Tina Marie Posted April 22, 2019 at 06:14 PM Report Share Posted April 22, 2019 at 06:14 PM I am preparing for an annual meeting and noticed we have a rule that is "per Robert's Rules of Order" alternates will not be seated with delegates. I ask because I have spent my lunch correcting other miss quotes that are in our meeting packet (ie our by laws ask for a form for a motion and that was not included). Please advise if I am missing something. I would be GLAD to not find another error! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted April 22, 2019 at 06:22 PM Report Share Posted April 22, 2019 at 06:22 PM 6 minutes ago, Tina Marie said: I am preparing for an annual meeting and noticed we have a rule that is "per Robert's Rules of Order" alternates will not be seated with delegates. I ask because I have spent my lunch correcting other miss quotes that are in our meeting packet (ie our by laws ask for a form for a motion and that was not included). Please advise if I am missing something. I would be GLAD to not find another error! Thanks! "Status and Seating of Alternates; Replacement Procedure. Alternates registered as such are usually provided with badges of a different color or shape from those of delegates and are seated in sections apart from them." RONR (11th ed.), p. 604 Your rules may provide otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tina Marie Posted April 23, 2019 at 03:08 AM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 03:08 AM Thank you so much. I will make sure to use the reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted April 23, 2019 at 04:53 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 04:53 PM 22 hours ago, Tina Marie said: I am preparing for an annual meeting and noticed we have a rule that is "per Robert's Rules of Order" alternates will not be seated with delegates. I ask because I have spent my lunch correcting other miss quotes that are in our meeting packet (ie our by laws ask for a form for a motion and that was not included). Please advise if I am missing something. I would be GLAD to not find another error! Thanks! Well, it says they "usually" are seated separately, but it's not exactly a rule in RONR. It may be a rule in your rulebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted April 23, 2019 at 05:00 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 05:00 PM 6 minutes ago, Gary Novosielski said: Well, it says they "usually" are seated separately, but it's not exactly a rule in RONR. It may be a rule in your rulebook. That's an interesting way to read that quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted April 23, 2019 at 05:09 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 05:09 PM 4 minutes ago, George Mervosh said: That's an interesting way to read that quote. If by interesting you mean erroneous, I have to admit there's another way to read it. But if the OPs rules say it is so "per RONR" I would not quarrel with the fact that it is true "per RONR". And the society would be free to adopt such a requirement even if RONR was silent on the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted April 23, 2019 at 05:14 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 05:14 PM I'm having trouble seeing how to read it as a "must" rule. In fact, I'm having trouble seeing how to read it as a rule at all, rather than a descriptive statement. Nonetheless, it's a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted April 23, 2019 at 05:37 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 05:37 PM 20 minutes ago, Joshua Katz said: I'm having trouble seeing how to read it as a "must" rule. In fact, I'm having trouble seeing how to read it as a rule at all, rather than a descriptive statement. Nonetheless, it's a good idea. I agree. That is my interpretation, too. I think it is describing a custom more than creating a rule. At most, I think maybe it is a "should" rule rather than a "must" rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zev Posted April 23, 2019 at 06:17 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 06:17 PM If convention attendees all had similar badges and sat together presiding officers may have a hard time distinguishing delegates from alternates during voting. Perhaps there is a way of controlling such a thing and I would not mind hearing from someone that has attended one of the major party's conventions to reveal how they dealt with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted April 23, 2019 at 06:22 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 06:22 PM Define "major." 😉 The conventions I've attended did not, in my view, have a good system for dealing with alternates - they had different colored badges, but sat with state delegations. But it was also very easy, under the rules, for an alternate to become a delegate, and then they'd have the wrong badge. I've been parliamentarian for state conventions, though, that handled it better - they had better rules, and it's easier with a smaller group. The largest I worked had a section of the room for alternates, and had a credentials desk for badge swapping when an alternate stepped into a delegate position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Elsman Posted April 23, 2019 at 06:45 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 06:45 PM I think the main thing is to keep alternate delegates separate from the voting members to prevent illegal votes by illegal voters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted April 23, 2019 at 07:30 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 at 07:30 PM 44 minutes ago, reelsman said: I think the main thing is to keep alternate delegates separate from the voting members to prevent illegal votes by illegal voters. Agreed, but it's challenging on a voice vote. It's also challenging on division when the alternates are mixed in and sometimes have the wrong badges (i.e. are seated but still have alternate badges). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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