By Beth Christian
Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – “Roberts Rules of Order” is the usual guidelines folks use when conducting a business meeting – John J. Sorrenti, from the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office, spoke with Tucker County residents recently and suggested they run meeting using the rules of order and procedures for small boards instead.
Sorrenti told folks the can use these procedures when they adopt them for use in running their meetings, where boards have 15 or less members. He said the procedures are listed in “Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised, page 405-406.
“Roberts Rules of Order was written in 1876 to make order of the chaos of public meetings,” Sorrenti said. “It has been revised several times, but the basis of it is still there. Parliamentary procedure is a set of rules for the conduct of meetings that allows everyone to be heard and to make decisions without confusion. That is the whole basis.”
Sorrenti said in the procedures in small boards that members are not required to obtain the floor before making motions or speaking, which they can do while seated; motions need not be seconded; there is no limit to the number of times a member can speak to a question, and motions to close or limit debate generally should not be entertained; informal discussion of a subject is permitted while no motion is pending; the chairperson need not rise while putting questions to vote; and the chairperson can speak in discussion without rising or leaving the chair; and, subject to rule or custom within the particular board, the chair usually can make motions and usually votes on all questions.
He said the five most helpful words during a meeting are, “If there is no objection.” Sorrenti also said to make sure when minutes are typed, they are marked, “draft” until they are approved by the board at the next meeting.
Sorrenti reminded attendees to make a motion, the correct verbiage is “I move that,” and state the motion. “Don’t be lazy, and don’t make negative motions,” Sorrenti said. “The mover of a motion may not speak against his or her own motion, although the mover may vote against it. The mover need not speak at all, but when speaking, it must be in favor of the motion. If during the debate, the mover changes his or her mind, he or she can inform the meeting of the fact by asking the meetings permission to withdraw the motion.”
Sorrenti offered procedures used in meetings, debate on motions, subsidiary motions, amendments to motions, points of privilege, privileged motions, points of order, incidental motions, reconsidering a motion, rescinding a motion, taking a motion from the table, what to include in minutes and the order of business.
Sorrenti is a training specialist and is available for training for city and county governments. He conducts training in dealing with difficult people, time management, stress management, communications and “Roberts Rules of Order.” He can be contacted by email at jsorrenti5@comcast.net.
