the student should be able by reference to the Table of Rules to find quickly the ruling on any of the 300 questions decided by it]
IV.
Definitions, and How to Find Rulings in the Manual.
Plan of the Manual, pp. 20-22.
Definitions, pp. 22-24.
Plan of the Index, p. 313.
Practice in the Use of the Entire Manual for finding Rulings or Decisions.
V.
Amendments.
Amend, pp. 134-152.
Inserting or adding, striking out, and striking out and inserting words, pp. 137-140.
Amendments affecting an entire paragraph, pp. 140-143.
Improper Amendments, pp. 143-146.
Motions that cannot be Amended, pp. 146, 147.
Amending Minutes, p. 148.
Filling Blanks, pp. 148-152.
VI.
Classification of Motions and Most of the Privileged Ones.
Main Motions, pp. 51-54.
Subsidiary Motions, pp. 54-56.
Incidental Motions, pp. 56, 57.
Privileged Motions, pp. 57, 58.
Certain Other Motions, p. 58.
Fix the Time to which to Adjourn, pp. 59, 60.
Adjourn, pp. 60-64.
Take a Recess,- pp. 64-66.
Questions of Privilege, pp. 66-68.
VII.
Orders of the Day, and Definite and Indefinite Postponement.
Postpone Indefinitely, pp. 152, 153.
Postpone Definitely or to a Certain Time, pp. 121-125.
Call for the Orders of the Day, pp. 68-71.
General and Special Orders, pp. 71-77.
VIII.
Laying Aside a Question Temporarily, Resuming its Consideration, and Closing and Limiting Debate.
Lay on the Table, pp. 104-111.
Take from the Table, pp. 154-156.
Previous Question, pp. 111-118.
Limit or Extend Limits of Debate, pp. 118-120.
IX.
The Motion to Commit, and Committees.
Commit, pp. 125-134.
Special and Standing Committees, pp. 211-220.
Form of their Reports, pp. 215, 216.
Form of Minority Report, p. 216.
X.
Committees (Concluded).
Reception of Committees' Reports, pp. 220-223.
Adpption of Committees' Reports, pp. 223-229.
Committee of the Whole, pp. 229-233.
As if in Committee of the Whole, pp. 233, 234.
Informal Consideration, pp. 234, 235.
Committees Classified, pp. 206, 207.
Boards of Managers, etc., and Executive Committees, pp. 207-210.
Ex-Offkio Members of Boards and Committees, p. 210.
XI.
Reconsidering and Rescinding a Vote.
Reconsider, pp. 156-165.
Reconsider and Enter on the Minutes, pp. 165-168.
Rescind, pp. 169, 170.
XII.
Some Miscellaneous and Incidental Motions.
Renew, pp. 171-173.
Ratify, pp. 173. 174.
Dilatory and Absurd Motions, pp. 174, 175.
Incidental Motions, pp. 56, 57.
Questions of Order, pp. 78-81.
Appeal, pp. 81-83.
Suspension of the Rules, pp. 83-87.
XIII.
Incidental Motions (Concluded).
Objection to the Consideration of a Question, pp. 87-89.
Division of a Question, pp. 89-92.
Consideration by Paragraph or Seriatim, pp. 92-95.
Division of the Assembly and Other Motions relating to Voting and the Polls, pp. 95, 96.
Motions relating to Methods of Making and to Closing and to Reopening Nominations, pp. 96, 97.
Parliamentary Inquiry, pp. 98, 99.
Request for Information, pp. 99, 100.
To Withdraw or Modify a Motion, pp. 100. 101.
To Read Papers, pp. 101, 102.
To be Excused from a Duty, pp. 102-104.
Request for any other Privilege, p. 104.
XIV.
Debate.
Debate, pp. 39 and 178-180.
Decorum in Debate, pp. 180-182.
Closing and Preventing Debate, pp. 182-184.
Principles of Debate, pp. 184-187.
Motions that Open the Main Question to Debate, p. 187.
Undebatable Motions, p. 187.
XV.
Voting.
Voting, pp. 188-201.
Announcing the Vote, pp. 190, 191.
Voting by Ballot, pp. 193-196.
Voting by Yeas and Nays, pp. 197, 198.
General Consent, pp. 198, 199.
Voting by Mail, pp. 199, 200.
Voting by Proxy, pp. 200, 201.
Votes that are Null and Void even if Unanimous, pp. 201, 202.
Motions requiring More than a Majority Vote, pp. 202-206.
XVI.
The Officers and the Minutes.
Chairman or President, pp. 236-244.
Hints to Inexperienced Chairmen, pp. 242-244.
Secretary or Clerk, pp. 244-247.
Corresponding Secretary, p. 246.
The Minutes, pp. 247-250.
Executive Secretary, pp. 250, 251.
Treasurer, pp. 251-253.
XVII.
Nominations and Elections, and Miscellaneous.
Session, pp. 253-257.
Meeting, pp. 253-255.
Quorum, pp. 257-261.
Order of Business, pp. 261-263.
Nominations and Elections, pp. 263, 264.
[As the officers are usually elected by ballot that method of voting (pages 193-196) should be reviewed in connection with this lesson. The incidental motions relating to the methods of making nominations and taking the vote and of closing and reopening nominations and the polls (pages 95-97) should also be reviewed in connection with this lesson.]
XVIII.
Rules of an Assembly and their Amendments.
Constitutions, pp. 264-266.
By-laws, pp. 266, 267.
Rules of Order, pp. 267, 268.
Standing Rules and their Amendment, pp. 268, 269.
Amendment of Constitutions, etc., pp. 269-273.
Amending a Proposed Amendment to the Constitution, etc., p. 272.
Review Use of Tables on pages 5-10, and Index.
- ↑ For information regarding these Charts, address Mrs. William Anderson, 211 Eastern Avenue. Pittsburgh, Pa.