Role of Parliamentarian

[D.Llama]

RONR provides that the  parliamentarian should be appointed by the president and paid by the board or society . He/she advises the president , officers, committees , and members . During a meeting the work  of the  parliamentarian  should be limited to giving advice to the chair ,and when requested , to any other member. 

How much control/authority  over the parliamentarian does the chair and president have ? If for example during a say ,30 minute recess ,may member X advise the Chair/ President that he/she wishes to discuss a matter with the parliamentarian, absent the presence of the Chair, or others  ?  Can a member claim some right to consult with the parliamentarian  alone- given that the parliamentarian is there for "members " and not just officers ? . And if its during the meeting may the parliamentarian  only give advice "to any other member" ,when the Chair authorizes the parliamentarian  to do so,or when any other member wants advice  ?  

In short - Who "owns" and controls/dictates  access to  parliamentarian expertise  ?

 

Thank-you for any response available .

Ddlama

 

[D.Llama]

it appears that this subject (above )  may be ( as no response elicited )  of little interest , is obvious in the context of answer ,  is being pondered , or allows for no specific  reply  ?  

My own sense of this is uncertainty !

 All  members collectively pay ,so all  ( perhaps ) should have access, and even separate access ,if a member considers that wanted ( ?)  to the parliamentarian - during a recess (time ands circumstances  permitting )  . Chair's  seem to have access  to the parliamentarian - often prior to the meeting and strategic planning for the meeting  often arises pre-meeting -using advice from the parliamentarian  . The parliamentarian is to primarily (?) assist the Chair (?) therefore since the Chair made the  appointment  -the parliamentarian  takes his/her instructions  from the Chair as to when and to whom he/she will offer assistance .Nevertheless - looking  once again  for any wisdom on this .

One body that I know of  has an Annual Meeting -that  I have attended for many years and  offers a" Parliamentarian  Booth " that operates for a full hour before the call to the meeting . Any member can speak to the parliamentarian and obtain advice - and without the presence of the chair or any officers present . But this is exceptional in my experience and is directed at the will of the Board of Directors . In other meetings I attend the parliamentarian is seated at the head table and no one (apparently) but the chair ever seems to have access to him . Perhaps if there is dissatisfaction a member should ask to have this subject referred to a say, " Governance  Committee " to prepare an organizational  policy on  " Member  Access to  the Parliamentarian  ???". 

Over to anyone interested or with a clear or specific  answer ? Thanks 

D.Llama 

[George Mervosh]

This is way to long to dissect, but in real life, I advise the societies I work with that unless specifically instructed otherwise, I will advise any member of the assembly with regard to any parliamentary question they may have when I'm available to do so..  I also advise the members that I will advise the presiding officer as to any details of their inquiry if I feel the need to in my capacity as an adviser, who needs to prepare the presiding officer for what they may face ahead.

I don't think this runs afoul of the rules in RONR.

 

 

[Shmuel Gerber]

7 hours ago, D.Llama said:

RONR provides that the  parliamentarian should be appointed by the president and paid by the board or society . He/she advises the president , officers, committees , and members . During a meeting the work  of the  parliamentarian  should be limited to giving advice to the chair ,and when requested , to any other member. 

How much control/authority  over the parliamentarian does the chair and president have ? If for example during a say ,30 minute recess ,may member X advise the Chair/ President that he/she wishes to discuss a matter with the parliamentarian, absent the presence of the Chair, or others  ?  Can a member claim some right to consult with the parliamentarian  alone- given that the parliamentarian is there for "members " and not just officers ? . And if its during the meeting may the parliamentarian  only give advice "to any other member" ,when the Chair authorizes the parliamentarian  to do so,or when any other member wants advice  ?  

In short - Who "owns" and controls/dictates  access to  parliamentarian expertise  ?

 

Thank-you for any response available .

Ddlama

 

It's difficult to understand why you have phrased the questions this way. Why would the member have to "advise the Chair/ President that he/she wishes to discuss a matter with the parliamentarian, absent the presence of the Chair, or others" or "claim some right to consult with the parliamentarian  alone"? If it's during a recess, why can't the member just go over to the parliamentarian and ask whatever his question is?

If you're asking whether RONR gives a member the right to force the chair to leave the area where the parliamentarian is during a recess, in order that the members can consult him or her without the chair "eavesdropping," the answer is no.

[D.Llama]

The reason for the question  being posed this way is quite simple - the perspective  of some chairs is proprietary  respecting  the parliamentarian  - appointed /hired by the Chair - therefore, there for  the Chair alone or as the Chair dictates  . Accordingly    some members consider that they have no access to the parliamentarian . Indeed, I have observed on occasion  that some members consider  ( perception ) that the parliamentarian  is in the" back pocket" of the Chair and executive ,and is a problem and not a cure .In the example above respecting  the "Parliamentarian Booth " ,that actually came about for that very reason/perception  - the entire  constituency ( voting  members )  of the union  of the organization considered that  they had no real access to the expertise of the parliamentarian .

I hope that answers .The broader  question actually seems to be " who owns/ controls access to the parliamentarian-  can all members claim access  ?". And in that respect it seems that Mr Mervosh   provides a  practical answer- in the mention of " specifically instructed " . If the Chair specifically instructs the parliamentarian  that he/she , say :"speak to no member but the  Chair" -  or " speak to no  member  unless I am present "- that will be- that ,and RONR will always take a back seat to such an instruction .Simply  so - because  if that parliamentarian pleases to continue charging a fee for those services he/she will do  as  instructed , and serve as instructed . Or depart that job . No parliamentarian is a power unto themselves in that connection. And to do as much would not seemingly  be -  at all -  unethical  in that all members were/are  not afforded  equal  or any  private access to the parliamentarian. .

That then allows on occasion that   members  ( regardless what  RONR suggests/infers  respecting  members and the parliamentarian )  are practically excluded from expertise ,  unless those members  seeks to otherwise  remedy such . And it follows  - I think - that what RONR infers (?) about the parliamentarian re the  "members"   is the ideal- and on occasion may not be  the reality .Not a problem ,I suppose ,that such is  the case but  certainly of interest to this writer    ! 

Thank- you Mr's  Gerber and Mervosh for the posts  . Always obliged - and  invariably better informed on having such replies  . 

D.Llama