Presenter: Gene R. O’Brien, PE, F.NSPE
NSPE House of Delegates Parliamentarian

There are basically two types of meetings:
■ Formal Business Meeting
■ Informal Work Session

meet’ing, n. Act of persons or things that meet; specif.: b A gathering; assembly meet, v.i. 3. To come together for a common purpose; to assemble quo’rum, n. 3. Such a number of the…members of any body…legally competent to
transact business…usually absolute majority [unless designated otherwise]

BEFORE WE PROCEDE FURTHER…

OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
A. Planning the meeting
B.
Conducting the meeting
C.
Action after the meeting
D. Other Considerations

A. PLANNING A MEETING
► 1. Format of Meeting
► 2. Preparation of Agenda
► 3. Announcement of Meeting
► 4. Logistical Arrangements

A. 1. FORMAT OF MEETING
► Face-to-Face --
All participants are gathered in one place
► Electronic Media --
Webinar w/2-way talk or voice only
► Combination of both --
Convenient for remote members esp.

A. 2. PREPARATION OF AGENDA
● ‘Roadmap’ for what will be covered
● Adhere to any organizational standards, e.g. order of topics
● Provide time markers for each separate item – actual time or elapsed time per topic
● Identify lead person for each topic
● Ensure including time-sensitive topics
● Anticipate more controversial topics and position them appropriately
● Identify issuer and date (including revisions)

• 7:30 PM
• 7:35
• 7:40
• 7:55
• 8:10
• 8:20
• 8:45
• 8:55
• 9:00
Executive Committee Agenda – Feb. 12, 2015
Call to Order and Roll Call O’Brien
Action on Minutes of Nov. 20, 2014 ExComm Meeting  Bregen
Status of 2014 Audit and IRS Form 990 Tax Return
Latest on Third Play and Inter-District Registration
Zygmont
Petrillo
Establishing E-Donation Capability (action desired) O’Brien
Soliciting Donations to MAR at Events (review process only) O’Brien
Major Topics for Feb. 19 Board Meeting O’Brien/All
Adjourn to Executive Session for Personnel Discussion
Targeted Adjournment
O’Brien
Note:  Indicates separate document for this item
• Prepared by GRO’B – Feb. 3, 2015
• Revised by GRO’B – Feb. 5, 2015

A. 3. ANNOUNCEMENT OF MEETING
● Adhere to deadlines for notification
● Ensure delivery method is adequate
● Stipulate if receipt confirmation is needed
● Solicit status of intended participation
● Prudent to send reminder

A. 4. FACE-TO-FACE LOGISTICSS
● Sufficiently sized venue w/parking (if needed)
● Ensure creature comforts
● Seating in open U-shape for <’30’
● Seating theater or classroom for >’30’
● Identification of participants
● Properly operating A-V equipment

A. 4 ELECTRONIC MEDIA
● Limit length of meeting duration (< 1.5 hours)
● Provide toll-free access for participants
● Special speaking provisions:
- Give one’s name before speaking
- Be as brief as possible
● Considerations for voting

A. 4. COMBINATION OF ALTERNATIVES
● Length of meeting more like face-to-face
- But engage phone non-participants
● Ensure phone participants have all info
- Any item being handed to assembly must be pre-delivered to remote persons

B. CONDUCTING A MEETING
► 1. Protocol for Meeting
► 2. Demeanor at Meeting
► 3. Roles of Meeting Participants

B. 1. PROTOCOL FOR MEETING
● Organization’s governance document(s) supersedes any other guidance.
● Most include definitive reference to
Robert’s Rules of Order as
“parliamentary authority.”
● Special Rules of Order may be used.
● Default guidance should be Robert’s
Rules of Order.

B. 2. DEMEANOR AT MEETING
● Maintaining civility is critical.
● Formality does not preclude cordiality.
● All comments by participants should be directed to the presiding officer.
● Differences of opinion need not be cause for disruption or bickering.

B. 3. ROLE OF PRESIDING OFFICER
● No matter the title, this person is in charge.
● Duties: guide discussion, keep participants on topic, manage time, and summarize.
● Deal with disruptive/distractful persons.
● Engage as many participants as possible.
● Seek consensus, but reach decision on issue.
● Votes only to break/create a tie.

B. 3. ROLE OF PARTICIPANTS
● Review agenda and be prepared.
● Listen attentively to discussion.
● Provide input on topic, but don’t repeat.
● Avoid side conversations or do so quietly.
● Be prepared to vote on a question.
● When decision is made, align with outcome.

C. POST-MEETING ACTION
► 1. Issue Summary soon w/ action items
► 2. Issue Minutes in timely manner
► 3. Maintain Status Report

C. 1. SUMMARY AND ACTION ITEMS
● Highlights of decisions issued expeditiously to all participants and other stakeholders.
● Follow-up items documented with name(s) of responsible party(ies) and due dates.

C. 2. MINUTES
● Amount of details varies according to an organization’s customs, but each topic, decision and outcome must be recorded.
● List of participants to be included.
● Action on adoption usually done at body’s next meeting, but action before that meeting may be done, if interval between meetings is lengthy.

C. 3. STATUS REPORTS
● Intervening advisories issued, if meetings are conducted less than quarterly.
● These can include outcome of action items from prior meeting(s).
● Provide to all members of the body.

D. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
► 1. Organizational Calendar
► 2. Why some meetings under perform
► 3. How to use Parliamentary Procedure

D. 1. ORGANIZATIONAL CALENDAR
● Issued annually in most cases
● Updated periodically as necessary
● Contents should include:
- Important meetings, e.g. governing body;
- Schedule for nominations & elections; and
- Other key activities of organization

D. 2. UNDER PERFORMING MEETINGS
● No agenda or lack of supporting documents
● Disorganized, e.g. don’t follow agenda
● Start late or time is wasted
● Some participants are ignored
● Presiding officer tries to ‘hold court’
● Decisions made improperly

D. 3. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
● Set of rules for conducting business
● Originated in early English Parliaments
● Became uniform with publication by Henry
M. Robert of his manual in 1876
● Now used as basic handbook of operations
● Allows all participants to be heard… and make orderly decisions without confusion

INTRODUCING BUSINESS
● Motion is necessary to begin discussion of topic.
● Motion requires a second to ensure the topic is not the interest of a sole participant.
● Discussion on the main motion then ensues with proponent given first speaking opportunity.
● Original motion may be amended using the same process of moving and seconding.
● “Friendly amendment” is rarely permitted
(Motion is owned by the body…only unanimously)

MOVING TOWARD A DECISION
● Speaker’s comment time may be limited
(based on Special Rules of Order).
● Presiding officer may politely interrupt a participant, who is repeating a point already made (based on Special Rules of
Order).

DEFERRING A DECISION
● Motion to Table a main motion (“lay on the table”) is non-debatable, but its purpose is to defer action to later in the same meeting in order to handle more pressing matter.
● Motion to Postpone a main motion may do so either indefinitely or to a later meeting and is debatable.

ENDING DISCUSSION
● Presiding officer, sensing debate has been exhausted, may express that viewpoint and seek to call for a vote.
--OR--
● A participant may “move the previous
question,” i.e. close debate. This action requires a second, but is NOT debatable.
However it requires a two-thirds vote.

VOTING ON MAIN MOTION OR AMENDMENT
● There are five standard methods of voting:
- General Consent (used by presiding officer)
- Voice Vote (can seem indecisive via phone)
- Voting by show of hands (after voice vote) ♦
- Roll Call Vote (may be sought for record)
- Ballot Vote (when secrecy is desired)
♦ NSPE HoD also uses weighted voting.

ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIAN
● Provides advice to presiding officer
● Never gives a ruling unless asked to do so by presiding officer
● Should review agenda in advance and consult with presiding officer – especially for controversial topics
● Should be proactive to assist presiding officer

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The speaker acknowledges contribution to this presentation have been gleaned from material issued previously by
Jack F. Schlegel, Pharm.D., MSEd, CAE, President
Schlegel & Associates
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For additional consultation please contact:
Gene R. O’Brien, PE, F.NSPE
grob.group@rcn.com