council on legislation review committee 19-21 january 2005 meeting ray klinginsmith, missouri, usa,...

Council on Legislation Review Committee19-21 January 2005 Meeting

Ray Klinginsmith, Missouri, USA, Committee Chair(Parliamentarian 2004 and 1992 Councils, Chair of the 1998 Council, former C&B Chair)

Eric Adamson, Virginia, USA(Member-at-Large 2004 Council, former C&B Chair)

Rudolf Hörndler, Germany(Chief Sergeant-at-Arms 2004 Council, former C&B Chair)

David Ho, Malaysia(District Representative 2004 Council)

Brian Knowles, Queensland, Australia(Parliamentarian 1998 Council, Vice-Chair 1995 Council, Sergeant-at-Arms 1986 Council)

Jose Antonio Salazar C., Liaison Director

The Committee considered items referred to it by the RI Board concerning the Council and reported back to the Board in March 2005.

The Committee agreed upon the Council’s strengths and weaknesses.

Council Strengths

The democratic nature of the Council All representatives have an equal voice and an

equal vote, regardless of the size of their districts The Council provides a balance of cultures in

determining the underlying structure and governance of Rotary

Representation from every district fosters a sense of identification with the organization’s goals at the grassroots level

The Council demonstrates and promotes a very profound sense of international understanding

The Council on Legislation’s Major Weakness

Too much time is spent on unimportant items and not enough time is available

for important items of legislation!

Council on Legislation 1977-2004

Total Proposals

114 117

196254

188

342

196

282

631

476

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700Number of Proposals

1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004

Council Year

227 196326 283

1093

631 628476

0

200

400

600

800

1000


1995 1998 2001 2004

Council Year

Legislation Received (Total Proposals) Proposals Transmitted to Council

Legislation Received (Total Proposals) Vs. Proposals Transmitted to Council COL 1995 - 2004

The Council on Legislation Review Committee made over 40 recommendations to the RI Board.

These recommendations will require action from

RI Board Constitution & Bylaws Committee Council Operations Committee Council on Legislation

The RI Board has asked the zone institutes for feedback

on five of the Committee’s recommendations

Better Legislation

Better Debate

Better Results

Single Most Important Recommendation:

Advance the deadline for legislation by one year

Now 30 June the year before the Council Move it to 1 July the year before the Council

Example:

The deadline for legislation would be 1 July 2008 for the 2010 Council

Committee’s Expected Benefits

Adequate time for the Constitution & Bylaws Committee to: Review items of legislation for defects and deficiencies in order

to avoid the transmittal of defective or deficient items to the Council

Help the proposers correct their legislation that is defective and/or deficient

Work with the proposers to consolidate items of legislation that are substantially similar

Submit alternate legislation for substantially similar items when the proposers will not consent to consolidation of their items

Draft the purpose and effect statements and the financial impact statements in time for review by the proposers

Expected Benefits (continued)

Adequate time for translation of legislation and other materials into English and then into the other languages used at the Council meeting


Adequate time for all legislation to be placed in final form, including amendments by the proposers, by 31 March in the year preceding the Council, thereby avoiding the need for a second book of legislation.


Adequate time for the legislation books to be published in the order of consideration recommended by the Council Operations Committee.


Adequate time for the legislation books to be published by 15 August in the year of the Council for use at the Zone Institutes held prior to the Council.


A savings in time at the Council by the transmittal and consideration of better prepared items of legislation.

Comparison of Timetables for the Council on Legislation

Activities Current Timetable

(1998-2007)

Proposed Timetable

(after 2007)Submission of proposed legislation by clubs and districts

Two Years

1 July of Year 1

to 30 June of Year 2

One Year

1 July of Year 1

to 1 July of Year 2

Processing of legislationTranslation of proposals Review by C&B Committee for defects and deficiencies Counseling proposers on correcting defects and deficiencies Seeking agreement to consolidate proposals Preparation of alternate legislation Development of Purpose & Effect statements and Financial Impact Statements Etc.

Three Months (after deadline)

1 July of Year 3

to 30 September of Year 3

Nine Months (after deadline)

1 July of Year 2

to 31 March of Year 2

Translation and production of Volume 1 of Proposed Legislation

Three Months

1 October of Year 3

to 31 December of Year 3

Four Months

1 April of Year 2

to 15 August of Year 3

Production of Volume 2 of Proposed Legislation

Four Months Not Needed

Production of Binders in the Order of Consideration

Two Months Not Needed

Other Recommendations

To impose a maximum of five legislative items per district.


This rule will help reduce legislation to a quantity that can be handled effectively and fairly by a five-day meeting of the Council

Had this rule been in place for the 2004 Council, it would have eliminated almost 100 pieces of legislation from consideration

Better proposals and less duplication because each district would only submit its five best pieces

Less frustration by the Council with those representatives who are burdened with too many presentations and thereby become unpopular for taking too much of the Council’s time

23 Districts Submitted More Than Five Pieces of Legislation to the 2004 Council

In total, these submissions amounted to 212

of the 628 items proposed for consideration by

the Council. Put another way, 4% of districts

proposed 34% of the items.

23 Districts Submitted More Than Five Pieces of Legislation to the 2004 Council (continued)

Of these 23 districts: 7 had only 2 items adopted 6 had only 1 item adopted 6 had no items adopted

Other Recommendations (continued)

To restrict proposed resolutions to legislative acts that involve matters of policy and to eliminate any requests for administrative acts that may be submitted as Memorials to the Board.

The Committee noted that perhaps a better name for Memorials to the Board should be developed, such as “Petitions to the Board” (page 110 of the MOP).

Number of Proposed Resolutions

COL 1995-2004

37

86

243 226

0

50

100

150

200

250


1995 1998 2001 2004

Council Year


Reduce the quantity of legislative items moving forward to the Council

Clubs and districts seeking administrative changes would receive a more rapid response to their suggestions and requests through memorials to the RI Board, since the Board meets four times a year, but the Council meets only once in three years

Eliminate resolutions dealing solely with administrative matters, as opposed to legislative matters, most of which the Committee noted are not deserving of legislative debate

Committee’s Expected Benefits (continued)

Avoid what the Committee perceived to be a wasted motion in merely asking the Board to take specified administrative actions, which the Board is free to accept or reject

Utilize the available time for consideration of general policies and new programs that shape the future of Rotary


To provide a screening device through which the Council may conduct a preliminary vote, as each item is called, to determine if the item should be considered immediately or be tabled for possible consideration later in the Council.


Allow the Council the ability to give full and fair consideration to important items as they appear in the order of consideration, while tabling less important items until the Council decides whether there is time to debate them

Permit the Council to decide which items are most important on a rolling basis as the items are called for consideration, since the Council will have knowledge of all its actions and attitudes up to that point in time

Provide for any specific items that have been tabled by the screening process to be brought back to the floor for consideration by a simple majority vote of the Council


Require use of the nominating committee procedure to elect Council representatives and alternates, unless the RI Board grants an exception.


A better balance of experienced representatives and first-time representatives

A greater number of representatives who have attended previous Councils and thereby learned to be better advocates for the items sponsored or endorsed by their districts

An increase in the likelihood of districts following the Board’s guidelines for electing representatives

A greater number of representatives who have attended previous Councils

A greater likelihood of representatives being selected solely on merit

Better LegislationBetter DebateBetter Results

council on legislation review committee 19-21 january 2005 meeting ray klinginsmith, missouri, usa,...

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