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Parliamentary Procedures Made Simple

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Parliamentary Procedures Made Simple Parliamentary Procedures Made Simple 03.14 CITY OF ORLANDO OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS INFORMING, CONNECTING AND INVOLVING ORLANDO CITIZENS The Neighborhood Relations team assists neighborhood organizations and residents in effectively accessing and using City services and other community resources. Our team organizes, supports, mentors and guides citizens and neighborhood organizations in their efforts to make and keep their neighborhood a great place to live, work, and play. Connecting citizens to City resources, leadership and volunteer training and technical assistance for associations are our primary services. HOW WE DO IT CITY NEWS: Neighborhood Happenings Section in the Mayor’s e-newsletter, City News, the Neighborhood Relations team produces the Neighborhood Happenings section. RESOURCE GUIDES: Provides brief descriptions of City departments, programs and services. NEIGHBORHOOD CHAMPION AWARD: Mayor Dyer created this award to recognize the contributions that neighborhood volunteers make to improve the quality of life in our City. Nominations for this award may be submitted throughout the year. The award is presented at the annual Neighborhood and Community Summit. MAYOR’S SPEAKERS BUREAU: The Mayor’s Speakers Bureau is used to keep citizens informed, engaged and knowledgeable about their City government. If you need a speaker for an association or civic meeting, call the Neighborhood Relations team at 407.246.2169. The Neighborhood Relations team manages speaking requests. 2 NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS WEBPAGE: The Neighborhood Relations team has an updated webpage with more resources and links for residents. Visit cityoforlando.net, Office of Communications and Neighborhood Relations and click on the Neighborhoods tab. NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES OCNR YEAR-ROUND TRAINING: Training dates, times and locations are flexible to meet the individual needs of the association and their boards. Examples of trainings: ■ Organizing a Neighborhood Association ■ Nuts & Bolts to Maintaining a Neighborhood Organization ■ Board of Director Roles & Responsibilities ■ Setting Goals & Objectives ■ Getting Things Done Through Volunteers & Committees ■ Running Meetings & Parliamentary Procedures ■ Project Management & Special Events NEIGHBORHOOD ■ Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution RELATIONS TEAM COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS WORKSHOPS: The Community Connections Workshops are offered in partnership MICHELE BRENNAN with Orange County. The workshops are designed to inform, Director of Communications and connect and involve citizens Neighborhood Relations and feature a variety 407.246.3845 or of topics of interest to [email protected] neighborhood organizations and residents. They are also a great opportunity for SUSAN HARRIS neighborhood leaders to Neighborhood Relations Manager interact and learn from one 407.246.2779 or another. They are held the [email protected] second Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. - 12 CINDY LIGHT p.m. at the Orange County Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator Internal Operations Center. 407.246.3245 or [email protected] MAYOR DYER’S NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY SUMMIT: The Neighborhood and Community Summit, held every spring, brings together neighborhood, REGGIE COLIMON arts & cultural, civic, community and faith-based leaders and Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator volunteers to share information on community building and 407.246.2070 or civic engagement. It also provides an opportunity to learn [email protected] more about City programs, initiatives and resources that will help guide neighborhood and community organizations JENNIFER CHAPIN towards making a greater impact in our community. A variety of neighborhood engagement workshops, best practices and Neighborhood Resource Coordinator networking opportunities are available for attendees. 407.246.3846 or [email protected] 3 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES To know parliamentary procedure involves a frame of mind and a basic attitude about fairness. Parliamentary procedure is freedom in action. Parliamentary procedure is a set of rules, which, if used correctly, help groups run meetings without confusion and without waste of time or effort. WHAT IS PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE? AS AN ORGANIZATION LEADER, HERE ARE SOME OF THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES Your organization should RULES YOU NEED TO KNOW. purchase a parliamentary ■ All members are equal. procedures manual. ■ Every member has the right to introduce business, The most widely used to participate in deliberations and to vote; one and referenced guide is member, one vote. “Robert’s Rules of Order, ■ A quorum must be present; the quorum is the Newly Revised”, 11th number it takes to conduct business and is usually Edition, which may be outlined in the organization bylaws. purchased at a book store ■ Making motions is the way to bring business or online. Treat “Robert’s forward for action by the organization. Once the Rules of Order,“ Newly Revised, 11th Edition, motion has been seconded and then stated by the as a reference manual instead of attempting president or chair presiding over the meeting, the to read it from front to back. The rationale motion is “owned” by the whole group and not the behind parliamentary procedure is essentially person who made the motion. the foundation of the democratic society. ■ Only one main topic can be before the board or THREE BASIC CONCEPTS organization at one time and only one person may have the floor at any one time. • All persons in the group are equal; the rights ■ Boards and organizations debate and vote on of one are the rights of all. issues; personal remarks are always out of order; •The will of the majority will be carried out, always debate the issue not the person. but only after the minority has had a fair ■ A majority vote decides. chance to have its say. ■ A 2/3 vote is required if a member’s rights are involved. • Common sense. ■ If the vote is tied, the motion fails. ■ A motion voted upon cannot be brought up again BASIC PRINCIPLES at the same meeting except by the motion to • Courtesy to all. reconsider; the only way a motion that passed can be “undone” at another meeting is by the motion • One item at a time. to rescind, and this motion has certain limitations. • Majority rule. See “Robert’s Rules of Order”, Newly Revised,11th • Respect for the rights of the minority. Edition, for specifics. ■ Silence gives consent; any member who does not • Partiality for none. speak when an issue is presented and votes for the • Protection of the absentee. issue or does not vote, gives his/her permission. 4 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES HOW TO MAKE A MOTION The motion should be complete and simple. A motion should include all information necessary for the members/ board to make an intelligent decision. STEPS USED IN MAKING A MOTION: 1. Member addresses the president or chair. MOTION SHOULD INCLUDE: 2. President/chair recognizes the member. WHAT What exactly is to be done? 3. Member makes a motion (ideally the motion should be in writing to ensure it is recorded correctly WHO in the minutes). Who will do what needs to be done? 4. Another member seconds the motion – second is WHEN used to say that there is more than one person who When is “it” to be done? wishes to talk about it…it does not always mean the seconder is in agreement with the motion…just that HOW the seconder wants to discuss it. How much will it cost and where will the funds come from? 5. President/chair states the motion. “It has been moved and seconded…”. 6. President/chair asks for discussion. WHEN DISCUSSING THE MOTION, HERE A FEW 7. President/chair takes the vote, “all of those in PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE GUIDELINES: favor say aye…those opposed say no”. ■ The debate should be shared equally in discussion 8. President/chair announces the results of the vote. – those speaking for and those speaking against. ■ 9. The actual motion and results of the vote need to A person may speak only once until all who wish be recorded in association minutes. to speak have spoken and then a person may speak again. A person may not yield their time A motion is officially before the board or organization in deliberative organizations. A deliberative when it is stated by the president/chair. The motion is organization is comprised of members that use now “owned” by the group and doesn’t “belong” to the parliamentary procedure for making decisions. member that made the motion. ■ The person making the motion may vote against the motion but should not speak against it unless it has been amended and the basic premise has changed. ■ When another motion is proposed to the main motion, i.e. an amendment, a person may speak again on this motion even if he/she has spoken on the previous motion. ■ When making a motion to amend the main motion, it is not appropriate or necessary to ask permission from the member who made the main motion. Remember as soon as the president/chair states the motion, the motion now belongs to the whole group. ■ Profanity and disorderly language or gestures at meetings are prohibited. 5 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES HOW TO AMEND... ... A MOTION ... AN AMENDMENT An amendment to a motion is made by Only two amendments may be offered as following the same steps in making a motion. motions before one of them must be voted Once the chairman recognizes the member, upon. Only one motion at a time may be the member states the amending motion discussed; and they are voted upon in order, by saying how he/she wants to change the beginning with the last motion made. first or main motion. An amendment must be MAIN MOTION “I MOVE THAT. .” made before the final vote is taken. 1st Amendment: “I move to amend the motion by AMENDMENTS MAY BE MADE IN ANY ONE OF adding . .” THREE WAYS: 2nd Amendment: “I move to amend the amendment ■ Adding words. by substituting . .” ■ Dropping words. The second amendment is discussed and voted upon ■ Substituting new words for some of the original first; if it is passed, then the first amendment will be words.
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