Page:Robert's Parliamentary Practice.djvu/215

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STUDY OF PARLIAMENTARY LAW
193

members to introduce questions at their pleasure. These are with reference to live topics and frequently furnish much entertainment at the same time that the members are gaining a valuable knowledge for their varied social and philanthropic activities. Of course this proficiency was not gained without much practice. The personnel is constantly changing as members moving away create vacancies which are immediately filled from a waiting list of women who have recently been elected to office in various societies and who feel the handicap resulting from lack of familiarity with parliamentary practice. This club has not had the advantage of such a set of drills as is given in this manual. The author advises that after having finished the entire course here prescribed, the club should repeat the drills before any attempt is made to allow the members freedom in introducing motions. After this it would be well to follow the course of the Lesson Outlines, R. O. R., page 308. Any club may have, with advantage, either before or after the regular program, fifteen or twenty minutes devoted to parliamentary practice.

Private Study. If the student is so situated that it is impracticable to find others to join in a practice club, the only course is to visualize the entire plan of study as here outlined. In reading the drills, he must by his imagination see the meeting as it is carried on the same as if he were present. He must project himself into the position of the chairman, and