Why Use Roberts

[Guest David O. Jones]

I am trying to persuade a private school Board to adopt Robert's Rules.

Several members say they are not sure what it is or why it should be adopted. I have

attempted to summarize its rationale (e.g. effective, fair meetings), and

assure them that it can be adapted and is intended to be used with reasonable flexibility - but

several are still unsure of the why and how - even the Board Chair !

Can you share how you persuaded any group to adopt the Rules?

[jstackpo]

One, slightly Socratic, way could be to ask them "O.K., if not Robert, whose rules do you plan to follow? The chairman's?"

[jstackpo]

And I trust you read the greyed out quote from Jefferson in my first (and this) reply.

Give the chair a copy of RONRIB:

"Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief" (Da Capo Press, Perseus Books Group, 2004). It is a splendid summary of all the rules you will really need in all but the most exceptional situations. And only $7.00! You can read it in an evening.

The first few pages are as good a summary of Why? as you will find.

[Rob Elsman]

I am trying to persuade a private school Board to adopt Robert's Rules.

Several members say they are not sure what it is or why it should be adopted. I have

attempted to summarize its rationale (e.g. effective, fair meetings), and

assure them that it can be adapted and is intended to be used with reasonable flexibility - but

several are still unsure of the why and how - even the Board Chair !

Can you share how you persuaded any group to adopt the Rules?

If the school board is rather small and the meetings are going well enough by conducting the business informally, I would not necessarily recommend adopting a parliamentary authority. The board might be just as well off without.

[Tim Wynn]

If the school board is rather small and the meetings are going well enough by conducting the business informally, I would not necessarily recommend adopting a parliamentary authority. The board might be just as well off without.

The question was, "Can you share how you persuaded any group to adopt the Rules?" This sounds more like how you dissuade the adoption.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

I am trying to persuade a private school Board to adopt Robert's Rules.

Why?

What is going so wrong that formal rules, above and beyond their custom, is now necessary?

Several members say they are not sure what it is or why it should be adopted.

I agree.

You don't adopt a parliamentary authority without knowing (a.) why now; (b.) why this particular authority.

You ought not adopt a parliamentary authority no one has read. -- For the same reason you ought not adopt any set of rules without reading over the rules first. -- Or at least having a committee do the research and report out a recommendation on one of the parliamentary authorities out there, if not Robert's Rules of Order.

Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is the Dean at the School of Hard Knocks.

I have attempted to summarize its rationale (e.g. effective, fair meetings), and assure them that it can be adapted and is intended to be used with reasonable flexibility - but several are still unsure of the why and how -- even the Board Chair! Can you share how you persuaded any group to adopt the Rules?

No. -- Not without knowing the status quo about their meetings and their customs.

Not everyone needs a 160 mph Lamborghini, if their primary need for transportation is going to the corner store for milk.

Not everyone needs a bazooka, if their primary need for defense is walking home from junior high school.

Not everyone needs a 700+ page parliamentary authority, if their parliamentary procedure is exercised in a four-man or six-man board.

There is no good reason they could not adopt enough special rules of order to cover their parliamentary procedure.

Unless, of course, their status quo is so screwed up, that a heavy blunt object (like 700 pages of rules) is now considered a patch or a repair over their chaotic meetings.

But, ideally, you ought not adopt a parliamentary authority under the burden that desperate measures are being grasped at like straws, or like life preservers.

[jstackpo]

Well...

The happiest, friendliest, most cooperative groups in the world will have arguments eventually (I know - I'm married) and when that happens having a set of objective "how to behave" rules in place (even, I contend, if you don't actually know all the rules in detail) can make a huge difference in working out the resolution(s) of the arguments.

So go ahead and adopt RONR even though you may not "need" all those rules right now. It has worked for groups (with intermittent modifications) for more than 130 years -- pretty good track record.

[tctheatc]

I am trying to persuade a private school Board to adopt Robert's Rules.

Several members say they are not sure what it is or why it should be adopted. I have

attempted to summarize its rationale (e.g. effective, fair meetings), and

assure them that it can be adapted and is intended to be used with reasonable flexibility - but

several are still unsure of the why and how - even the Board Chair !

Can you share how you persuaded any group to adopt the Rules?

Speaking to my current situation, which is more how I got the assembly to USE the parliamentary authority they'd already adopted (RONR)...

It was 2 things: previously there was always consternation about what had been decided. They'd vote, but people weren't always sure or in agreement on what was being voted on. And especially where money was involved, problems ensued. Now we're working on tightening up the meetings with stating the question, ensuring it's properly recorded in the meetings, avoiding hurried shouts of "so moved!" and the like... We're being accurate.

The other selling point is that our meetings are being run more efficiently and we're getting more done in less time. That's simply by staying focused and keeping discussion/debate on topic.

Good luck.

[Josh Martin]

Several members say they are not sure what it is or why it should be adopted. I have

attempted to summarize its rationale (e.g. effective, fair meetings), and

assure them that it can be adapted and is intended to be used with reasonable flexibility - but

several are still unsure of the why and how - even the Board Chair !

Can you share how you persuaded any group to adopt the Rules?

I think the best method of persuading the group would be to have them become more familiar with RONR. I would get a copy of RONR In Brief, read it yourself, and then prepare a presentation and tell the board you'd like to explain to them what RONR actually entails, so that they may make a more informed decision. In my experience, most of the resistance to adopting RONR is due to misconceptions of what is actually in the text and the fact that the full text (at over 600 pages) is rather intimidating. I can certainly understand why members would be concerned about adopting a parliamentary authority they know little about, particularly when learning more seems like a daunting task. But if you can instruct them in the basics of RONR and show them the much more manageable RONR In Brief (at under 200 pages, with suggestions in the front for reading plans based on the time a member has available), they may be more willing to listen.

I would also be sure to read the small board rules in pgs. 470-471 of the full text of RONR and modify your presentation accordingly, so you don't give them a lot of information which won't apply to them. Another major concern for small boards and committees is that RONR will make their meetings too formal and rigid, but the small board rules should help them relax.

Since you also mentioned that members were unsure on how to adopt RONR, see How Your Organization Can Adopt Robert's Rules, and let us know if you need anything clarified.