MSCSA Director of Government Relations Jason Fossum MSCSA Vice President Kerrie Maleski

1. Running an Effective
Meeting
By Jason Fossum

2. Basic principles to remember
Robert’s Rules of Order were created to help groups run
effective meetings.
The rules were designed to:
Protect the right of the minority to express its opinion.
Allow the majority to ultimately rule.
Allow groups to process business as needed in a fair and
orderly manner.
Be applied only as strictly as needed.

3. Meetings are effective when….
Debate and discussions occurs in an orderly and
respectful manner.
Business is dealt with in a fair and open process.
The minority opinion on issues have had their say.
Your agenda is dealt with efficiently.

4. Keys to being an effective chair
You as the chair play an important role in the
effectiveness of your meetings.
As the chair, you have a few key responsibilities
and rights which will help you be effective. They
are:
To provide an unbiased application of the rules
To ensure controlled debate
Provide adherence to the agenda
To know how to deal with motions
To apply the rules only as strictly as needed

5. Unbiased application of the rules
What does it mean to be unbiased?
Not entering into debate
Not unduly influencing discussion
Protecting every opinion, even if you disagree.
Not allowing personalities to interfere in business.
What can you do as chair?
Provide information helpful to the discussion (but
don’t enter into debate while doing it).
Answer questions that are raised.
Break a tie – in most cases.

6. Ensuring controlled debate
As the chair, it’s up to you to be sure that debate on
issues remains focused and under control.
In general, that means:
Stopping the “run away trains.”
Enforcing speaker limitations when necessary.
Focus on hearing both sides.
Understanding how rules apply in situations of importance.

7. Ensuring controlled debate
Robert’s Rules of Order limits the right of any member
to speak on a given issue twice in one day.
Robert’s Rules has motions that can be made that limit
debate. For example:
Previous Question
Robert’s Rules requires that all speakers stay focused on
the business at hand and chairs can rule debate out of
order.

8. Knowing the rules
It’s important that you have a general understanding of
Robert’s Rules.
It is NOT necessary that you know everything.
Don’t be afraid to buy a book and have it with you!
Understanding how to deal with motions will make or
break your meeting.
Know your bylaws!

9. Dealing with motions
Main motions: should address your item of business and
seek to deal with it in some way.
Amendments: will seek to change the main motion in
some manner.
Understanding the most efficient way to deal with these
will make your meetings run amazing!

10. Dealing with motions
Using the logical precedence of motions will help you
work through your business.
You must deal with all amendments before dealing with
the main motion.

11. Dealing with motions
There are four categories of motions in Robert’s Rules:
Main motion
Subsidiary motion: are used to change how a main
motion is handled or debated (amendment is most
common of this category).
Incidental motion: purpose is to allow for questioning
of procedure (point of order is most common).
Privileged motion: are used to bring other business,
usually unrelated to the main motion before the body
(lay on the table is a common motion in this
category).

12. Commonly used motions
Lay on the Table: allows for temporary set aside of your
main motion.
Postponement: allows for longer term set aside of
debate on the main motion.
Previous Question: allows for the immediate end to
debate on the main motion and forces a vote.
Division: allows for clarification on the result of a voice
vote.
Reconsider: allows for further debate on an issue that
has already been acted upon.

13. Application of the rules
Robert’s Rules requires that the rules only be applied as
strictly as necessary to complete your business.
What does this mean?

14. Application of rules
If you don’t need to enforce a rule, don’t.
Only limit people to speaking twice if they’re excessive
and obviously trying to slow down the business.
Don’t use unnecessary motions.
Allow people some latitude until they take advantage of
you.
A friendly reminder is always a good first step.

15. Questions?

16. Mock Meeting…
Let’s see it in action!