Robert's Rules in Real Life

The Lewis County Historical Museum is in big trouble, and the secretary proposes to change a bylaw. Is this the right way to go?

Jurassic Parliament is always glad when boards think about their bylaws. Too often, bylaws are regarded as boilerplate, verbiage that has to exist but is not interesting. We believe that bylaws are fascinating and we know that they are vital to your work on a nonprofit board of directors.

Bylaws are the foundation on which any serious nonprofit organization conducts its work. They set out the terms and conditions under which the good purposes of your group can be pursued. They need to be carefully written and frequently referred to. Bylaws moldering in a file folder do nobody any good at all.

In the case of the Lewis County museum, over the last four years the endowment has shrunk from about half a million dollars to a couple of grand left in the checking account. Three employees have been laid off indefinitely, the police locked the building up tight in order to get the financial records, and the board has been meeting in emergency session. The board secretary proposed to change the bylaws to require that any future activity with any future endowment money must be signed off on by all members of the board of directors.

In our view, this would be a clumsy way to ensure probity in a nonprofit’s financial dealings. Any responsible board must undertake a series of steps regarding its finances, some of which we outline in our article “Who’s Responsible for the Money?” For example, one of the laid-off employees was the bookkeeper, who was also serving as treasurer – it is not a good idea to have a single person fulfill both roles.

When you are elected or appointed to a nonprofit board of directors, take the time to read the bylaws and to review the financial arrangements. Don’t allow the pleasure of joining a worthy endeavor to keep you from examining how things are done, and asking questions to become informed. Whether you serve as treasurer, chair, or “just” an ordinary director, you are responsible for using that money wisely. Best to think about the bylaws before the crisis, rather than after.

Ann G. Macfarlane, PRP

© Jurassic Parliament 2011. All rights reserved.

Those who know us well appreciate our passion for making Robert’s Rules work well for everyone, not just parliamentarians.  To that end, we’ve recently concluded a thorough renovation of this website.

In appreciation of your visit, we are offering a housewarming party favor. When you check out, use our special discount and type in PARTY. You’ll save 20% on all your purchases through December 16, 2011.

We’ve also widely expanded our content library. This labor of love not only delivers a more intuitive experience for our guests, but also provides access to a comprehensive set of resources designed to demystify Robert’s Rules and enable you to easily apply its basic principles in your own home, or at least in your meetings.

When you explore you will find:

• Articles providing insightful nuggets on Robert’s Rules
• Tip Sheets for use during sessions calling for Robert’s Rules of Order
• Mastery Lessons for building a comprehensive knowledge base
• Online Courses for those wanting on-demand access to training
• Money-saving Bundles collecting great resources in one package
• General information you can come back to time and again, as needed

We hope you visit and enjoy what we’ve built. Our architect and builders are all open to hearing your opinions, so please let us know what you think.

We look forward to seeing you.

Your neighbors at Jurassic Parliament

We’ve all heard of indicator species. Dying crayfish indicate fresh water pollution and fading corals indicate that saltwater habitat is silting up. Three police cars indicate that a school board is broken.

Last week the Everett, Washington School Board was meeting in executive session when a fight broke out. The grabbing, pushing and shoving over a paper copy of the superintendent’s evaluation were severe enough that two calls were made to 911. The police who arrived took statements, the newspaper has written it up, and you can see the video of the whole thing on YouTube.

Knowledgeable readers may wonder how a video of an executive session (a closed or secret session) is available to the public. Well, it’s a long story, but the essence seems to be that one director doesn’t accept the standard way of doing business. In her 2009 election campaign she set herself against the then-current members of the school board, and she’s kept it up ever since. She’s a rebel regarding both the substance of many decisions and the way that they are arrived at. Waving the flag of transparency, she brings her fight to the public.

Jurassic Parliament suggests that groups facing similar situations call Robert, before they are driven to call the police. Robert’s Rules of Order create a structure in which orderly disagreement is possible. They establish rules for minority points of view while allowing the majority to govern, which is fundamental to our society and our values. A presider who understands the fundamental principles of Robert’s Rules and group members who agree to abide by them can handle dissent and prevent the collapse of discourse and civility. Obviously a situation like the Everett School Board's presents special challenges, but it can be done.

Ann G. Macfarlane, PRP

(c) Jurassic Parliament 2011. All rights reserved.

Hilary Beehler of Washington Youth Soccer has written a heartfelt blog entry on the benefits of following Jurassic Parliament’s “Three Golden Rules for Discussion.” In particular, she points out that the rule “No one may speak twice until everyone who wishes to do so has spoken once” sounds like common sense. “But if I think about the last board or committee meeting I was in, did this happen? I can honestly say that I’ve sat in multiple meetings where one or two members dominate the conversation at the expense of quieter voices in the room. It’s not ill will that drives this…”

Readers who struggle with board meetings in which some folks speak out much more than others will find her comments illuminating.

Ann G. Macfarlane, PRP

(c) Jurassic Parliament 2011.  All rights reserved.

If you are not already a David Brooks fan, run, don’t walk, to read today’s New York Times column entitled “The New Humanism.” Brooks lays out with clarity and grace the way our culture fails to value— or even recognize—the totality of a human being in many of our social structures and ways of interacting.

At meetings above all else, we are not disembodied heads around a table, but full persons. If the atmosphere and structure of a meeting fail to recognize the importance of the non-conscious, the emotional, and the unspoken aspects of the people attending, that meeting will accomplish far less than it could or should.

Jurassic Parliament has been talking about this side of leadership and meeting management for ten years. It gives me hope to see a nationally recognized figure writing and speaking about this dimension of our humanity.

Ann G. Macfarlane, PRP

© Jurassic Parliament 2011. All rights reserved.