An Impossibly Practical Primer on Parliamentary Procedure

It's not my goal to make you all parliamentary experts by the end of this session.

It is my goal to...

dispel some of the anxiety that can attend parliamentary procedure, especially for the novice of the large deliberative assembly;
give you a few tools to empower you for participation in the deliberative process.

Why Should I Care?

The alternative is death and destruction.

Albrecht Dürer, Cain Killing Abel, 1511

Early on we figured out that rules for civil discourse was a good idea.

Pericles orating at the Pnyx (painting of Philipp Foltz)

There have been times when the rules broke down.

UK Parliament, 5 March 1901

But that's the world; we are the church. Why do we need rules?

St. Nicholas takes a swing at Arius

Whence (and Why) Robert's Rules of Order?

Henry Martyn
Robert
Henry Martyn Robert

One can scarcely have had much experience in deliberative meetings of Christians without realizing that the best of men, having wills of their own, are liable to attempt to carry out their own views without paying sufficient respect to the rights of their opponents.

--- Henry M. Robert*

Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty.

--- Henry M. Robert^†

It is difficult to find another branch of knowledge where a small amount of study produces such great results in increased efficiency in a country where the people rule, as in parliamentary law.

--- Henry M. Robert^†

*US Army Corps of Engineers, Historical Vignette 038 - An Army Engineer Brought Order to Church Meetings and Revolutionized Parliamentary Procedure.
^†Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 10^th Ed., p. v.

Robert learned...

Rules work best when we actually have them.
Rules work best when we all agree to use the same rules. (Just for fun: Camus and Sartre pay Candyland)
Rules work best when people know the rules.

Click Here

For good or ill, Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, latest edition, is our parliamentary authority.

What's the heart of Robert's Rules of Order?

Deliberation is the essence of a deliberative assembly.

Deliberation is enhanced when we preserve and balance...

the right of the minority to speak
the right of the majority to act

Convention Standing Rules (and other important things)

In addition to Robert's Rules of Order, there are other rules that affect the way an assembly works. Convention standing rules are special rules specific to a given assembly. They supersede Robert's Rules of Order. There may also be things in a society's articles of incorporation, constitution, bylaws, and standing rules (continuing resolutions) and even the laws of the state that supersede as well.

The Magic Motion

Downloadable Resource: Parliamentary Procedure---Common Motions

What is the greatest tool in the deliberative assembly (for the parliamentary novice)?

If the question is not pressing (or complicated), you may want to ask the parliamentarian in a sidebar conversation or seek the help of another member versed in procedure.

Parliamentary Inquiry

— a query directed to the chair, asking procedural advice or a clarification of procedure.

And the second is like unto it...

Request for Information

— a.k.a. Point of Information, this is a query directed to the chair (or to a member through the chair), asking for facts related to the matter at hand (unrelated to procedure).

Time to play...

Resolution: "Support Decade of Action to Improve Church Coffee Hours"

    Resolved, That the 2023 Synod Assembly of the Greater-Lower-East Prairie Synod express continued support for the ways in which the synod congregations can strengthen their quasi-sacramental practice, by improving the quality of coffee served following the principal Sunday service; and be it further
    Resolved, That institutions, agencies, and congregations of the synod be provided a framework for approaching coffee hour in a manner befitting this quasi-sacrament; and be it further
    Resolved, That the Synod Assembly encourage all parishes, missions, and agencies to
        1. invest in high-quality, industrial-strength espresso machines;
        2. forbid the use of so-called “instant coffee” as a violation of the principles of the Heidelberg Disputation (i.e., a theologian of the cross calls a thing what it is);
        3. refrain from the purchase of coffee grounds rather than beans, unless quality beans are unavailable; and
        4. forbid the provision of cappuccino in synod congregations at any hour later than 10:30 a.m. except in congregations affiliated with the German Lutheran Conference in North America; and be it further
    Resolved, That the Synod Assembly task the synod's Lay Ministry Committee with developing synod-wide programs for training and accrediting Licensed Lay Baristas to serve at coffee hour in synod congregations; and be it further
    Resolved, That a synod congregation lacking a Licensed Lay Barista may serve tea in place of coffee.

Act I, Scene 1

Setting: After some debate has already taken place on the motion.

Chair: The chair recognizes the member at microphone #1
Zwingli: Rev. Chair, I rise to a parliamentary inquiry.
Chair: Your question?
Zwingli: What would be the proper motion to mandate the use of fair trade coffee?
Chair: The proper motion would be the motion to amend, preferably by an insertion of a fifth directive under the third resolving paragraph.
Zwingli: Thank you, Rev. Chair, what would be the precise wording?
Chair: As the chair cannot know the details the member intends, the chair recommends that the member seek the help of the parliamentarian or some of the member during the coffee break.
Knox: Rev. Chair.
Chair: To what point does the member rise?
Knox: A parliamentary inquiry: As there is a risk that we might conclude debate on this resolution before the coffee break, how might we guarantee that Meister Zwingli's concern is addressed?
Chair: One could move to postpone debate until after the next coffee break.
Knox: So moved.

Act I, Scene 2

Setting: Numerous amendments have been offered, as well as amendments to amendments.

Chair: Seeing no one at the microphone, the Chair assumes the assembly is ready for the question.
Cusa: Rev. Chair, parliamentary inquiry!
Chair: The floor recognizes Dr. Cusa?
Cusa: I am confused. What exactly is the motion upon which we are voting?
Chair: We are voting on the amendment of the second degree offered by Dr. Norwich to the amendment offered by Pr. Muhlenberg.
Cusa: Rev. Chair, with all due respect, I'm still confused.
Chair: For the sake of the whole assembly, Pr. Muhlenberg's motion to amend was to establish a grant fund to assist congregations in acquiring espresso machines. Dr. Norwich moved to amend Pr. Muhlenberg's motion to set a limit on the grants to $500. The immediately pending question is on whether there shall be a limit on grants to $500. That is what we are voting on. If adopted, we return to Pr. Muhlenberg's amendment to establish a grant fund with the grant limit of $500 and debate that. If Dr. Norwich's motion fails, we return to depate on Pr. Muhlenberg's motion without a grant limit.

Act I, Scene 3

Setting: Debate, after several hours, has returned to the main motion.

Chair: The chair recognizes the member at microphone #1
Hildegard: Rev. Chair, I rise to a point of information.
Chair: Your question?
Hildegard: What is the estimated cost for the training programs for lay baristas?
Chair: The Chair asks the chair of the synod's Lay Ministry Committee to respond to the question.
Erasmus: Rev. Chair, the committee examined the resolution prior to the assembly, and our rough estimate is $150 per barista.

Etiquette

Always address the chair (not the other speakers)
Never attack the person (you can attack the argument)
Wait your turn (except for a point of order or matter pressing for safety)
Confine debate to the merits of the pending question (i.e., the matter before the assembly)

Dealing with Problems

Point of Order

— relates to procedural problems; equivalent to calling a foul.

Personal Privilege

— really a catch-all category that can have lots of uses, but, here, we want to focus on matters related to the member's participation in the assembly.

Act 2, Scene 1

Setting: After some debate has already taken place on the motion, Eck is in a middle of his speech

Eck: And, so, Rev. Chair, while it is important not only that we have access to food and drink, we should not allow these concerns to overshadow the persistent problem we have had securing supply pastors especially at high—
Zwingli: Point of order!
Chair: To what point does the member rise?
Zwingli: The speaker is not confining his remarks to the pending question.
Chair: The point is sustained. The speaker is out of order. Dr. Eck, confine yourself to the merits of the pending question.

Act 2, Scene 2

Chair: The Chair recognizes the member at microphone #3
Mary Queen of Scots: Rev. Chair, the sound system is too low; I can't hear. Could we please have it turned up a little?
Chair: Will Maestro Praetorius please turn up the sound system. Thank you.

Dealing with Words

To Amend

— sooooo many terms (e.g., to insert, to add, to delete, to strike, to substitute), but they are all subforms of the motion to amend.

The point of amending is to perfect the language.

Germane vs. Nongermane

One of the most confusing things for novices (and even veterans). In short, something is germane when it relates to the matter at hand. Click here for a discussion.

Dealing with Flow

To Postpone (Debate)
To Table

These are not identical, and they have different uses.

To Postpone Debate takes the pending question, suspends debate upon it, and schedules resumption of debate (where it left off) for a specific time or until a condition is met.
To Table is used when some new and immediately pressing matter arises. When something is laid on the table, it takes a motion to take it up from the table.

Previous Question (a.k.a. Call the Question)

Debate normally continues until no one comes to the microphone. Sometimes, as has been said by others, "Everything that can be said has been said, but not everyone has had the opportunity to say it." The assembly can end debate on a matter by a ⅔ vote. When previous question is moved, the assembly votes on whether to continue debate. It is not a vote on the pending question itself. If previous question fails, debate on the pending question continues. If it passes, the next vote is taken on the pending question.

To Refer

Sometimes the assembly doesn't have the information it needs or the words need more work than the assembly can reasonably handle. To refer sends the pending question (and everything attached to it) to a committee or some agent with or without instructions.

Dealing with the Hierarchy of Needs

We are human beings, and we have needs.

To Recess
To Adjourn

A recess is for a short break, usually less than 30 minutes, often shorter. It allows time to hit the restrooms, stretch, grab some coffee. Everyone stays near the chamber and is prepared to return promptly. Recesses are often scheduled in the agenda, but, sometimes, calling an extra one can be a good idea.
An adjournment is a significant break in the proceedings. Lunch, dinner, overnight, mass, etc. are all covered under adjournment. Adjournment does not necessarily mean that the assembly is done. To end an assembly is a special type of adjournment (To Adjourn Sine Die). One can set the time at which to adjourn (i.e., we are going to break for dinner at 5:00 p.m.), and one can set a time at which to adjourn (e.g., we reconvene at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow). Usually, this sort of thing is in the agenda, but, on some rare occasions, it is useful to use this.