Product Description

Written by a Professional Registered Parliamentarian, this book is essentially a basic course in parliamentary procedure, written for beginners and others who want to sharpen their skills. Much more than a list of the rules, this book explains key words and phrases, and provides common examples, samples of rules, reports, minutes, actual language to use, and quizzes to test your knowledge.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2816491 in Books
• Published on: 1994-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

From the Author
This fifth edition of the Workbook is expanded from previous editions in examples and quizzes. Much of the correspondence that the author and publisher have received about the book has been about these two sections. New quizzes are included for those teachers of parliamentary procedure who have used the book for many years in their classes through several editions.

The book is used throughout the United States in high schools, colleges, clubs, associations, and local governmental bodies for basic instruction in parliamentary rules. You might have become familiar with it during a visit to your local library. Internationally, the book is now known in Canada, Mexico, Germany and other European countries. We have been very gratified at the response in this regard.

The author is very pleased to present this fifth edition. There is an evident need for basic instruction in this important subject. Young people begin to learn about government very early in school, and soon learn that democracy can be achieved easily in their clubs by the use of parliamentary procedure.

During the process of learning parliamentary procedure students of all ages gain self-confidence in public speaking and making logical and persuasive statements in debate. The study of parliamentary procedure is valuable in the development of future community leaders.

How To Use This Book:

1) Read the prepared text, Section One.

2) Find Key words and phrases in the text or in the glossary.

3) Refer to Examples, Section Two, for the portion of the text you are

studying.

4) Test your knowledge, using the Quizzes in Section Three.

5) Check your answers to the quizzes by rereading the text or use the Answer Key.

Two charts are provided for ready reference to the rules relating to motions.

The Glossary will help you to learn parliamentary terminology.

Language of the Presiding Officer, page 73, gives the correct wording for chairing a meeting and handling motions.

Where key words or phrases are given, look them up in the text or the glossary for a better understanding.

This workbook is a basic course. For more information and a more advanced explanation of all the parliamentary rules, consult Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised.

This workbook is designed for beginners in parliamentary procedure and others who have had classes in the past and who want to sharpen their meeting skills. The text is basic, or elementary, parliamentary procedure. For new presidents, Guide For the Presiding Officer is available. See order form at the back of this book.

A Professional Registered Parliamentarian is an expert in parliamentary rules and procedure who can help the student to understand parliamentary procedure as used by modern organizations.

About the Author
Joyce L. Stephens is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian and a Professional Parliamentary Specialist. She has served as president of the Florida State Association of Parliamentarians and as national president of The Academy of Parliamentary Procedure and Law. She is a State of Florida certified provider of continuing education for association managers. She teaches workshops for the Florida Institute of Government at the University of South Florida. She is a consultant on all aspects of parliamentary law. Her books have received acclaim from the public, parliamentarians, and from libraries and retail sources. She has been serving as a professional parliamentarian for nineteen years. This book will give you the benefit of her experience.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
FROM CHAPTER ONE How the Chair Handles the Order of Business

1. Call to order. With one rap of the gavel the chair calls the meeting to order: "The meeting will come to order." It is the duty of the chair to call the meeting to order on time.

2. Opening exercises. The invocation or prayer always precedes the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, after which any other opening exercises are in order.

3. Reading and approval of the minutes. 'Robert's Rules' begins the order of business here. "The secretary will read the minutes of the previous meeting." "Are there any corrections to the minutes?" (avoid redundancies such as 'are there any corrections or additions') "Are there any further corrections to the minutes?" If no corrections: "The minutes are approved as read." If corrections: "The minutes are approved as corrected."

4. Reports of officers, boards, and standing committees. The officers and standing committees report in the order in which they are listed in the bylaws. The Report of the Treasurer goes here. "The next business in order is the Report of the Treasurer. (or Financial Report.)" "Are there any questions on the Treasurer's report?" "The report will be filed." "The next business in order is reports of standing committees. Mrs. Andrews will report for the committee."

5. Reports of special committees. Only those scheduled to report should be called upon. "The special committee on "E" will report.--Mr. Johnson."

6. Special orders.* "At the (date) meeting the motion "E" was made a special order for this meeting. The chair recognizes Mr. Fortune." * Matters which the bylaws require to be considered at a particular meeting are also Special Orders.

7. Unfinished business and General orders.* The chair does not ask for unfinished business. The chair will know whether something was postponed until this meeting. "At the September meeting consideration of "E" was postponed to this meeting." Is there any discussion?"* Bylaw amendments are also General orders.

8. New business. "Is there any new business?" (See text for handling motions.)

9. Announcements. "Are there any announcements?"

10. Adjournment. "If there is no objection and no further business the meeting will be adjourned." "Since there is no objection and no further business, the meeting is adjourned." or "The Chair declares the meeting adjourned."

Items may be added to the agenda in the appropriate places. The order of business is a generic agenda. This is usually used when the meeting is small with little business to consider. If the meeting is large or complicated, the agenda will have additional items, sometimes in great detail. All items of business will come up under a class of business on the generic agenda.