Toastmasters: Robert's Rules of Order Workshop

  1. Principles of Parliamentary Procedure
    1. Majority
    2. Minority
    3. Individual Members
    4. Absent Members
  2. How it helps the membership to…
    1. express the will of the group via the individual members
    2. maintain order during its members' exchanges
  3. Cast of characters
    1. Chair
    2. Parliamentarian
    3. Voting Member
  4. Sample Meeting flows
    1. Main motion → second → vote
    2. Main motion → second → debate → vote
    3. Main motion → second → motion to amend → second → vote → vote
  5. Robert's Rules as a game
    • Each member gets a card with three specific main motions that the bearer should try to accomplish
      • e.g. “change our club to a weekly meeting club”
    • Each motion has an exact formulation and a number of points that the bearer shall obtain for getting the motion passed
      • Perhaps provide alternative forms that would accrue fewer points, e.g. “change the frequency of club meetings”
    • Some of the motions on a player's card will conflict with other players' motions.
    • Some motions will be more specific than others
    • At least a few motions will be only important to only one, or to very few members, to provide the group the opportunity to override a motion that is unpopular.
    • There ought to also be motions of privilege
    • Also a motion to limit debate might be of interest
    • Motion to set the time to adjourn or to take a recess (if we do this before the break)

Helpful Links