Page:Robert's Rules of Order - 1915.djvu/313

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INTRODUCTION
307

the club cannot have a suitable teacher it can carry on the work by electing a member to take charge of the parliamentary drills. This leader should study the course so as to be able to take the place of a teacher.

It will probably be best in all cases to follow the order of the first four lessons, and perhaps the fifth also. But where the time for the meeting is short it may be advisable to increase the number of lessons. After the fifth lesson circumstances may make it advisable to select only a few out of the remaining lessons and omit the others, or to divide some of the lessons. The outlines as given will serve as a basis for a scheme of lessons adapted to the special conditions in each case.

All through the course there should constantly be drills with open books, to enable the students to acquire facility in referring to a desired point, since, as previously stated, this Manual is a work of reference.

Three charts*,[1] averaging 34 by 42 inches, have been prepared and printed on cloth in large, heavy face type that can be read at a distance of thirty feet. If displayed during every business meeting, they would conduce greatly to the orderly transaction of business. They are a necessity for the teacher of parliamentary law, and should be on the wall at every practice meeting or drill whether there is a teacher or not. They enable each member without referring to his book to see instantly when a motion is made whether it is in order, whether it can be amended or debated, whether it opens the main question to debate, whether it requires a two-thirds vote, and what other motions may be made while it is pending. Besides giving the order of precedence of privileged and subsidiary motions, they show the incidental motions, the unclassified motions mentioned on page 58, and what motions to use to accomplish certain objects, as given on page 44.

  1. * For information regarding these Charts, address Mrs. William Anderson. 211 Eastern Avenue. Pittsburgh,Pa.