Procedure to start a new organization

[Guest Daisy Carrington]

We recently started a new local PTA. The County PTA President ran the mass meeting. We did everything in one night, since the bylaws are canned, with about 20 fill in the blanks. I've been bothered by the order of the meeting agenda and thought I'd check it out here with all you experts.

This is way I thought the meeting needed to be conducted (after a lot of research, not knowing the county would do all this for us): get interested parties together, vote to establish a new organization, elect interim officers, recess to write the bylaws, reconvene, adopt bylaws, register members, vote on permanent officers...

What the county did instead was: vote to establish new organization, recess to register members, reconvene to have members write the bylaws, adopt bylaws, voice vote on permanent officers. So, is registering members ok first if we don't elect the interim officers?

She said we could not run for two officer positions. I thought we could vote on each officer position by ballot, that way allowing people to run for another position if they lost the first. I understand that with a voice vote, the whole slate must be filled in. Do you think it was a time saving policy of the county to do only a voice vote? Someone asked and she said Bob's Rules said we had to do the full slate.

She also said, "all those in favor say aye, all those opposed, the same." I've never heard "the same" used. Is that common? Is anything ok as long as people understand?

She also said that she was running things according to "Bob's Rules, that's what we call them." Is that a common knick name?

Thank you!

[Edgar Guest]

She also said, "all those in favor say aye, all those opposed, the same." I've never heard "the same" used. Is that common? Is anything ok as long as people understand?

Sometimes a chair will say: "All those in favor, raise your hand. All those opposed, same sign (i.e. raise your hand)". But to ask for "ayes" when you want "nos" is asking for trouble.

 

She also said that she was running things according to "Bob's Rules, that's what we call them." Is that a common knick name?

No. No one with half a brain (or more) refers to Robert's Rules of Order as "Bob's Rules". "Robert" was Henry Robert's last name, not his first. 

[Timothy]

She also said that she was running things according to "Bob's Rules, that's what we call them." Is that a common knick name?

 

 

That sounds like shorthand for "I don't really care what Robert's Rules of Order says, I'm going to make up my own."

[jstackpo]

What the county did instead was: vote to establish new organization, recess to register members, reconvene to have members write the bylaws, adopt bylaws, voice vote on permanent officers. So, is registering members ok first if we don't elect the interim officers?

She said we could not run for two officer positions. I thought we could vote on each officer position by ballot, that way allowing people to run for another position if they lost the first. I understand that with a voice vote, the whole slate must be filled in. Do you think it was a time saving policy of the county to do only a voice vote? Someone asked and she said Bob's Rules said we had to do the full slate.

She also said, "all those in favor say aye, all those opposed, the same." I've never heard "the same" used. Is that common? Is anything ok as long as people understand?

She also said that she was running things according to "Bob's Rules, that's what we call them." Is that a common knick name?

Thank you!

 

 

Although some of your steps were a tad illogical (like "registering members" when there was no  association (yet) in existence, since the bylaws had not been adopted  --  what are they members of?) it looks as though in the end you are OK and off and running.

 

Whoever was running the initial (mass) meeting was, in effect your "interim [presiding] officer and he/she got some of "Bob's Rules" wrong, too.

 

There is no requirement in RONR that you are limited to running for one officer position, and the order of elections (all at once or one at a time) is your, collective, choice - p. 439. - whether voting by ballot or by voice

 

If your bylaws (as I recall from my PTA days many many years ago  --  my eldest grandson got married last weekend!) require a ballot vote then you must use a ballot.  You bylaws may have a "one candidate per position" exception (NOT "slate" - that word isn't in RONR - or Bob's Rules either) then election by acclamation - p. 443 - is OK.

 

"All those opposed, the same" is an abomination!

 

Get your new officers copies of RONRIB:

"Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief", Updated Second Edition (Da Capo Press, Perseus Books Group, 2011). It is a splendid summary of all the rules you will really need in all but the most exceptional situations. And only $7.50! You can read it in an evening. Get both RONRIB and RONR (scroll down) at this link. Or in your local bookstore.

 

If RONR is "Bob's Rules"  (or as Edgar G. implicitly notes, that should be "Hank's Rules")  then RONRIB is "Bobette's Rules".  Or maybe "Bob Jr.'s Rules."

 

"That's what we call them"  --  just who is this "we" Kemo Sabe?

[Gary Novosielski]

Furthermore, it is not true that in order to have a voice vote you must vote on an entire slate at once.  Voting on a "slate" of any kind with one voice vote is improper.  In fact, the use of the word "slate" in nearly any context marks one as a person lacking expertise on the subject of Robert's Rules (as does referring to Gen. Henry M. Robert as "Bob").

 

From a parliamentary point of view, your chair left a lot to be desired. 

 

Good luck with your new organization.

[Josh Martin]

She also said, "all those in favor say aye, all those opposed, the same." I've never heard "the same" used. Is that common? Is anything ok as long as people understand?

 

It's more common than we would like. I have heard a number of organizations use this, but it is not advisable for a voice vote. It doesn't make any sense, since "aye" and "no" are not the same. Still, I suppose there is no real harm done so long as members understood what was going on.

[Guest Daisy Carrington]

Thanks, everyone. I wish I had researched the election prior to the meeting. I think others would have run for positions. Interesting on the "aye" "the same topic." Makes sense for a show of hands vote.

I have Robert's Rules 10th edition, but I just ordered a copy of RONRIB for our newly elected President and myself. I ordered 11th edition for me. I've been using other books as well, but it will be great to have my own copies.

[Guest Daisy Carrington]

Thanks, everyone. I wish I had researched the election prior to the meeting. I think others would have run for positions. Interesting on the "aye" "the same topic." Makes sense for a show of hands vote.

I have Robert's Rules 10th edition, but I just ordered a copy of RONRIB for our newly elected President and myself. I ordered 11th edition for me. I've been using other books as well, but it will be great to have my own copies.

[jstackpo]

C'mon back when you have more questions!

 

(Somehow I think you will!)

[Gary c Tesser]

...   but I just ordered a copy of RONRIB for our newly elected President and myself. I ordered 11th edition for me. ...

 

Good for you.  Remember, you can read your RONR - IB the first time standing there by the door.  You don't need to eat first, nor especially figure for it first thing in the morning, and Dr Stackpole and other college graduates think you can read it, your first time, in the time it would take you to sleep through a couple of episodes of Law & Order, and while doing so might not leave you as well rested, it's bound to leave you feeling more invigorated.

 

Or, perhaps to the point, better-armed.

 

C'mon back when you have more questions!

 

(Somehow I think you will!)

 

Why wait till then?