ROBERT'S RULE OF ORDER Flashcards
Who invented Robert’s Rule of Order?
Henry Martyn Robert, Born May 2 1837, robert was a military engineer.
How did he come up with the rule of order?
During the Civil war, he was in charge of constructing defenses in Washington D.C.
In 1862, he was asked to preside over a turbulent public meeting at his church in New Bedford.
He was embarassed, but this event became his main drive for creating his own code on the conduct of meetings.
He read books and studies, and the devised the Robert’s Rule of Order
What is Robert’s Rule of Order?
It is the most widely used manual of parliamentary procedure in America. It governs the meeting of a diverse range of organizations - including church groups, county commissions, homeowner associations, non-profit associations, professional societies, school boards and trade unions - that have adopted it as their authority.
Where was it loosely modeled after?
The procedures prescribed by the book were loosely models after those used in the United States House of Representatives, such with adaptions as Robert saw fit for use in ordinary societies.
Why follow Robert’s rule of order?
Meetings are held for particular purposes. The success of a meeting depends on a variety of elements, one of which is the orderly conduct of the meeting itself. People in organizations come from diverse backgrounds with different views and philosophies. Robert came up with the Rules based on the realistic notion that no group of more than two people in the English speaking world could get together for any practical purpose without the meeting turning into chaos without such a framework.
Moreover, it is for fair and efficient meetings, for the key elements therein, and benefits it may produce such as fariness and transparency in decision-making.
What are the noteworthy points that one shall remember?
- While rules of procedure should not be so stringent as to curtail freedom, it should also not be so loose as to rpomote chaos
Robert’s Rules of Order is an excellent guide for holding meetings. Note, however, that not everyone is learned in the Rules. The Rules here may be so stringent that it may somehow discourage people from holding a meeting bason these Rules, thereby resulting in less than satisfactory conduct of meetings. While the Rules exist, it is also suggested that the Rules be applied liberally, especially in ordinary meetings of small groups. After all, free speech is a protected right, as long as this is exercised within the bounds law, public policy, morality and decency.
