Robert's Rules of Order

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Robert's Rules of Order (1876 edition)

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised , usually called Robert's Rules of Order (or simply Robert's Rules ), is the most widely used rules of procedure manual in the United States.

The manual was first published in 1876 by US Army officer Henry Martyn Robert, who adapted the rules and habits of Congress to the requirements of non-legislative bodies. Ten more editions followed, with major revisions in 1915 (Robert's Rules of Order Revised) and 1970 (Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised). The 1915 edition is now in the public domain . The copyright to Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised belongs to the Robert's Rules Association, which contractually designates a team of authors to continue the task of revising and updating the book. The 11th and current edition was published in 2011. The total print run is more than 5,500,000 copies.

In 2005, the Robert's Rules Association published an official concise review titled "Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief." A second edition of the short version was published in 2011.

History and origins

Henry M. Robert

The first edition of the book, the full title of which was "Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies," was published in February 1876 by Henry Martyn Robert (1837-1923), who was then a major in the US Army. On the cover was the short title Robert's Rules of Order .

The procedures described in the book were modeled on those used in the United States House of Representatives at the time, with adjustments that Robert found appropriate for ordinary associations. Although he was in the military, the rules in his book are not based on military rules. The author's interest in parliamentary procedure arose in 1863 when he was chosen to lead a church assembly and, while accepting the task, felt that he lacked the necessary knowledge of proper procedures.

In his later work as an active member of various organizations, Robert noticed that members from different areas of the country had very different views as to what the correct parliamentary rules were, and these conflicting views inhibited the organizations in their work. He eventually came to believe that a new manual was needed on the subject that would allow many organizations to adopt the same set of rules.

Explanation of the purpose of the book

Generally speaking, Robert's Rules of Order is a guide to holding meetings and making decisions as a group. The purpose of the book is to “enable assemblies of all sizes to come to the general will in a minimum of time, taking into account the opinion of each member, on the greatest possible number of issues of varying complexity, and in every possible internal climate, which can range from complete harmony to hardened division or passionate disagreement. "

The book is intended for voluntary associations , not legislative assemblies .

The book declares that it is "a codification of general parliamentary law of the present". “General parliamentary law” refers to the usual rules and practices for governing organizations and assemblies. It does not refer to any legal regulations or to customary legal precedents derived from court decisions. In other words, the book is about assembly procedures, not what is “legally permissible” (that is, it is not a legal book).

As a reference, it is intended to answer any question of the rules of procedure that might arise. The 11th edition contains 669 pages of text, and all of its original content has been included because it "has appeared as a procedural issue at some point somewhere." The purpose of this gap is that organizations do not have to write extensive rules themselves. In addition, members of different organizations could refer to the same set of rules.

Contents of the current (11th) edition

The contents of the current (11th) edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), published in 2011, provide details of the types of groups using this book, the ways in which decisions might be made, and the various situations in where decisions are made.

The basics

The introduction to the book provides a historical overview of Rules of Procedure and contains the background and history of Robert's Rules of Order. The rules in the book are based on rights

  • the majority,
  • the minority (especially a strong minority of more than a third),
  • individual members,
  • Absent
  • and all of this together.

Some of the principles on which this book is based include:

  • only one question at a time
  • one person - one voice,
  • only members present can vote.

One group that uses this book is called a deliberative assembly. The types of deliberative gatherings are

  • a mass gathering
  • a local meeting of an organized association (local association or branch)
  • a conference
  • a legislative assembly
  • a board of directors (e.g. executive board / supervisory board).

An organization can have rules such as: B .:

  • Deed of foundation or contract of foundation,
  • a constitution or statute / statute,
  • rules of procedure ("special rules of order" and "parliamentary authority")
  • permanent arrangements
  • and customs / conventions.

To conduct business, groups have meetings or meetings that may be within a quarter of a year or further apart. The types of meetings are

  • regular meeting,
  • extraordinary meeting
  • Continuation of an adjourned meeting
  • Annual meeting
  • Closed session
  • public meeting
  • electronic gatherings.

A member of a deliberative assembly has the right

  • to attend the meetings,
  • To submit applications,
  • to speak in the debate
  • and vote.

The process of making a decision begins with a request, i. H. a suggestion to do something. The formal steps in processing the application are

  • submitting the application,
  • have a supporter
  • presenting / reading out the application,
  • the debate on the motion,
  • put the motion to the vote,
  • the announcement of the voting result.

Action can be taken informally / informally without going through these steps using consensus . When a decision is to be made, the basic principle of the decision is majority voting. In situations where more than a mere majority is required, a two-thirds majority , prior notice, or the approval of a majority of all members may be required.

Requests

The book provides details of key motions including the motion for ratification . In addition, the book lists other applications and provides details (including explanations, forms, and examples) about these applications. These include:

  • Subsidiary motions :
    • Postpone Indefinitely
    • Amendment (Amend)
    • Referral to a committee or working group (Commit or Refer)
    • Adjournment (Postpone to a Certain Time)
    • Limiting or extending the speaking time or the number of contributions per speaker (Limit or Extend Limits of Debate)
    • End the debate with an immediate vote (Previous Question)
    • Lay on the table
  • Privileged Motions:
    • Compliance with the agenda (Call for the Orders of the Day)
    • Request remediation of adverse circumstances (Raise a Question of Privilege)
    • Pause (recess)
    • To end the meeting (adjourn)
    • Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn
  • Casual applications (Incidental Motions):
    • point out a procedural error (point of order)
    • Appeal the decision of the chairman of the meeting
    • to deviate from the rules of procedure (Suspend the Rules)
    • Objection to the Consideration of a Question
    • Division of a Question
    • Discuss application section by section (Consideration by Paragraph or Seriatim)
    • Motions Relating to Methods of Voting and the Polls
    • Motions Relating to Nominations
    • Request to Be Excused from a Duty
    • Information (Requests and Inquiries)
      • Information on the procedure (Parliamentary Inquiry)
      • Information on a factual question (Request for Information)
      • Request for Permission (or Leave) to Withdraw or Modify a Motion
      • Request to Read Papers
      • Other request (Request for Any Other Privilege)
  • Applications that bring a question again before the meeting (Motions That Bring A Question Again Before An Assembly):
    • take up the put-aside application again (take from the table)
    • Rescind / Amend Something Previously Adopted
    • Application that has been referred to a committee to be removed from the committee's hands (Discharge a Committee)
    • Treat application again (Reconsider)

The details for each application include:

  • its purpose,
  • when it can be asked,
  • whether it can be discussed,
  • whether amendments can be made
  • what percentage of the vote is required for it to be accepted
  • and whether it can be treated again.

The order of priority - also called rank - is described in detail for each application.

Different subjects

The second half of the book covers various topics in detail. Here is a brief summary of these issues:

Depending on the situation, applications can be renewed or reintroduced. On the other hand, members should not use legitimate requests for delaying and abusive purposes and thereby waste time.

A quorum , or a minimum number of members, must be present at a meeting for it to be quorate. The topics to be included in a meeting can be listed on an agenda .

Any member can be given the chance to speak by giving them the floor and participating in the debate. The debate can be limited in number and duration and should be respectful of others at all times. The procedure is decided by voting; they can be done in a variety of ways, e.g. B. verbally, by standing up or by voting slip.

Positions in an organization can be filled through the process of nominations and elections. Each organization decides for itself which offices it has, at least present in a deliberative meeting of the meeting leader (usually "president" or "chairman") and a note taker. The recorder keeps the minutes of the results or the official records of the negotiations at each meeting . One of the duties of the incumbent is to report, such as the treasurer, the financial report. In addition, an organization can have a board of directors to conduct business on behalf of the organization. Incumbents and directors have only those decision-making powers that are assigned to them in the official documents of the organization. There may also be committees set up to work with the organization. The boards of directors and committees may also be required to report.

People can meet in mass gatherings for a specific purpose or cause. One purpose of a rally may be to establish a permanent association.

Every organization has its basic rules, which are contained in the statutes . The statutes can set out

  • the name of the organization,
  • their purpose
  • the requirements for members or office holders,
  • how meetings are scheduled
  • whether there are boards or committees (or both)
  • Which rules of procedure are used (at least in cases of doubt)
  • how the statutes can be changed

Representatives of the individual branches that make up the organization may meet as delegates at representative assemblies to conduct business on behalf of the organization. Representative assemblies can consist of several meetings and last several days and take place on an annual basis or at even greater intervals.

If members do not act according to the rain of the organization, disciplinary action is possible against them. The measures can range from a complaint to exclusion from the organization. Officials can be disciplined by removal from office.

Diagrams, tables and lists

The colored pages (which are marked with a gray stripe on the outer edge) at the back of the book contain the following diagrams, tables and lists:

  • I. Charts to determine when each Subsidiary and Privileged Application is admissible
  • II. Table of rules relating to applications
  • III. Sample formulations for submitting applications
  • IV. And V. Applications and procedural steps
  • VI. Requests that require a two-thirds majority
  • VII. Requests for which further processing is prohibited or restricted
  • VIII. Table of rules for counting ballot papers

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Slaughter, Jim; Ragsdale, Gaut; Ericson, Jon L .: Notes and Comments on Robert's Rules , 4th Edition, Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, ISBN 978-0-8093-3215-1 , p. 160
  2. ↑ Robert 2011, p. Xliii
  3. ↑ Historical Vignette 038 - An Army Engineer Brought Order to Church Meetings , November 2001, accessed November 25, 2015, published by: US Army Corps of Engineers - Office of History
  4. ^ Robert 2011, pp. Xxiv
  5. ^ Robert 2011, pp. Xxiv
  6. ↑ Robert 2011, p. Lii
  7. ↑ Robert 2011, pp. Xxix
  8. ^ Robert 2011, pp. Xxiv
  9. ^ Robert 2011, pp. Xxiv
  10. ↑ Robert 2011, p. Left
  11. ↑ Robert 2011, p. 263
  12. ↑ Robert 2011, p. 5
  13. ↑ Robert 2011, p. 3
  14. ^ Robert 2011, pp. Xxi-xxii