Ethics and Best Practices

[Guest Donna Spadafino]

I am on a PTA board and there is a gray area in the documents so it refers to Roberts rules.  Is there a ethics clause or best practices which dictates dress code?  IE.  Italian themed party and the Board comes dressed as Mafia/ gangsters.

[Josh Martin]

I am on a PTA board and there is a gray area in the documents so it refers to Roberts rules. Is there a ethics clause or best practices which dictates dress code? IE.  Italian themed party and the Board comes dressed as Mafia/ gangsters.

 

No. There is nothing in RONR on the subject of dress code.

[Guest Donna Spadafino]

What about racism or inappropriate practices of the board?  they are attending a event and representing the school.

[Josh Martin]

What about racism or inappropriate practices of the board?  they are attending a event and representing the school.

 

There is nothing in RONR about racism specifically, although in the context of a meeting, racist comments may well violate the rules of decorum. There are certainly rules in RONR regarding inappropriate practices, but only within the context of a meeting. The rules of decorum pertain to appropriate behavior within a meeting, especially regarding appropriate behavior in debate.

 

Since RONR is a book about procedure in meetings, there is nothing in RONR regarding what members do outside of a meeting, even when they are "attending an event and representing the school." An organization is, of course, free to adopt its own rules on such subjects.