1

CONTENTIOUS MEETINGS

Presented by: Ralph McMullen, MPA

President, First Nevada Unit of the National Association of Parliamentarians

How Robert’s Rules of Order can help you be prepared.

2

3

The Chair should understand all the organization’s Governing Documents

• National, State, & Open Meeting Laws

• Corporate Charter & Constitution

• Bylaws• Robert’s Rules of

Order• Standing Rules• Historical

4

Know your members• Are they updated on

the business of the meeting?

• Who are your leaders?• Who are the people

likely to cause an issue & what can you do ahead of time to ease them?

5

Location, Location, Location

Parking? Stairs? Check – in?

Restrooms? Refreshments? Visuals?

Audio? Seating? Temperature?

6

Determine Proper meeting Duration

• Try to get as many things handled early in committee.

• Always insure you can go over the schedule time with location, nothing is worse then rescheduling due to one item of business not being completed.

• Build in short breaks for long meetings like a convention.

• Get a speaker to talk during times when business can’t be conducted (like during credentialing or voting)

7

Tactical AGENDA• Creating & Adopting an

Agenda with the items placed in the right order is VERY important.

• Time-Certain Agendas can lend structure & urgency to meetings.

• Plan relief, speakers, committee reports, training, etc. to break up possible contentious issues.

• Note-members have the right to get on the Agenda through the Secretary.

• Majority adopts the Agenda, but it takes 2/3 to modify it.

8

Sample Meeting Agenda(Excerpted from Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised Edition)

I. CALL TO ORDERII. Opening Ceremony or Exercise (Invocation)III. Roll CallIV. Reading and Approval of MinutesV. Reports of Officers, Boards, and Standing (permanently established)

CommitteesVI. Reports of Special (committees appointed to exist only until they have

completed a specified task) Committees (announced only if such committees are prepared or instructed to report)

VII. Special Orders - Important business previously designated for consideration at this meeting(announced only if there are special orders)

VIII. Unfinished Business and General Orders (matters previously introduced which have come over from the preceding meeting)

IX. New Business (matters initiated in the present meeting)X. Good of the Order - time set aside for members to offer comments

without formal motions about the society, this is usually when resolution or disciplinary charges can be brought forward for the body to hear.

XI. AnnouncementsXII. Program (if a program or a speaker is planned for the meeting*)XIII. Adjourn

9

CALL TO MEETING

• Educate on the issues using the call or even better newsletters well before the meeting so members have time to get educated on the issues.

• Early mailings can get lost, late mailings are harder for members to plan. You are looking for the Goldilocks mailing.

• If it is very important to get your members to the meeting consider auto-dialers or phone trees to increase your turn out.

10

Consider enlisting a Whip• It’s always helpful to know

what is to be expected of the turnout & how close some of these issues will be.

• Will you be able to make quorum?

• The whip can direct you to who the Chair should mix with ahead of time to get a feel of the terrain & mood of the assembly.

• The whip can let you know who is behind the Chair & who are swing votes.

11

It’s Time to Start the Meeting, what do I do now!

• Don’t Panic, you are the most prepared member here.

• Start on time, don’t start off behind the 8 ball.

• Stick to the Agenda, you worked hard to plan it out, follow it.

• Make sure the easy stuff is handled; prayer, pledge, etc.

• Note any amendments to the Agenda.

12

Keep things running smoothly & quickly

• Repeat the motion before asking for debate.

• Repeat the motion again & what the effect of the motion will be prior to calling for the vote.

• Disruptive non-members maybe removed by the Chair alone, but is subject to appeal.

13

Maintaining Decorum

• Calling a member to order:– Chair – “The member

is out of order & will be seated.”

– Member – “Chairman, I call the member to order.”

• The Chair or a member can move to order a penalty:– Apology (Majority)– Censure (Majority)– Leave the meeting

(Majority)– Suspended from the

Organization (Majority)– Expelled from the

Organization (2/3 Vote)– Trial is only necessary if

this is attempted after the meeting where the offense was committed.

14

Adjourning

• If you need more time to complete the business ask for it:– Without objection =

100%

– Suspend the rules = 2/3

• Otherwise, adjourn on time.

• If the business is finished & it’s in the best interest of the assembly-Adjourn.

• If it’s not in the best interest of the assembly-Ask for additional interest in new business.