Robert's Rules of Order Regarding Dispense Reading of Minutes
Fine art. X. The Officers and the Minutes.
- 58. Chairman or President
- 59. Secretary or Clerk
- 60. The Minutes
- 61. Executive Secretary
- 62. Treasurer
58. Chairman or President. The presiding officeholder, when no special championship has been assigned him, is ordinarily called the Chairman, or the President, or, especially in religious assemblies, the Moderator. In organized societies the constitution always prescribes his title, that of President beingness most common. In debate he is referred to by his official title and is addressed by prefixing Mr. or Madam, equally the example may be, to that title. In referring to himself he should never employ the personal pronoun; he more often than not says, "the chair," which means the presiding officer of the assembly, regardless of whether his position is permanent or temporary. If his position is simply temporary he is called the chairman.
His duties are by and large equally follows: To open the session at the time at which the assembly is to encounter, by taking the chair and calling the members to order; to denote the business before the assembly in the order in which it is to be acted upon [65]; to recognize members entitled to the floor [3]; to land [half dozen] and to put to vote [nine] all questions which are regularly moved, or necessarily arise in the grade of the proceedings, and to announce the result of the vote; to protect the assembly from badgerer from evidently frivolous or dilatory motions past refusing to recognize them [xl]; to aid in the expediting of business in every way compatible with the rights of the members, as by assuasive cursory remarks when undebatable motions are pending, if he thinks it appropriate; to restrain the members when engaged in debate, within the rules of social club; to enforce on all occasions the observance of order and decorum among the members, deciding all questions of social club (subject field to an appeal to the assembly by whatsoever two members) unless when in incertitude he prefers to submit the question for the decision of the assembly [21]; to inform the assembly, when necessary, or when referred to for the purpose, on a point of gild or practice pertinent to pending business; to authenticate, by his signature, when necessary, all the acts, orders, and proceedings of the assembly declaring its will and in all things obeying its commands.
In case of fire, riot, or very serious disorder, or other great emergency, the chair has the correct and the duty to declare the assembly adjourned to some other time (and place if necessary), if information technology is impracticable to take a vote, or in his opinion, dangerous to filibuster for a vote.
The chairman should rise to put a question to vote, except in very pocket-sized assemblies, such as boards or committees, but may land information technology sitting; he should besides rise from his seat (without calling any ane to the chair) when giving his reasons for his conclusion upon a signal of lodge, or when speaking upon an appeal, which he can do in preference to other members. During argue he should be seated and pay attention to the speaker, who is required to address his remarks to the presiding officeholder. He should always refer to himself every bit "the chair," thus, "The chair decides," etc., not "I decide," etc. When a member has the floor, the chairman cannot interrupt him excepting equally provided in 3, so long equally he does not transgress any of the rules of the assembly.
If a fellow member of the assembly, he is entitled to vote when the vote is by ballot (simply not after the tellers take commenced to count the ballots), and in all other cases where the vote would alter the issue. Thus, in a case where a two-thirds vote is necessary, and his vote thrown with the minority would prevent the adoption of the question, he can bandage his vote; so, also, he can vote with the minority when it volition produce a tie vote and thus cause the motion to fail; just he cannot vote twice, get-go to make a necktie, then to give the casting vote. Whenever a motion is made referring to the chairman only, or which compliments or condemns him with others, it should be put to vote by the Vice President if in the room, or past the Secretary, or on their failure to do so, by the maker of the motion. The chair should non hesitate to put the question on a motion to appoint delegates or a committee on account of his being included.
The chairman cannot close fence unless by order of the assembly, which requires a two-thirds vote; nor can he prevent the making of legitimate motions by hurrying through the proceedings. If members are reasonably prompt in exercising their right to speak or make motions, the chair cannot forbid their doing so. If he has hurriedly taken and announced a vote while a member is rising to address the chair, the vote is null and void, and the member must be recognized. On the other hand the chairman should not permit the object of a coming together to be defeated by a few factious persons using parliamentary forms with the axiomatic object of obstructing business. In such a instance he should reject to entertain the dilatory or frivolous motion, and, if an appeal is taken, he should entertain it, and, if sustained past a large majority he may afterwards refuse to entertain even an appeal made by the faction when evidently fabricated merely to obstruct business. Merely the chair should never adopt such a course simply to expedite business concern, when the opposition is not factious. It is only justifiable when it is perfectly articulate that the opposition is trying to obstruct business concern. [See Dilatory Motions, 40].
If it is necessary for the chairman to vacate the chair the first Vice President, if there is ane, should take the chair, and in his absence the side by side i in society should take information technology. If there is no vice president in the hall, then the chairman may, if it is necessary to vacate the chair, engage a chairman pro tem., merely the first adjournment puts an end to the appointment, which the assembly can stop before, if information technology pleases, by electing another chairman. But the regular chairman, knowing that he will exist absent from a future meeting, cannot qualify another member to human activity in his place at such meeting; the secretary, or, in his absenteeism, some other member should in such case call the meeting to order, and a chairman pro tem. be elected who would agree office during that session, unless such function is terminated by the entrance of the president or a vice president, or by the election of another chairman pro tem., which may be done by a bulk vote.
The chairman sometimes calls a member to the chair and takes part in the debate. This should rarely be done, and nothing can justify it in a case where much feeling is shown and in that location is a liability to difficulty in preserving lodge. If the chairman has even the appearance of existence a partisan, he loses much of his power to command those who are on the opposite side of the question. At that place is nothing to justify the unfortunate addiction some chairmen accept of constantly speaking on questions before the associates, fifty-fifty interrupting the member who has the floor. One who expects to take an active part in debate should never have the chair, or at least should not resume the chair, afterwards having made his spoken language, until after the awaiting question is disposed of.1 The presiding officer of a large assembly should never be called for any reason except his ability to preside.
The chairman should non only exist familiar with parliamentary usage, and set the example of strict conformity thereto, but he should be a man of executive power, capable of controlling men. He should fix an example of courtesy, and should never forget that to command others it is necessary to control ane's self. A nervous, excited chairman can scarcely neglect to cause trouble in a meeting. No rules will take the place of tact and common sense on the part of the chairman. While usually he demand non wait for motions of routine, or for a move to be seconded when he knows it is favored by others, yet if this is objected to, it is safer instantly to require the forms of parliamentary law to exist observed. Past general consent many things tin can be done that volition salvage much fourth dimension [run into 48], but where the associates is very large, or is divided and contains members who are habitually raising points of order, the near expeditious and safe course is to enforce strictly all the rules and forms of parliamentary police. He should exist especially careful after every movement is fabricated and every vote is taken to announce the next business organization in club. Whenever an improper movement is made, instead of simply ruling it out of society, it is well for the chairman to suggest how the desired object can exist accomplished. [See "Hints to Inexperienced Chairman" below.]
The by-laws sometimes state that the president shall appoint all committees. In such case the assembly may authorize committees, simply cannot engage or nominate them. The president, however, cannot appoint whatever committees except those authorized by the by-laws or by a vote of the assembly. Sometimes the by-laws brand the president ex-officio a member of every committee. Where this is done he has the rights of other members of the committees but non the obligation to attend every committee meeting. [Encounter 51.]
A chairman will oftentimes find himself perplexed with the difficulties attending his position, and in such cases he volition do well to call up that parliamentary police was made for deliberative assemblies, and non the assemblies for parliamentary constabulary. This is well expressed past a distinguished English language writer on parliamentary law, thus: "The bang-up purpose of all rules and forms is to subserve the will of the associates rather than to restrain it; to facilitate, and not to obstruct, the expression of their deliberative sense."
Additional Duties of the President of a Society, and the Vice Presidents. In addition to his duties as presiding officer, in many societies the president has duties as an administrative or executive officer. Where this is desired, the by-laws should clearly fix forth these duties, equally they are outside of his duties as presiding officer of the assembly, and practise not come within the telescopic of parliamentary police.
The same is true of vice presidents. Sometimes they have charge of different departments of piece of work and they should be chosen with those duties in view equally prescribed by the past-laws. It must not exist forgotten that in the case of the absenteeism of the president the first vice president must preside, and in case of the affliction or resignation or death of the president that the kickoff vice president becomes president for the unexpired term, unless the rules specify how vacancies shall exist filled. In such case the second vice president becomes the first, and then on. It is a mistake to elect a vice president who is not competent to perform the duties of president.
Hints to Inexperienced Chairmen. While in the chair, have beside you your Constitution, By-laws, and Rules of Lodge, which should be studied until you are perfectly familiar with them. You cannot tell the moment you may need this knowledge. If a fellow member asks what move to brand in order to attain a sure object, you should be able to tell him at in one case. [10.] You should memorize the list of ordinary motions arranged in their society of precedence, and should exist able to refer to the Tabular array of Rules so quickly that there will be no delay in deciding all points independent in it. Become familiar with the start ten sections of these Rules; they are simple, and will enable you more than quickly to master parliamentary police force. Read advisedly sections 69-71, so as to become accustomed to the ordinary methods of conducting concern in deliberative assemblies. Detect that there are different ways of doing the same thing, all of which are commanded.
You should know all the business organization to come up regularly before the meeting, and phone call for it in its regular order. Have with you a listing of members of all committees, to guide you in nominating new committees.
When a motion is made, do not recognize whatever member or allow whatsoever i to speak until the motility is seconded and you have stated the question; or, in example of there being no second and no response to your call for a second, until you accept announced that fact; except in case of a primary motion earlier it is seconded or stated some i rises and says he rises to move a reconsideration, or to recollect the movement to reconsider, or to move to take a question from the tabular array. In any of these cases you should recognize the interrupting member as entitled to the floor [3]. If you have made a mistake and assigned the flooring to the wrong person, or recognized a motion that was not in gild, correct the mistake as soon equally your attention is called to it. So, when a vote is taken, announce the result and also what question, if whatever, is then pending, before recognizing any member that addresses the chair. Never look for mere routine motions to be seconded, when you know no one objects to them. [See 8.]
If a member ignorantly makes an improper movement, do not rule it out of club, but courteously propose the proper one. If information technology is moved "to lay the question on the table until 3 P.1000.," equally the motility is improper, ask if the intention is "to postpone the question to 3 P.M.;" if the reply is yeah, and then state that the question is on the postponement to that fourth dimension. If information technology is moved simply "to postpone the question," without stating the time, do not rule it out of gild, but ask the mover if he wishes "to postpone the question indefinitely" (which kills it), or "to lay it on the tabular array" (which enables information technology to exist taken up at whatever other time); then state the question in accordance with the motion he intended to make. And then, if after a report has been presented and read, a member moves that "it exist received," ask him if he ways to movement "its adoption" (or "acceptance," which is the same thing), as the report has been already received. No vote should be taken on receiving a report, which simply brings it before the assembly, and allows it to be read, unless some one objects to its reception.
The chairman of a committee usually has the nigh to say in reference to questions before the committee; but the chairman of an ordinary deliberative assembly, specially a big one, should, of all the members, have the least to say upon the merits of awaiting questions.
Never interrupt members while speaking, just because you know more about the thing than they practice; never go excited; never be unjust to the most troublesome member, or take reward of his ignorance of parliamentary law, even though a temporary good is accomplished thereby.
Know all about parliamentary police force, but practice not endeavor to show off your knowledge. Never be technical, or more than strict than is absolutely necessary for the skillful of the meeting. Use your judgment; the associates may exist of such a nature through its ignorance of parliamentary usages and peaceable disposition, that a strict enforcement of the rules, instead of assisting, would profoundly hinder business; merely in large assemblies, where there is much work to be done, and specially where there is liability to trouble, the only safe course is to require a strict observance of the rules.
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1. "Though the Speaker (Chairman) may of right speak to matters of society and exist first heard, he is restrained from speaking on whatever other subject area except where the Business firm have occasion for facts within his knowledge; then he may, with their leave, state the thing of fact." [Jefferson's Manual, sec. XVII.]
"Information technology is a full general rule in all deliberative assemblies, that the presiding officeholder shall non participate in the debate or other proceedings, in any other capacity than as such officeholder. He is only immune, therefore, to country matters of fact within his knowledge; to inform the assembly on points of order or the form of proceeding when called upon for that purpose, or when he finds it necessary to do so; and, on appeals from his decision on questions of social club, to accost the associates in fence. [Cushing'southward Manual, §202.]
59. Secretary, or Clerk. The recording officer is variously called Clerk, or Secretarial assistant, or Recording Secretary (where there is also a Corresponding Secretary), or Recorder, or Scribe, etc. The secretary is the recording officer of the assembly and the custodian of its records except such as are specifically assigned to others, as the treasurer'southward books. These records are open, notwithstanding, to inspection by any member at reasonable times, and where a commission needs whatever records of a club for the proper performance of its duties, they should be turned over to its chairman. The aforementioned principle applies in boards and committees, their records existence accessible to members of the board or committee, as the example may be, but to no others.
In addition to keeping the records of the order and the minutes of the meetings, it is the duty of the secretary to continue a register, or whorl, of the members and to call the gyre when required; to notify officers, committees, and delegates of their engagement, and to replenish committees with all papers referred to them, and delegates with credentials; and to sign with the president all orders on the treasurer authorized by the gild, unless otherwise specified in the by-laws. He should also go along ane volume in which the constitution, by-laws, rules of order, and standing rules should all be written, leaving every other page blank; and whenever an amendment is made to any of them, in improver to being recorded in the minutes information technology should be immediately entered on the page opposite to the article amended, with a reference, in blood-red ink, to the date and page of the minutes where it is recorded.
In add-on to the above duties, when there is merely 1 secretarial assistant, information technology is his duty to send out proper notices of all chosen meetings, and of other meetings when necessary, and to comport the correspondence of the society, except as otherwise provided. Where at that place is a Respective Secretarial assistant these duties devolve on him, too every bit such others as are prescribed by the past-laws. The by-laws should e'er clearly ascertain the additional duties of the respective secretary if any are to be imposed on him. When the word "secretary" is used it always refers to the recording secretary if at that place is more than one.
The secretary should, previous to each meeting, for the use of the chairman, make out an order of business [65], showing in their exact order what is necessarily to come before the assembly. He should also accept, at each coming together, a list of all standing committees, and such special committees equally are in existence at the fourth dimension, as well every bit the by-laws of the arrangement and its minutes. His desk-bound should be about that of the chairman, and in the absenteeism of the chairman (if there is no vice president nowadays), when the hour for opening the session arrives, it is his duty to call the meeting to order, and to preside until the ballot of a chairman pro tem., which should take place immediately. He should keep a record of the proceedings, stating what was done and non what was said, unless it is to be published, and never making criticisms, favorable or otherwise, on annihilation said or washed. This record, usually called the minutes, is kept as explained in the adjacent section. When a commission is appointed, the secretary should paw the names of the committee, and all papers referred to it, to the chairman of the committee, or some other of its members. He should indorse on the reports of committees the date of their reception, and what further activeness was taken upon them, and preserve them amid the records, for which he is responsible. It is not necessary to vote that a study be "placed on file," equally that should be done without a vote, except in organizations that habitually continue no records except their minutes and papers ordered on file.
sixty. The Minutes. The record of the proceedings of a deliberative assembly is usually called the Minutes, or the Record, or the Journal. The essentials of the record are as follows: (a) the kind of meeting, "regular" (or stated) or "special," or "adjourned regular" or "adjourned special"; (b) name of the assembly; (c) appointment of meeting and identify, when it is not e'er the same; (d) the fact of the presence of the regular chairman and secretarial assistant, or in their absenteeism the names of their substitutes, (east) whether the minutes of the previous meeting were approved, or their reading dispensed with, the dates of the meetings being given when information technology is customary to occasionally transact concern at other than the regular business meetings; (f) all the main motions (except such as were withdrawn) and points of club and appeals, whether sustained or lost, and all other motions that were not lost or withdrawn; (yard) and ordinarily the hours of meeting and banishment, when the meeting is solely for business organisation. Mostly the proper name is recorded of the fellow member who introduced a main motion, just not of the seconder.
In some societies the minutes are signed by the president in improver to the secretary, and when published they should always be signed by both officers. If minutes are not habitually approved at the next meeting, and so there should be written at the end of the minutes the word "Approved" and the date of the approval, which should be signed by the secretary. They should exist entered in practiced black ink in a wellbound record-book.1
The Form of the Minutes may exist as follows:
At a regular meeting of the M. L. Society, held in their hall, on Thursday evening, March 19, 1914, the president in the chair, and Mr. N interim equally secretarial assistant, the minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Commission on Applications reported the names of Messrs. C and D as applicants for membership, and on motion of Mr. F they were admitted as members. The commission on ............ reported through Mr. Thou a series of resolutions, which were thoroughly discussed and amended, and finally adopted, equally follows:
Resolved, That..................................
...............................................
On move of Mr. Fifty the society adjourned at 10 P.M.
R....... North.......
Secretary.
In keeping the minutes, much depends upon the kind of coming together, and whether the minutes are to be published. In the meetings of ordinary societies and of boards of managers and trustees, at that place is no object in reporting the debates; the duty of the secretarial assistant, in such cases, is mainly to record what is "done" past the associates, and not what is said past the members. He should enter the essentials of a record, as previously stated, and when a count has been ordered or where the vote is by ballot, he should enter the number of votes on each side; and when the voting is by yeas and nays he should enter a listing of the names of those voting on each side. The proceedings of the committee of the whole. or while interim as if in committee of the whole, should non be entered in the minutes, only the report of the commission should exist entered. When a question is considered informally, the proceedings should be kept every bit usual, as the only informality is in the debate. If a study containing resolutions has been agreed to, the resolutions should exist entered in total as finally adopted by the assembly, thus: "The committee on ..... submitted a report with a series of resolutions which, after give-and-take and amendment, were adopted every bit follows:" and so should be entered the resolutions equally adopted. Where the proceedings are published, the method shown further on should be followed. If the report is of peachy importance the assembly should lodge it "to be entered on the minutes," in which case the secretary copies it in full upon the record.
Where the regular meetings are held weekly, monthly, or quarterly, the minutes are read at the opening of each day'southward meeting, and, after correction. should exist approved. Where the meetings are held several days in succession with recesses during the day, the minutes are read at the opening of concern each day. If the adjacent meeting of the organization volition not be held for a long period, equally six months or a yr. the minutes that have not been read previously should exist read and canonical before final adjournment. If this is impracticable, and so the executive commission. or a special committee, should be authorized to correct and approve them. In this case the tape should be signed as usual, and later on the signatures the word "Approved," with the date and the signature of the chairman of the commission authorized to approve them. At the side by side meeting, half-dozen months afterwards, they need not be read, unless it is desired for data as information technology is also late to correct them intelligently. When the reading of the minutes is dispensed with they can subsequently be taken upward at whatsoever time when nothing is awaiting. If not taken up previously, they come earlier the assembly at the next meeting before the reading of the later minutes. With this exception the motility to dispense with reading the minutes is practically identical with the motion to lay the minutes on the table, beingness undebatable and requiring but a majority vote. The minutes of a secret meeting, as for the trial of a fellow member, should non exist read at a meeting that is open to the public, if the tape contains any of the details of the trial that should not be made public.
Minutes to exist Published. When the minutes are to exist published. in addition to the strict record of what is done, every bit heretofore described. they should contain a list of the speakers on each side of every question, with an abstract of all addresses, if not the addresses in total, when written copies are furnished. In this instance the secretarial assistant should take an assistant. With some annual conventions it is desired to publish the proceedings in full. In such cases it is necessary to utilize a stenographer as assistant to the secretary. Reports of committees should be printed exactly as submitted, the minutes showing what activeness was taken by the assembly in regard to them; or, they may be printed with all additions in italics and parts struck out enclosed in brackets in which case a notation to that effect should precede the report or resolutions. In this way the reader can run into exactly what the committee reported and likewise exactly what the assembly adopted or endorsed.
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one. In many organizations information technology is preferable for the secretary to keep his original pencil notes in a pocket memorandum book which he carries to every meeting, and these original notes, as corrected, are approved and then copied into the permanent records. This programme usually results in neater records, simply the original notes should be kept until they are advisedly compared with the permanent records. In such instance it is better to have the minutes signed by both president and secretary as a guarantee against errors in copying.
61. The Executive Secretary is unremarkably a salaried officeholder paid to requite up all his fourth dimension to the work as executive officer, or general manager, of an system under a lath of managers and an executive committee [50]. In some organizations this officer is chosen Respective Secretary, just the title of respective secretary does not carry with information technology whatsoever duty except that of conducting the correspondence of the society as explained in 59:3, unless information technology is prescribed by the by-laws. The office of the executive secretary is commonly the only part of the arrangement, and there the Executive Committee meets and transacts its business. The board of managers in such cases is normally large and so scattered as never to have regular meetings oftener than quarterly. When the organization is a national one it unremarkably meets just earlier the annual convention, when it hears the annual report, prepared past the executive secretary and previously adopted past the executive commission, and acts upon it. The new board meets immediately afterward the convention, and organizes, elects an executive committee and an executive secretary, when so authorized by the by-laws, and decides upon the general policy for the year, leaving the details to the executive committee and the executive secretarial assistant. The board rarely meets oftener than in one case or twice in add-on to the meetings in connection with the annual meeting, special meetings, however, beingness called, when required, as provided by its by-laws. In some organizations the executive secretary is elected by the convention. He is usually ex-officio secretary of the executive committee. The members of the executive committee giving their time gratuitously, it is the duty of the executive secretarial assistant to prepare for the committee all business concern that has not been assigned to others, and to see that all its instructions are carried out. He is expected to recommend plans of work and conduct the business organisation generally, under the executive committee, and prepare the annual report, which, after being adopted by the executive committee, should exist adopted by the board, whose report it is, and so exist submitted to the convention.
62. Treasurer. The duties of this officeholder vary in dissimilar societies. In probably the majority of cases he acts as a banker, merely holding the funds deposited with him and paying them out on the order of the society signed past the president and the secretary. He is e'er required to make an annual study, and in many societies he also makes a quarterly report which may exist in the class given below. If the guild has auditors the report should be handed to them, with the vouchers, in time to be audited earlier the meeting. The auditors having certified to its correctness, submit their report, and the chair puts the question on adopting information technology, which has the effect of approving the treasurer's study, and relieving him from responsibility in case of loss of vouchers, except in case of fraud. If there are no auditors the report when made should exist referred to an auditing committee, who should report on it later.
It should ever be remembered that the fiscal report is made for the information of members. The details of dates and separate payments for the same object are a hindrance to its being understood, and are useless, equally it is the duty of the auditing commission to examine into details and meet if the study is correct. The all-time course for these fiscal reports depends upon the kind of lodge, and is best determined by examining those fabricated in similar societies. The following cursory report is in a grade adapted to many societies where the financial work is a very subordinate part of their work:
Report OF THE TREASURER OF THE K. L. Society
FOR THE QUARTER ENDING MARCH 31, 1914.
Receipts.
Balance on hand January 1, 1914.... $ 25.75 Initiation fees ................... $ 50.00 Members' ante ..................... 150.00 Fines ............................. x.50 210.50 Full ........................ $236.25
Disbursements.
Rent of Hall.........................$ 80.00 Electrical lights ..................... 22.00 Stationery and Printing.............. 15.00 Repair of Article of furniture.................. 10.00 Janitor ............................. lx.00 $187.00 Residual on mitt March 31, 1914..... 49.25 Total............................ 236.25 South........ M........, Treasurer Examined and constitute right. R........ V........ } J........ L........ } Auditing Committee.
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