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Parliamentary Procedure Summary and Rules
Every delegate should be versed in Parliamentary Procedure and Rules in order to best serve as a delegate at the CD, State and National level.
What follows is a primer culled from a training led by experts in this area: Alice Woldt, James Apa and Randy Gainer.
The three sections are:
Parliamentary Procedure Basics
Rules
Additional information on Parliamentary Procedure and Rules:
What follows is a primer culled from a training led by experts in this area: Alice Woldt, James Apa and Randy Gainer.
The three sections are:
- Parliamentary Procedure basics
- Rules - at the CD, State & National Level
- The scoop with the National Rules & By-Laws committee (especially in light of MI and FL)
Parliamentary Procedure Basics
- Key resource: Roberts Rules of Orders – 10th edition – newly revised
- Important to know: In and of itself – parliamentary procedure is a tool, but not the content. More about making sure that things are fair and open and that everyone is heard. Used in combination with other types of rules. “Wherenot other rules specified, Roberts rules applies” – complements the rules of the meeting/convention/etc..
- 2 major elements to know:
- Agenda – how are things going to happen at this meeting
- Motion – how things get done within the meeting. Motions only happen one motion at a time. Examples:
- Comes from chair: Credentials committee chair gives report and at the end says “do I have a motion to accept”. Active motion on the floor. Someone may second and then a vote. Very simple.
- Comes from the floor: I move to nominate so and so for permanent chair – I second that motion, are there any other nominations – move and second move and second…
- Types of Motions
- Privileged - most important. They must be disposed of before any motion on the floor can be voted on. They are not debatable, some require a secnd & some require a vote. ie: adjourn, recess, too hot/cold, etc… However, the business of the meeting can take precedent (ie - at the CD caucus, it may not be adjourned without electing delegates).
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- Incidental –are wait a minute motions. Hold up or Stop the order of business. The chair must see to it that they are not used as a form of debate. ie: “point of order” – (need to be recognized by the chair)
- Subsidiary – interrupts debate and must be considered before a vote is taken on the main motion. ie - amending, motion to accept a resolution. For example - someone else would second it, there might be a debate on that motion · but then someone says “move to amend and include ‘orderly’” now in debate on the amendment. Vote on the amendment is not the vote on the main motion. · Someone can interrupt the whole deal. “Call for the question” – is calling for a vote to close debate for that specific item – but is not the vote on the motion. (takes a 2/3 vote on call for the question to end debate. If passes, then move to main motion WITH the amendment).
- When you make a motion, someone seconds, it is no longer the motion of the individual who made the motion, it belongs to the body. Therefore, the individual can’t withdraw it. In Roberts rules, there is no such thing as a friendly amendment (ie – deal with the maker of the motion).
- Chair can ignore “call for the question” unless he/she has recognized you and you have the floor to speak.
Rules
- Rules set the basis and then the motions are what take us through them. Highly recommended to read them thoroughly to understand process
- National materials
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- Democratic National Convention Selection Guidelines
- The Call (the rules, credentialing, etc... for the national convention)
- The RBC regulations - rules & bylaws committee regulations
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Additional information on Parliamentary Procedure and Rules:
- All who are elected to go should be deeply familiar with Obama platform so that the resolutions & platforms passed are reflective of Obama’s platform. Want to make sure that it’s an empowering platform that brings people together and doesn’t alienate. Extra things to know:
- Minority/Majority reports difference between minority and majority reports (there isn’t such a distinction at the CD level. State just decided that there will not be minority reports, as well). At the national level – there will probably be minority reports.
- When a speaker has the floor – they have the floor. There isn’t a legitimate action to interrupt. If the speaker is allotted a certain amount of time and then runs over, someone can bring up a point of order and it’s up to the chair to recognize and act on it or not.
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- At the state convention – every microphone will have a “pro” and “con” card to help the chair recognize people at the mike appropriately
- Etiquette: Randy’s suggestion: “Engage your brain before you engage your mouth” – remember that if you bring something up – remember who the audience is and that you don’t want to be an irritant – you want to be helpful
- What about Michigan & Florida:
- All of the states knew the rules. (look at the Delegate selection rules - and # 20. For example - share that if the state doesn’t have affirmative action goals met, they could be refused to be seated. Also include timing rules for when states can have their primaries. The outcome if violated was that they will lose “half of its votes for its elected members”.
- National Rules & Bylaws committee (RBC) will be meeting May 30-31st.
- They can choose a few things related to seating MI & FL
- do nothing = MI & FL get no votes
- do something
- seat all
- seat at half rate
- seat at 50/50
- at the actual final delegate percentage
- (for MI) seat all uncommitted for Obama (ie 69 dels for C, 59 for O)
- some other compromise
- After the RBC, the next meeting/body with jurisdiction around this is the credentials committee for the convention. Will meet late June/early July and will take control over the recognition of the delegates. This will be peopled and elected proportionally to the campaigns.
- Key point from Alice: for those who go to Nat’l convention: need to make sure go with good will and a spirit of generosity.
Latest page update: made by suzid
, May 20 2008, 12:10 AM EDT
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Edited by suzid
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- complete history)
Keyword tags:
credentials
democratic convention
dnc
rules and bylaws
More Info: links to this page
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state agenda and rules.pdf (Adobe Portable Document Format - 192k)
posted by suzid May 13 2008, 5:35 PM EDT
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The_Call.pdf (Adobe Portable Document Format - 483k)
posted by suzid May 12 2008, 6:23 PM EDT
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RBC regs.pdf (Adobe Portable Document Format - 474k)
posted by suzid May 12 2008, 6:23 PM EDT
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2008 WA Delegate Selection and AA Plan - DNC Approved Final.pdf (Adobe Portable Document Format - 1,370k)
posted by suzid May 12 2008, 4:19 AM EDT
wa state guidelines
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Democratic Convention Delegate Selection Rules.pdf (Adobe Portable Document Format - 64k)
posted by suzid May 12 2008, 4:18 AM EDT
dnc selection guidelines
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