Robert's Rules of Order - Some Basics
Edited by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD.
Adapted from the Field
Guide to Developing and Operating Your Nonprofit Board of Directors.
The following was condensed from the Robert's Rules of Order
and includes typical rules to manage a board meeting. Readers
wanting the last official version should see Robert's Rule of
Order Newly Revised, published by Scott, Foresman (known as NONR).
This is the 9th Edition of Robert's book.
About Motions
About Debate
About Voting
All motions must be seconded and adopted by a majority vote unless
otherwise noted.
All motions may be debated unless otherwise noted.
About Motions
|
|
|
|
| Main Motion | to take action on behalf of the body | debatable; requires majority vote |
| Adjourn | end the meeting | not debatable; immediately voted upon and requires majority vote |
| Call for Orders of the Day | asks to stick to the agenda | not debatable; requires 1/3 majority to sustain |
| Call to Question | closes debate and forces vote | not debatable; requires 2/3's majority vote |
| Motion to Limit or Extend Debate | limits or extends debate | not debatable; requires 2/3's majority vote |
| Point of Order | is a question about the process or a particular motion | automatic if granted by Chair |
| Point of Information | to ask about the process or particular motion | automatic |
| Motion to Rescind | to change the results of a vote | requires 2/3's majority vote to reverse results of earlier vote |
| Motion to Suspend the Rules | suspend formal process for a short period | debatable and requires 2/3's majority vote |
About Debate
Each motion that is debated receives ten minutes of debate. The member initiating the motion speaks first. The Chair asks for a rebuttal. All members wishing to speak about the motion receive the opportunity to speak before any one member speaks for a second time.
About Voting
Majority vote is more than half of the members. 2/3's vote is more 2/3s or more of the members. Be sure to announce what is being voted on before the vote.
Return to Conducting Effective
Board Meetings
For the Category of Boards of Directors:
Related Library Topics
Recommended Books
For-Profit ("Corporate") Boards of Directors
For-Profit ("Corporate") Boards of Directors
The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just hover your cursor over the image of the book. A "bubble" of information will be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
Nonprofit Boards of Directors
Field Guide to Developing and Operating Your Nonprofit Board of Directors
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Provides step-by-step, highly practical guidelines to organize, operate and sustain high-quality nonprofit Boards. Includes roles and responsibilities, how to get the best members and also how to train and organize them, ensuring high-quality meetings, evaluating Boards, and much more! Includes guidelines to improve a Board that is struggling and also guidelines to evaluate and/or replace the Executive Director. Many materials in this Library's topic about Boards are adapted from this book.
Field
Guide to Leadership and Supervision With Nonprofit Staff
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Provides step-by-step, highly practical guidelines to recruit, utilize and evaluate the best staff members for your nonprofit. Includes guidelines to effectively lead yourself (as Board member or staff member), other individuals, groups and organizations. Includes guidelines to avoid burnout -- a very common problem among nonprofit staff. Many materials in this Library's topic about staffing are adapted from this book.
Field
Guide to Consulting and Organizational Development With Noprofits
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Provides complete, step-by-step guidelines to identify complex issues in nonprofit organizations and successfully resolve each of them. This book is also helpful to organizations that are doing fine now, but want to evolve to the next level of performance. This is one of the truly comprehensive, yet practical, books about this complex subject! Includes online forms that can be downloaded. Many materials in this Library's topic about guiding change are adapted from this comprehensive book.
Field
Guide to Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Facilitation
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Step-by-step guidelines to customize and facilitate planners to implement the best strategic planning process to suit the particular nature and needs of their nonprofit. This is one of the few books, if any, that explains how to actually facilitate planning. Includes many online forms that can be downloaded and used by planners. Many materials in this Library's topic about strategic planning are adapted from this book.
