who may speak at a meeting?

[Guest John Valvasori]

Our soccer organization consists of 20 clubs. Our constitution indicates that Roberts Rules are to be used at all general meetings. It also states that each club may send up to 5 delegates to each meeting. The president recently arbitrarily decided that only one spokesperson per club is allowed to speak, thereby silencing 80% of the delegates. Is this permissible?

[Guest Edgar]

It's up to the assembly (the members present), not any one member (not even the president), to establish any rules limiting debate.

[Richard Brown]

Guest Edgar is correct.  In the absence of a rule to the contrary, RONR provides that a member (every member)  may speak on a debatable question two times for up to ten minutes per speech on the same question per day. The number and length of speeches can be increased or decreased by a special rule adopted by the assembly or by means of a motion to "Limit or Extend the Limits of Debate".  The Assembly, not the chair, dictates the number and length of speeches.  See RONR 11th edition, pages 387 - 391 for details. 

[Bruce Lages]

Note also that "Rules protecting a basic right of the individual member cannot be suspended. Thus, while generally applicable limits on debate and the making of motions may be imposed by motions such as the Previous Question, the rules may not be suspended so as to deny any particular member the right to attend meetings, make motions or nominations, speak in debate, give previous notice, or vote." (RONR, 11th ed. p.264, ll.6-13; bolded emphasis added).

 

As Edgar noted, the president alone does not have the authority to make rules limiting debate.  In this case, however, I believe that, unless there are other rules governing the makeup and rights of delegations to your general meetings, all of the properly-chosen delegates should have the status of members at the general meeting, and therefore even the assembly itself cannot silence 4/5 of the delegates by suspending the rule that all members are entitled to speak in debate.