Parliamentary Law: Overview

1. Management & Leadership in
Ministry
An overview of the need & value
of Robert’s Rules of Order

2. Why bother with
“Roberts Rules of
Order” and
Parliamentary
Procedures?

3. 1) Robert’s Rules have consistently
shown themselves to facilitate the
orderly, civil and timely
transaction of business.

4. 2) Robert’s Rules have a long track
record of demonstrating both
fairness and sensitivity to the
individual, while at the same time
helping the entire organization
operate efficiency.

5. Robert’s Rules are a set of
procedural guidelines,
developed over one hundred years
(1876), designed to help
organizations (churches) conduct
their business meetings in the best
possible manner.
Story army engineer: Brigadier General Henry Martyn Robert

6. Read the story of the development of
“Robert’s Rules of Order”
http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/roberts_rules/appendix-f.html
Note: be sure to see the second page of this article,
by clicking on „next‟ in the bottom right hand corner
of the web page

7. The great purpose of these rules is to
„serve the will of the assembly,
rather than to restrain it … to
facilitate and not to obscure‟ the
discussion & decision-making of the
group.
Paul Mason (Mason‟s Manual) Reason #5 for the Necessity of Rules of Procedure.
http://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/opsc/SAB_Agenda_Items/RulesProcedures/04-13-2010.pdf (20)

8. You will discover that despite the
North American obsession with
„individual rights and privileges‟, out
of necessity, individuals can not and
must not be allowed to do and say
whatever they wish at business
meetings. Robert’s Rules help to
delineate what those limits are, in
order that interests of the whole can
be achieved and respected.

9. National Association of Parliamentarians
“Parliamentary procedure defines how groups of
people, no matter how formal or informal, can
most effectively meet & make decisions in a fair,
consistent manner—and make good use of
everyone's time… These rules relate to the
orderly transaction of business in meetings & to
the duties of officers in facilitating the conduct of
business. Written rules of order help ensure that
the organization functions smoothly & that
questions about procedure can be resolved
quickly and fairly.”
http://parliamentarians.org/definition.php

10. Three overarching principles of Robert’s Rules of Order
The right of the majority to ultimately decide & rule
The right of the minority to be heard
The right of the individual to participate in a
courteous, orderly decision-making process