Frances Jackson, PhD, RN

Transcription

1 Chapter Parliamentarians Regional Parliamentarians International Parliamentarian The Role of the Parliamentarian Frances Jackson, PhD, RN International Parliamentarian

2 Dedication This manual is dedicated to those who love order and to parliamentarians serving on the local, regional and international levels who support the will of the majority, protect the rights of the minority, and ensure justice for all (Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised, adapted). AND To the consummate International Parliamentarian, Past Grand Basileus, Past Central Regional Syntaktes Annie Lane Lawrence Brown, who set the standard for us all. 2

3 Foreword The purpose of this guide is to assist sorority parliamentarians with understanding the role and functioning of the parliamentarian on local, regional, and international levels. This guide is based on Robert s Rules of Order, Newly Revised (RONR) (11 th edition). For the most part, this guide will focus on how to function as a parliamentarian, rather than parliamentary procedures, per se. The reader is encouraged to purchase the full edition of RONR as the best and most complete guide to parliamentary procedure. If the role of parliamentarian is new, it might be advisable to start with Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief. It provides a good introduction to basic parliamentary law. Parliamentary procedure is complex. Joining one of the national parliamentary organizations would be beneficial to expand and support your understanding of parliamentary procedure. There are two national parliamentary associations: the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP) and the American Institute of Parliamentarians (AIP). The author is a member of NAP. NAP is divided into geographical regions and there are also local units located in many major cities. These local units meet once a month and each meeting has an educational component that will expand and reinforce one s knowledge of parliamentary law. Recently, NAP added a web-based chapter for individuals who don t live near a local unit. NAP is the organization with which the author is most familiar and that is the one that will be referenced in this manual. However, AIP is also a fine organization. Both organizations host training conferences for parliamentarians at all skill levels. NAP sponsors a leadership conference which meets biennially in the even years. It is open to non-members. 3

4 The first chapter of this handbook will address the role and responsibilities of the local chapter parliamentarian. The second chapter focuses on the regional and international parliamentarian. Some of the rules that govern deliberative assemblies are based on organizations that, at a minimum, meet at least four times a year or more which conforms to the meeting schedule of most local chapters. Some of the rules differ for assemblies like regional conferences and Boules, which meet less than four times a year. Serving as a convention parliamentarian has some different aspects than how one would function on the local level. All of this is addressed in chapter two of this handbook. The Author Frances Carter Jackson was inducted into Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. on March 14, 1970 at 1:03 AM at Alpha Eta Chapter located at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She was elected by the College of Nursing to serve as the representative to the University Student- Faculty Council. The first three meetings she attended, she was repeatedly told she was out of order. After the third meeting, she walked to the bookstore and purchased a copy of Robert s Rules of Order and her love of parliamentary procedure was born. In 2004, Soror Jackson was appointed to serve as the International Parliamentarian by then Grand Basileus, Mynora Bryant. She was reappointed by Grand Basileus Joann Loveless and reappointed again by Grand Basileus Bonita Herring. Soror Jackson has also served as the parliamentarian for Central Region under the leadership of Syntaktes Pamela Kadirifu. She has been a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians since 1997 and has served on the National Educational Resources Committee of 4

5 that organization. At the request of the NAP, she authored a manual on parliamentary procedure written for faith-based ministries (Christians, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, etc.). 5

6 Table of Contents Foreword.2 Local Chapter Parliamentarian.6 Functioning of the Local Chapter Parliamentarian...8 Chairing the Local Bylaws Committee...12 Standing Rules for the Local Chapter 14 Other Issues..15 When the Bylaws/Robert s Rules are Silent 16 Regional and International Parliamentarian. 20 Review of Local and Regional Bylaws by the International Parliamentarian.. 21 Revision of the Bylaws. 22 Common Problems With the Bylaws 23 Serving as the Parliamentarian at the Regional Conference or Boule..24 Advanced Preparation 24 Opening the Convention 25 Credentials Report. 25 Standing Rules Adoption of Convention Program.32 How the Parliamentarian Functions at a Convention 32 Differences Between Local Meetings and Conventions 33 Chairing the Regional or National Bylaws Committees 35 Presenting and Voting on Proposed Bylaw Amendments. 41 Post-Conference Responsibilities of the Regional and International Parliamentarian..45 Role of International Parliamentarian to Review Local and Regional Bylaws. 47 Developing Parliamentary Procedure Presentations. 49 Commonly Misunderstood Parliamentary Rules..50 Road to Professionalism 55 6

7 Chapter One Local Chapter Parliamentarian One of the major roles of the parliamentarian is to make the presiding officer look good. One fear of many presiding officers is looking inept or losing control of the meeting. Sometimes that means offering assistance even when it has not been requested, a role RONR supports. It is important, however, to adjust the operationalization of this role to the level of expertise of the presiding officer that is being advised. Some will need less assistance and the parliamentarian can indeed wait until asked to give advice on parliamentary procedure. Most presiding officers will let the parliamentarian know if there is a preference for more or less advice. It is important that the Basileus has a parliamentarian that she trusts. For that reason, Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) recommends that the parliamentarian is appointed rather than elected. However, chapters have the right to elect the parliamentarian if they so choose. It is important that the parliamentarian is seated next to or very close to the Basileus. It is awkward for the parliamentarian to try and advise the chair from a distance. One common method of unobtrusively advising the chair is for the parliamentarian to write her advice on a 3X5 card and slip it to the Basileus. This is an easy but effective way to advise the Basileus that a certain motion requires 2/3 vote or is not debatable but can be amended. In addition to parliamentary procedure, the local chapter parliamentarian must be knowledgeable about local bylaws, regional bylaws, and national bylaws. It is strongly recommend that she is an active member of either the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP) or the American Institute of Parliamentarians (AIP). NAP is the largest parliamentary 7

8 organization in the world. It is also the organization that publishes Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), the parliamentary authority used by most organizations in this country. The designation of the letters RONR, denotes that this is the most recent edition of Robert s Rules of Order. AIP uses the Standard Code of Parliamentary Law by Alice Sturgis as its parliamentary authority. There are some minor differences between RONR and Sturgis. Both organizations are very good. The bylaws should specify the parliamentary authority adopted by the chapter in the next to last article in the chapter s bylaws (the last article in the bylaws addresses how the bylaws are amended). Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) is the standard authority used in Sigma Gamma Rho. The parliamentarian should also have a copy of the most recent local standing rules. At the local level, it is assumed that the parliamentarian is a financial member of the chapter, and thus, is entitled to vote and speak on all matters that are brought before the assembly. However, to maintain as much objectivity as possible, it is advisable that the parliamentarian rarely votes or participates in debate on an issue; the exception to this are votes by ballot. The parliamentarian is free to vote by ballot at any time a ballot vote is taken, unless the vote is a tie; only the presiding officer can vote to make or break a tie. To avoid any hint that the parliamentarian s advice to the presiding officer or to the chapter is biased by a personal position on an issue, the right to vote should be exercised rarely, and only on matters of the utmost importance. Similarly, the same issue is also true with the parliamentarian participating in debate. At the local level, she would have the right to participate in debate since she is a financial member, 8

9 but should generally refrain from doing so. It is paramount that the parliamentarian, similar to the Basileus, is viewed as neutral so that there is no credible impression that her advice to the chair is influenced by her personal wishes to support a particular point of view. The role of the parliamentarian, at all levels, is one of advice. The parliamentarian, regardless of the level (local, regional, international), does not rule. The presiding officer rules on all matters of parliamentary law. It is of paramount importance that the parliamentarian s advice is based on either the bylaws or the adopted parliamentary authority. It is also important that she not take it personally if her advice is ignored. However, if the presiding officer regularly ignores the advice of the parliamentarian, that may be an indication that someone else should serve in the position. Remember, one of the reasons for allowing the presiding officer to appoint the parliamentarian is that the parliamentarian must be someone the presiding officer trusts. If the parliamentarian does not have the trust of the presiding officer, there is little point in remaining in that role. RONR advises that, in general, the parliamentarian should provide advice to the presiding officer only when requested. However, RONR also states that in advising the chair, the parliamentarian should not wait until asked for advice, as this may be too late to avoid potential problems. The key distinction between what sounds like conflicting advice, is the avoidance of a bigger problem if the parliamentarian remains silent. In general, the parliamentarian should wait until she is asked for assistance. However, if it becomes clear that a problem is developing and intervening can be helpful, she should not wait for the chair to ask for advice, but proactively advise the chair on the matter. In addition to restrictions on participating in debate and voting, the parliamentarian should speak to the 9

10 assembly only on the most involved matters (RONR, p. 466), but this should occur on only rare occasions. Functioning of the Parliamentarian When possible, it is preferable that the Basileus will upload the chapter agenda to chapter members in advance. Even if she does not do so with the entire chapter, it would be advantageous for the parliamentarian to receive the agenda in advance of the meeting. Once received, it would be important to review it prior to the meeting to identify potential motions that might be made. For example, if the agenda lists that certain reports will be given, what motions might be made in relationship to those reports? The motion to commit or refer to a committee? The motion to amend? Is this a report that might be amenable to the motion fill in the blank? By reviewing the agenda prior to the meeting, the parliamentarian can be prepared to advise the presiding officer. Do not be afraid to use assistive tools to support this role. Both NAP and AIP publish numerous educational materials for purchase that can assist with the role of parliamentarian. For example, NAP has a one-page flyer that lists the major motions, whether the motion must be seconded, is debatable, can interrupt, can be reconsidered, and the vote necessary to adopt. This can provide a quick and handy reference that is easier to use than trying to locate each individual motion in RONR. In addition to identifying reports that will be made at the meeting to anticipate motions that might be used to dispose of those reports, it would also be important to make note of reports that might not require any action. If a report requires no action, for example it has no recommendations for the chapter to approve, then no motions should be made (exception is the report of the chapter historian; a motion is made to adopt the official chapter history presented). 10

11 Often sorors feel that if a report is made, even if no action is required, that some motion needs to be made to validate the report. This is not true. Above all, the motion to receive should not be made in such cases. The report was received when it was heard. When a report is given that has no recommendations, the Basileus can ask if there are any questions, and after all questions have been asked, thank the person and indicate they can be seated. An example is below: Basileus: We will now have the report of the Hospitality Committee. Soror Johnson, Chair of the Hospitality Committee stands up and comes to the front of the room. Soror Johnson: Thank you Madame Basileus. Last month I mailed out four cheer cards, three get well cards and one sympathy card. Basileus: Are there any questions for Soror Johnson? There being none, we thank you for that report. You may be seated. If there is something on the uploaded agenda that is inappropriate (e.g., the Call to Order, which is NOT part of the agenda and should not be listed on the agenda), advise the Basileus privately, before the meeting so it can be deleted. This is also true for establishment of the quorum. Identifying that a quorum is present should not be on the agenda. Once the Basileus recognizes that a quorum is present, the meeting is called to order. Also review the uploaded minutes. Is there any unfinished business from the previous meeting that should be on the agenda for this meeting? Any tabled motions? Any Special Orders? Did anyone announce at the previous meeting their intentions to make a motion at the next meeting (previous notice)? Review any major motions that were adopted at the previous meeting. Do the minutes accurately memorialize these motions? If bylaw amendments are on the agenda for this meeting, were they presented or disseminated at the previous meeting or in compliance with whatever advanced notice is required by the chapter bylaws? By receiving a 11

12 copy of the agenda in advance, the parliamentarian can be prepared for all of these eventualities and advise the chair in advance of any potential problems or issues. It was noted earlier in this chapter that one method of advising the chapter is to write advice on a 3 X 5 card and slide the card to the Basileus. It is also advisable to retrieve this card, and on the back write down what action was taken in response to the advice that was given. One of the major complaints lodged against parliamentarians with NAP is that they did not provide accurate advice during a meeting. This card can help keep track of what advice was given and what action was taken in case a dispute arises at a later date on the issue. In addition, the parliamentarian is advised to bring a pad to the meeting, or a notebook. On that pad, keep track of which business is pending and what motion is before the body. Also write down all substantive motions, any amendments, and the final disposition of the motion. At any time, the presiding officer should be able to turn to the parliamentarian and get a faithful history of the pending motion. Also, particularly if debate was prolonged or heated, the presiding officer may not remember where she left off on the agenda or what question is pending; the parliamentarian should always know what is pending or what is next on the agenda. Another responsibility of the parliamentarian is to maintain an accurate set of the current chapter bylaws and standing rules. With today s technology, that should be easy to do. Use some system to ensure that you are working with the most recent version of the adopted bylaws. The date is normally the easiest way to do this. By putting the date in a footer or header, you will know if this is the most recent version of the chapter s bylaws. New members should receive the most recent copy of the bylaws and the standing rules upon joining the chapter. 12

13 Maintaining up-to-date bylaws and standing rules means the parliamentarian must be diligent in following the progress of any regional or national bylaw changes that may require a change in local bylaws or standing rules. In addition, the parliamentarian must keep abreast of changes in the parliamentary authority adopted by the chapter. RONR is revised every ten years. It would be important for the parliamentarian to be aware of any revisions that would necessitate amending local chapter bylaws or standing rules. For example, the 11 th edition of RONR greatly expanded the rules governing electronic meetings. It is important to know about these changes so that local chapter bylaws/standing rules can be updated to the new provisions in the 11 th edition. However, while RONR is published every ten years, there are often updates or clarifications on motions contained in RONR that are sometimes published prior to the next publication date. This is why it is important to be an active member of NAP (or AIP). These updates and clarifications are not widely disseminated outside of the organization, so being active is key to keeping updated with the latest information. The Local Bylaws Committee Finally, as a general rule, the parliamentarian chairs the chapter Bylaws Committee. The chapter bylaws should designate this as a responsibility of the parliamentarian. This committee is responsible for reviewing chapter bylaws on a regular basis and handling submitted bylaw amendments. This is not just a secretarial function of the committee. The committee should review the submitted amendment, make sure it is not duplicative, that its meaning is clear and unambiguous, that it doesn t contradict some other bylaw article, and that the details are correct (it seeks to amend the right article). 13

14 The committee can move adoption of the proposed amendment, or it can move to amend the proposed amendment, then move its adoption. If the committee could not reach agreement on the disposition of the amendment, they are not required to make any motion. The motion to adopt will have to come from the body. The committee can also move to delete the proposed amendment. If the committee needs to contact the maker of the motion to get clarity on the amendment, that is not only permissible, it is highly desirable because it saves time and endless discussion during the meeting. The committee can also edit the language of the proposed amendment to improve clarity or make grammatical corrections, as long as the essential language is not changed. Once the amendments have been adopted, or once the changes to chapter standing rules have been approved, it is the parliamentarian s responsibility to make the corrections in both documents, after consultation with the anti-grammateus to ensure the changes are accurate. Also, any changes to local bylaws must be submitted to the International Parliamentarian (IP) for approval before implementing any changes. It is important to remember, unless there is a date clause included with an amendment, adopted bylaw amendments take effect immediately! A date clause would be stated similar to the following: As of September 1, 2015, local dues will be increased by $100 to $200. If that date clause was not included, then this change would take effect immediately. For this reason, affirmative votes on adopted bylaw amendments cannot be reconsidered. It is also the responsibility of the local Bylaws Committee to periodically review its chapter bylaws and make recommendations for amendments that will improve the form and context of this document. Be careful! What should be in the bylaws are those items that the 14

15 chapter does not want changed in a single meeting (because it requires advanced notice) and which requires more than a majority vote to adopt (should require 2/3 vote). All bylaws should always provide for those two requirements: advanced notice of at least one month (or more) and minimally 2/3 vote for adoption of amendments. It has been the observation of the author that chapters tend to put too many items in the bylaws. Some provisions are better suited to be placed in the Standing Rules. It would be important to note here that traditionally, some chapters (and Regions as well) believe that proposed amendments to the bylaws must be read three times. This is not consistent with RONR. While a chapter or assembly has the right to require three readings, the reasons for doing so are obscure and not supported by parliamentary law. Being careful about what is placed in the bylaws is also important because the bylaws cannot be suspended. For example, chapters should not put the time chapter meeting will start in the bylaws or the place. If something occurs that makes starting at that time impossible, or meeting in that building difficult, the chapter wouldn t be able to change the starting time of the meeting without amending the bylaws. That is not practical. It is better to put such specific details in the chapter standing rules. Standing rules contain the chapter s administrative procedures. Unlike the bylaws, standing rules can be suspended (for one meeting only and only those rules that relate to the conduct of business during the meeting), and they can be amended without advanced notice. For example, there may be a bylaw provision that dues are due locally by September 15 of each year and that the amount of the dues can be found in the standing rules. By putting the amount of the dues in the chapter Standing Rules, when regional or national dues change, the chapter doesn t have to amend the chapter bylaws to change the amount that is due. However, chapter bylaws 15

16 should have a provision that identifies that paying chapter dues is requisite for active membership. It is important to note here that if chapter bylaws do not provide authority for assessments to be made, the chapter cannot levy member assessments, even by unanimous vote. For example, the chapter cannot assess sorors for unsold tickets to a particular event unless the bylaws give the chapter the authority to levy assessments. The provision for such an assessment must be in the bylaws, but the details (amount due, deadline date, etc.) are better placed in the Standing Rules. Each local parliamentarian (and the Bylaws Committee) is encouraged to review the bylaws to see if there are items that would be better placed in the chapter s Standing Rules. An example of suspending a Standing Rule that pertains to conduct during a meeting would be the limit on debate. RONR states that each person is entitled to 10 minutes of debate on each motion. That s a long time. Chapters can establish a Standing Rule that debate on any motion is limited to 2 minutes. If this is a Standing Rule, since it is a rule that pertains to actions taken during a meeting, it can be suspended for one meeting. If the chapter is debating an issue of major importance and the chapter wants to extend debate beyond the two minutes, they can suspend this Standing Rule. If this limit on debate is in the bylaws, it can t be suspended, not even by unanimous vote. Other Issues Observation reveals that some people who self-select for the position of parliamentarian are those who are passionate about things being done right and that the business is conducted in an orderly fashion. While this is important, it can be traumatic to a chapter if there is an 16

17 attempt to change too many things at once. Trying to make numerous changes in how a chapter functions can, in fact, create more confusion and even distrust. If you are the parliamentarian of a chapter that has been doing things a certain way for a long time, then you come along and tell them that they are functioning completely wrong, they will often resist change, even though you are right. It is better to slowly and carefully institute changes, using workshops on parliamentary procedure to highlight why something is wrong and how the chapter would benefit from doing things in accordance with their parliamentary authority. You also want to be the source for on-going parliamentary education of the membership. Present one parliamentary tip at each meeting. Or, if your chapter has a newsletter, ask if you can have a column to discuss parliamentary procedure. In this way, you can institute changes gradually while also educating your chapter on proper procedures. What To Do When the Bylaws/RONR Are Silent There will be times when one will encounter a situation where the bylaws are either silent or contradictory, or some key element is missing from the bylaws. Not everything will slot neatly into RONR. The author once served as the parliamentarian for a large convention that met every four years. According to the bylaws, anyone wanting to run for office had to apply or be nominated by June in the year preceding the convention. All offices had a two-term limit. However, the bylaws did NOT state that all officers serve four years or until their successor is elected. The current executive secretary had served two terms and was not eligible to run again. One person applied for the position of executive secretary by the deadline date in the year prior to the convention, as required by the bylaws. However, the following year, the year of the convention, this person got ill and had to withdraw two months before the convention was to be 17

18 held. There was nothing in the bylaws that provided for an emergency of this nature. The Executive Board could only fill a vacancy if an officer died. When confronted with a dilemma of this nature, parliamentarians will often use the basic philosophy of parliamentary law which is the following: Parliamentary law exists to enforce the will of the majority, protect the rights of the minority, and ensure fairness for all. In this case, not having an executive secretary would have been devastating to this large, international organization. The executive secretary ran the office for the organization. The bylaws could not be suspended. The deadline date for submitting amendments to the bylaws had expired. After consultation with the parliamentarian, the president sent a notice to all delegates about the dilemma the organization was facing and indicated that a vote would be taken at the convention to allow the current executive secretary to serve an additional term. At the convention, because this was a violation of the bylaws, the parliamentarian advised the president that the vote necessary to adopt this motion would have to be 90%. Thus, in this way, there was an attempt to protect the rights of the minority by essentially allowing what would have been a very small minority to stop this action. The motion was adopted unanimously and all was saved. This is an example to demonstrate that sometimes things are not all neat and tidy and slotted into appropriate boxes. Sometimes neither the local bylaws nor RONR provides a clear cut solution, but a solution has to be found for the good of the organization. Henry Robert has been quoted as saying that parliamentary procedure should never be used as an excuse for not doing the right thing. This was one of those situations where the right action required the organization to violate its bylaws, but the rights of the minority were protected and the will of the majority was enforced and it was a fair solution. 18

19 It is also true that RONR does not have a chapter entitled This Is a Hot Mess. RONR assumes that organizations have order, bylaws, Standing Rules, and that all of this conforms to a neat and tidy standard. Sometimes, this is not the case. If a person is determined to do the wrong thing, rules and rules of order will not stop them. Sometimes things are a mess because that is what the members want. RONR will not be able to resolve that. Also remember that chapters have the right to institute rules that are contrary to its parliamentary authority or which are not addressed in its parliamentary authority. For example, many chapters, regions, and the national body have an Election Committee. No such committee exists in RONR. Thus chapters cannot use RONR to establish how such a committee should function. It is not wrong to have an Elections Committee; organizations have the right to establish such a committee and to include it in the bylaws. However, if there is a controversy about this committee, RONR cannot resolve it because no such committee is addressed in RONR. Sometimes, it can be helpful to bring in an outside presenter on parliamentary authority. For example, you might invite the IP to your chapter to assist with parliamentary training. An external speaker may often have more clout than someone who is a member of the chapter even though their advice is the same. 19

20 Chapter Two The Regional Parliamentarian The International Parliamentarian 20

21 Chapter Two The Regional Parliamentarian/The International Parliamentarian The regional parliamentarian may or may not be a voting member of the regional Board of Directors (RBOD). Each region has the right to decide who will be a voting member on the RBOD or who will be an officer but not a voting member of the RBOD. The major responsibilities for the regional parliamentarian normally include chairing the regional Bylaws Committee, being prepared for the regional conference and any post-conference updating of the regional bylaws that occurred as a result of bylaw amendments to the regional bylaws that were adopted at the regional conference. She might also be responsible for updating the regional SOP as well as the bylaws. In addition, in between regional conferences, the regional parliamentarian is often called upon to advise the Regional Syntaktes in interpretation of the regional bylaws, to advise chapters on interpretation of the regional or national bylaws, and to sometimes review chapter bylaws to ensure they don t conflict with the regional bylaws. The work of this office does not end with the regional conference (or Boule for the International Parliamentarian). At the time this manual was written, the International Parliamentarian (IP) was a voting member of the International Board of Directors (IBOD), appointed by the Grand Basileus. As such, she is a national officer and is entitled to all of the courtesies extended to all national 21

22 officers of this organization. Her responsibilities mirror those of the regional parliamentarian, but on a larger scale. The Role of the International Parliamentarian In Reviewing Local Bylaws One major responsibility of the IP is to review local chapter and regional bylaws to ensure there are no articles in the local or regional bylaws that conflict with the national bylaws. For example, the national bylaws state that graduate chapters must hold election of officers every two years. Local alumnae chapters cannot have a provision that conflicts with this national requirement. Local chapter bylaws are reviewed in two areas: are there any articles that conflict with the national bylaws; and secondly, are there recommendations that would strengthen chapter bylaws even though this may not be a conflict with the national bylaws? It is important to be clear on the difference between what must be changed versus recommendations on what the chapter should consider changing. There is often confusion that local chapters are required to mirror the national body in its operations. That is not true. Local chapters don t have to have all the same officers as the national body. Having some different local officers is not a conflict with the national bylaws. For example, if a local chapter does not have a National Projects Coordinator, that is okay. Remember, many chapters in this sorority are small, with fewer than 10 members. If they can fill the major offices, they feel lucky to do so. Having a conflict with the national bylaws is different than having provisions that are not the same as the national bylaws. The role of the IP is to ensure that local bylaws don t conflict with the national bylaws. 22

23 The Bylaw and Standing Rule Template When the author was first appointed to serve as the International Parliamentarian (IP), it was clear that some chapters needed considerable assistance with correcting their bylaws to have them conform to RONR. The Regional Syntakti requested a template be developed that could be given to new chapters who were writing bylaws for the first time as an assistive tool. Given these two issues, the author developed a bylaw and standing rule template for alumnae and undergraduate chapters. It has been updated to the 11 th edition of RONR. It includes a discussion on the Articles that are normally part of the bylaws. It also has a section on standing rules. The template includes an abbreviated set of mock bylaws for alumnae chapters and an abbreviated set of mock bylaws for undergraduate chapters. This template has been an invaluable tool to assist new and established chapters in either writing their bylaws or correcting their bylaws. If, when reviewing chapter bylaws it is clear that extensive assistance is needed, it saves time to upload this bylaw template, ask the chapter to review the provisions contained therein, then modify/revise the chapter bylaws before re-sending them to the IP for review. Hopefully the next IP will continue this practice as it has been of invaluable assistance in helping chapters and regions develop strong bylaws and Standing Rules. This review of regional and local bylaws is a very important function of the IP. Typically, chapters will upload their bylaws electronically to the IP. While there is no specific rule on the turn-around time for the bylaws to reviewed and returned to the chapters/regions, a two-week turn around time is probably reasonable for the chapters/regions to get a response. If the IP does not return the bylaws to the chapters/regions in a timely manner, chapters/regions will stop sending their bylaws for review. This can have tremendous legal repercussions for the 23

24 sorority if chapter bylaws have a provision that is illegal or which contradicts the national bylaws. It is important to reserve time each week to do this review. Revision of the Bylaws A revision of the bylaws should be briefly mentioned. In most cases, chapters and regions are amending their bylaws. They are trying to change one paragraph or subsection of a section of the bylaws. A revision of the bylaws is done when the bylaws need to be completely overhauled. Discussing the procedure for doing a revision is beyond the scope of this manual, but parliamentarians should be aware that such an act exists and that it is a special case of revising the entire bylaws. NAP publishes a book called Pathway to Proficiency Bylaws, that includes an entire section on bylaw revisions. If your region is considering a revision, this would be an excellent resource to purchase from NAP. It includes not only the process for doing a revision, but also a script for what the presiding officer says and how the Bylaw Revision Committee functions. Common Bylaw Problems Listed below are some common problems identified in local chapter bylaws as either items that are omitted or items that are included but inappropriately so: 1. Article II of the bylaws should speak to the purpose of the organization, not the purpose of the bylaws. 2. The language on term of office should end with the phrase or until their successor is elected. For example, the language might say: A term of office is two years or until a successor is elected. Without this phrase, two things can happen. First, if no one runs for office, the office becomes vacant. Secondly, whether the chapter uses or until their 24

25 successor versus and until their successor.. depends on what process the chapter wants to use to remove someone from office. If the chapter uses and until their successor is elected, then a trial will have to be held to remove the officer from office. If the chapter bylaws state or until their successor is elected, then the chapter only needs to rescind the election to remove the officer from office. It is recommended that local chapter bylaws include the phrase or until their successor is elected. 3. The Basileus should be listed as ex officio of all committees except the Nominations Committee. RONR does not address Election Committees, but if such a committee exists as it does in some regions and on the national level, the Basileus/Regional Syntaktes/Grand Basileus should not be ex-officio on this committee either. 4. RONR considers it a bad idea to prevent people who serve on the Nominations Committee from running for office. Unless the bylaws specifically prohibit this, people who serve on the Nominations Committee are eligible to run for office. Again, RONR does not address Election Committees. However, given the nature of an election committee, it is advisable that candidates for office should not serve on the Election Committee. 5. Unless they are authorized in the bylaws, chapters, executive boards and standing committees cannot hold electronic meetings. Authorizing electronic meetings for ad hoc committees can be placed in the Standing Rules. Convention Parliamentarian Conventions (Regional Conferences and Boules) are different from local chapter meetings in several respects. RONR makes a difference in assemblies that meet four times a year or more, versus assemblies that meet less than four times a year. Both the Regional 25

26 Conference and the Boule fall into this latter category. This section of the booklet is to assist the parliamentarian (Regional and International) who is serving at a sorority convention. Advanced Preparation for the Regional Conference/Boule As is true for local chapter parliamentarians, the regional or IP also needs to receive the conference program ahead of time. Review the agenda of the entire conference. Does the first plenary session include the adoption of the credentials report, the convention standing rules and the conference program in that order? Does the agenda provide for approval of the minutes for each succeeding plenary session after the first session? Review the convention standing rules. Do they include a provision that limits individual debate? The number of times a soror can speak on any issue? Do they provide for a committee to be appointed that will review the minutes of any plenary session whose minutes were not approved during the regional conference or Boule? Unlike the local chapter, the agenda for the regional conference or Boule will rarely include any unfinished business from the previous conference or Boule. When an organization meets less than four times a year, there is only one way to hold over business from one meeting to the next and that is to refer it to a committee. Anything that is not referred to a committee at the close of the convention/conference, falls to the ground when the conference is adjourned. This would include any motions that were tabled, or any recommendations that were not presented to the body. They go away when the conference adjourns unless they were referred to a committee. However, there will be unfinished business that occurs during the conference. Each business meeting after the first meeting should include unfinished business to handle any items left over from the previous business meeting. 26

27 In addition, it is expected that regional parliamentarians and the IP are chairing their respective Bylaws/Constitution and Bylaws committees. Remember, there is only one constitution in Sigma Gamma Rho, and that is the national constitution. All other constituent bodies have bylaws only. As the chair of the regional Bylaws Committee (RBLC), you must take the lead in ensuring that compliance with the required notice to amend the bylaws is adhered to. For example, on the national level, amendments to the bylaws must be received by chapters 60 days in advance. The IP works with headquarters to ensure the proposed amendments are prepared so that they are received by chapters at least 60 days in advance of the Boule. How these committees function on the regional and national levels will be addressed later in this chapter. Reports That Open The Regional Conference/Boule There are three actions that open a convention. These reports form the delegates into a voting body. The convention must adopt the credentials report, the convention standing rules, and the convention program. The adoption of these items must be in the order listed above. Only after these three reports have been adopted, can the Grand Basileus or Regional Syntaktes declare the Boule or Regional Conference open for the transaction of business. The first report is the report of the Credentials Committee. In our sorority, this function is normally filled by the Regional or International Grammateus. Depending on the language in your bylaws, this report will have three categories. The first category that the Grammateus will report consists of everyone who is registered for the conference, including guests. The second category that would be reported are the number of voting delegates who have picked up their credentials, meaning they have arrived at the conference/boule. On the regional 27

28 level, this part of the report would be limited to: Regional Officers (only if they have a vote), national officers living in the region ( if they are entitled to a vote at the regional conference), alumnae chapter delegates, undergraduate chapter delegates, regional undergraduate members, members-at-large, and life members. On the national level, the report would include the number of international board members who have picked up their credentials. Whether or not there is a third category to this report depends on the quorum requirement in the regional or national bylaws. For example, in Central Region, the quorum for the Central Regional Conference is 50% of the financial alumnae chapters and 50% of the Regional Executive Board. In order for the Syntaktes to have any chance of determining if a quorum exists, she will need this third part of the report to include the number of financial alumnae chapters in the region, the number of alumnae chapters that have registered, and the number of alumnae chapters who have picked up their credentials. Then the number of regional officers who are registered would be reported, and the number who have picked up their credentials would then be reported. There are 80 financial alumnae chapters in Central Region. Delegates from sixty alumnae chapters are registered. Representatives from 30 alumnae chapters have picked up their credentials. There are 14 Central Regional officers. Twelve officers have picked up their credentials. Given the above report, the Central Regional Syntaktes now knows she does NOT have a quorum, because she does not have delegates from 40 alumnae chapters who have arrived at the conference. With this information, it doesn t matter if there are a thousand sorors in the room. The quorum for the Central Regional conference is 50% of the financial alumnae chapters and if 28

29 50% have not arrived, it doesn t matter how many sorors are in the room, the quorum requirement couldn t possibly be met. In Central Region, the quorum requirement is based on chapter representatives and the Regional Board, not a certain number of delegates being present. If the regional bylaws do not define a quorum, according to RONR, the quorum would be a majority of the registered delegates. If there are 250 registered delegates, the quorum would be 126 delegates. Do not confuse the credential report with the quorum. Remember, the quorum reflects who has to physically be in the room in order for business to be transacted. That is different from who is registered. Given the above example, all 80 chapters could have delegates registered and their credentials picked up. However, if there are only 10 sorors in the room, it would be impossible for there to be delegates from 40 chapters in the room, and therefore, there is not a quorum. The Grammateus is reporting who is registered and essentially, who has arrived and picked up their delegate packet. The Syntaktes or the Grand Basileus declares whether or not there is a quorum present. That is not the role of the Grammateus. When building the credential s report, it is important to have a policy on how to handle sorors who hold multiple voting statuses. For example, at the time this manual was written, the International Parliamentarian was a national officer, living in Central Region which entitles her to have a vote at the Central Regional conference according to the Central Region Bylaws. She was also the Central Regional Parliamentarian, which also entitled her to have a vote at the Central Regional Conference. She was a Life Member, which entitled her to have a vote at the Central Regional Conference. In spite of these multiple statuses, she only gets one vote. The region has to decide how they are going to count someone with multiple voting statuses in the credentials report. At the regional level, the decision may be to count the person as a regional 29

30 officer since, in Central Region, the Central Regional Board is part of the quorum definition. At the national level, a decision would have to be made on whether to count the person as an international officer or a life member. Again, regardless of status, a soror only gets one vote and can only be counted under one category in the credentials report. Both the regions and the national Board should establish a Standing Rule on this issue to decrease confusion and promote consistency on how the credentials report is presented. While the credentials report can only list a soror in one category, any listing of the attendees at the regional or Boule could reflect all categories of status for a soror who can be counted in more than one category. This listing does not reflect voting strength, but conference attendance. An example is below: Name Regional Officers National Officers Alumnae Chapter Undergraduate Life Members Members-at- Living in Central Delegates Chapter Large Region Delegates Mary Carter X X Frances Jackson X X X Joyce Dewar X X After the Grammateus has made the Credentials report, there must be a motion to adopt. If this is a committee of more than one person, then a member of the Credentials committee can move adoption of the report on behalf of the committee. If the motion to adopt is made by a committee of more than one person, then no second is required. If it is a one-person committee, then the Grammateus cannot move adoption of this report (individual officers can never move adoption of their reports). There will have to be a motion from the floor. This motion only requires majority vote to adopt. Please refer to the full RONR to read how to handle a challenge to this report. 30

31 At each subsequent plenary session, the credentials report must be updated, but at the updates, the time of the report must be included: As of 1 PM, July 25, this is the report of the Credentials Committee. Every time a new report is given, the report must be adopted. Also, for subsequent updates, the report must include the voting strength, which would not include Philos and Rhoers. If the report is unchanged from the previous report, then a new report is not required and no motion is made. In addition to having an updated credentials report at each session of the convention, an updated credential s report is usually made before an election or any important vote. This report provides the maximum number of votes that can be cast. If there are 1000 delegates, then any counted vote that exceeds that number is invalid. The second report that must be adopted is the report of the convention Standing Rules. These are different from chapter standing rules. Convention Standing Rules relate to the conduct of the convention/conference. If the rules are unchanged from one year to the next AND if each delegate receives them in advance of the convention, then they do not have to be read. If they are not sent to all delegates prior to the convention, then they have to be read even though they are printed in the convention workbook. They are read by the Parliamentarian. Convention standing rules typically include limits on debate, require that all delegates wear the official convention badge, turn off cell phones or place them on mute, can t speak more than twice on the same issue, must complete a motions form when making a motion, etc. It is also important to have a convention standing rule that all minutes will be approved at each succeeding session, but that the last session will be approved by a committee appointed by the Regional Syntaktes (or Grand Basileus). 31

32 RONR states that all conventions are responsible for approving their own minutes. For a regional conference held in 2012, it is not reasonable to assume that the delegates who attend the regional conference in 2013 will remember what happened in Additionally, a good portion of the delegates who attend in 2013 probably were not at the conference in 2012, so they certainly can t determine if there are errors in the minutes. Therefore, after the first session, the second session should include approval of the minutes of the first session. The third session of the convention should include approval of the minutes of the second session. Obviously, there will not be a session after the last session (it might be the last day which may include more than one session) for approval of the minutes. What RONR recommends is that the presiding officer appoints a committee that will review the minutes of the last session (or all sessions whose minutes were not approved by the body) and approves those minutes. After this approval, then the minutes in their entirety can be disseminated to the appropriate level of membership. In the following year, the Syntaktes or Grand Basileus only needs to ask if there are any corrections to the minutes that were disseminated. Remember, factual corrections to the minutes can always be made, even years in the future if the facts can be proven. If the bylaws provide for a Minutes Approval Committee (or some facsimile), then this does not have to be in the convention standing rules. Instead of appointing this committee prior to the Conference/Boule the Regional Syntaktes/Grand Basileus may appoint this minutes approval committee during the first plenary session. The only benefit in waiting until the regional conference or Boule is to ensure that the persons appointed are in attendance. Whenever the committee is appointed, it is important for these sorors to know that they need to take their own minutes so they will have something to compare to the minutes they will receive from the Anti-Grammateus. For the Boule, experience 32