Robert’s Rules of Order in Practice: A Mock Meeting

Format: Online only- and will be recorded.

Faculty

• Hon. Michael Malamut, Housing Court, Eastern Division, Professional Registered Parliamentarian, Certified Professional Parliamentarian & Teacher, Certified Governance Consultant(as Presiding Officer/Chair and Commentator
• Peter Senopoulos, JD, Professional Registered Parliamentarian; President, George Demeter Unit, National Association of Parliamentarians (as Secretary)
• Peter Klapes, Esq. President of the local George Demeter Unit of the National Association of Parliamentarians.

Have you ever attended an organization meeting, board session, or public hearing and felt stymied when someone turned to you and asked, "You’re a lawyer, what are we supposed to do?" Legal training rarely covers the tactical intricacies of parliamentary law. This dynamic program features a “all out stops” mock meeting that puts the presiding officer through the paces. Our panel credentialed parliamentary experts will reenact what happens when rival organizational factions with good parliamentary backgrounds are fighting to control an agenda.

Watch how an experienced chair keeps cool, enforces order, and staves off procedural mayhem when confronted with rapid-fire motions and challenges from both sides of the aisle. The mock meeting will be interrupted by brief explanations of the procedures, possible alternative procedures, and comparisons among different parliamentary authorities (such as Robert’s Rules of Order and Town Meeting Time). Forewarned is forearmed. Bring your questions.

NOTE: The annotated model meeting script will be provided to participants after the program as a reference. This program can be useful in navigating complex issues that arise in deliberative decision making in a sophisticated membership meeting. 

Program topics include: 

• Contested Floor Recognition: Who is recognized when multiple members rise and clamor for attention simultaneously?
• Interrupting the Floor: Who can legitimately interrupt a pending motion, and what is the proper form?
• Procedural Entanglements: When debate goes down a procedural rabbit hole, how do we steer back on course?
• Filibusters & Delay Tactics: Some members are doing everything they can do to delay the meeting. What can the chair do?
• Managing Disruptions: Practical remedies for handling disorderly or repeatedly disruptive members. What can be done?
• Challenging the Chair: The chair is being a dictator, refusing to acknowledge members of the opposing faction. What are the members to do?
• Tracking Motions: How many motions can be pending at the same time? I can’t keep track. I’m lost. What can I do?
• Multi-Option Decisions: How to manage and vote on complex matters involving four or more distinct alternatives.
• We keep getting off track. What can we do?
• Unfinished Business: What happens under parliamentary rules to agenda items left on the table when time runs out?