A. Six Steps to Effective Presiding
1. Memorize Constantly Used Procedures
2. Make Sure All Know What’s Being Debated and Voted On
a) See That Motions Are Clearly Worded
b) Repeat Wording of Motions Frequently
c) Make the Effects of Amendments Clear
3. Learn How to Conduct Voting
4. Know the Steps in a Meeting
5. Learn to Handle Points of Order and Appeals
6. Know More About Parliamentary Procedure Than Other Members
B. Materials You Should Have at Meetings
A. SIX STEPS TO EFFECTIVE PRESIDING
Making meetings orderly, fair, and expeditious largely depends on the knowledge and skill of the one who presides: the president or, in the president’s absence, the vice-president.1
If you have been elected to one of these offices, or if you are thinking about becoming a candidate for it, how should you prepare to preside? Here are six steps to effective presiding.
1. Memorize Constantly Used Procedures
It is helpful to begin by mastering a few important, constantly used procedures, and memorizing the standard wordings for them. The foremost are those used in recognizing members to speak and in handling and voting (by voice or rising vote) on motions. They are described in Chapters 3 and 8, and the key wordings are available for ready reference in Table A, “Handling Motions as Chair,” on pages 203–4. In particular, memorize the bolded wording beginning under “Stating the Motion” through that under “Rising Vote.”
2. Make Sure All Know What’s Being Debated and Voted On
One of your most important responsibilities is to make sure that the members always understand exactly what they are debating and voting on.
a) See That Motions Are Clearly Worded. The first necessity is to ensure that the wording of every motion is clear before you state it. Never state, uncorrected, a motion that the secretary would have to paraphrase in order to put it into the minutes in understandable form. Instead, conduct a brief dialogue with the mover of the motion to see that it is put into suitable form, preserving its content to the mover’s satisfaction.
Except with the simplest and clearest motions, take full advantage of your authority to require that the mover provide any main motion or amendment to you in writing. [RONR (12th ed.) 4:18.]
Depending on the circumstances, it may be useful to ask the group to “stand at ease” (see p. 17 of this book) while the mover writes down the motion and it is brought to you.
b) Repeat Wording of Motions Frequently. Develop the habit of repeating the wording of the motion as often as appropriate. When it is first introduced, you state it by saying, “It is moved and seconded that [repeating the exact words of the motion].” Whenever its consideration has been interrupted by other business, as well as whenever you feel some in the group may be unclear about it, say, “The question is on the adoption of the motion that [repeating the exact words of the motion as it then stands].”
c) Make the Effects of Amendments Clear. It is especially important to make sure everyone understands the effect of proposed amendments. When an amendment is first proposed, you should do three things:2
1) state the question as for any other motion: “It is moved and seconded to…”;
2) read the main motion (or the portion affected by the amendment) as it would stand if the amendment were adopted: “If the amendment is adopted, the main motion will read…”; and
3) make clear once more that it is the amendment that is under immediate consideration: “The question is on….”
For example:
A similar three-step process should be followed when putting the amendment to a vote. If the amendment is lost, restate the main motion. If the amendment is adopted, then restate the motion as it has now been amended.
It is far better to risk taxing the patience of an assembly by repeating the wording of a motion on which all may be clear, than to risk taking a vote whose effect may be unclear to even a few members.
3. Learn How to Conduct Voting
Pay particular attention to learning the procedures and wording for the methods of voting by counted rising vote, show of hands, and counted show of hands. Learn the wording to be used when the chair’s vote will affect the result. Most of these wordings are found in Chapter 8 and all are repeated for ready reference in Table A, “Handling Motions as Chair.” If you do not memorize these forms (although it is preferable that you do), at least become familiar enough with them to be able to refer to them easily in Table A, beginning on page 203, so that you can use them without hesitation during a meeting.
4. Know the Steps in a Meeting
It is important to become familiar with the order of business, as explained in Chapter 2, and with the words used by the chair to call a meeting to order, handle the various steps in the order of business, and declare the meeting adjourned. These words are found in that chapter and repeated for ready reference in Table C, “Conducting a Meeting as Chair,” on page 209. Especially when you are first presiding, you may find it useful to have a copy of that page in front of you throughout the meeting.
You should stand when:
a) calling a meeting to order or declaring it adjourned,
b) putting a question to a vote, and
c) ruling on a Point of Order or speaking during debate on an Appeal.
You should sit when a member is speaking in debate. In other circumstances, stand or sit as you find convenient in commanding the group’s attention and preserving order. Be sure to arrange your position so that, whether standing or sitting, you can see and be seen by all those present at the meeting. [RONR (12th ed.) 3:7, 47:5, 47:9.]
5. Learn to Handle Points of Order and Appeals
Handling points of order and appeals, as described in Chapter 11 and repeated on page 207 in Table A, should become second nature to you.
6. Know More About Parliamentary Procedure Than Other Members
With the core practice described in the first five steps mastered,3 you should next make every effort to know more about parliamentary procedure than other members. At a minimum this means:
a) reading and rereading this book (RONR In Brief) in its entirety;
b) having a copy of the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), and becoming familiar with its arrangement and with the techniques for readily finding rules in it as described in Chapter 12 of this book; and
c) memorizing the chart entitled “Order of Precedence of Motions” on page 105 of this book.
Once you have done this, it is a very good idea to follow the suggestions in Chapter 12 for learning more in RONR.
B. MATERIALS YOU SHOULD HAVE AT MEETINGS
At each meeting, it is important that you have with you:
1) a copy of the group’s bylaws and other rules;
2) a copy of the group’s parliamentary authority, such as RONR;
3) a list of all committees and their members; and
4) a memorandum of the complete order of business for the meeting, ideally drawn up by or together with the secretary (see pp. 146–47).
1. For the method of selecting a temporary presiding officer when neither the president nor the vice-president is available, see RONR (12th ed.) 43:29, 47:11, 47:13.
2. For the somewhat different approach in the case of an amendment in the form of a substitute, see pages 48–49 of this book.
3. If possible, repeatedly practice this core material in front of a mirror or with a small group of friends before first presiding. If the proper language and process of recognizing members, stating motions, putting motions to a vote (in the various ways possible), and handling amendments are so firmly embedded in your memory that you can comfortably use them almost unconsciously, at meetings you will be able to focus your attention on the content of the motions and proceedings, and on the other questions of parliamentary procedure sure to arise.