Robert's Parliamentary Practice/Chapter 21
CHAPTER XXI.
BUSINESS IN SMALL GROUPS, AND IN MEETINGS DESIGNED FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Business in Small Groups. It is frequently necessary for several persons to take some united action on certain matters, before doing which they must confer together and agree upon the course to pursue. If only three or four persons are in the group they need no rules to control the discussion, except those of common courtesy, namely, that only one person speak at a time; that he be courteous to the others, and that the others pay respectful attention to his remarks; that his remarks be confined to the subject under consideration; and that no speaker monopolize the time, but that each have a fair chance to express his views on the subject. Any additional rules would be an unnecessary hindrance to the freedom of the discussion. Persons may sit or stand as they please. No formal motions are made, nor are formal votes taken, but any action taken must be agreed to by a majority. If the case is one requiring the action agreed upon to be in writing, it is written out by one of the members, usually the leading spirit of the group. A case of this kind is that of three or four persons consulting together as to the expediency of calling a mass meeting for a certain purpose, or of organizing a certain society. In either case it is necessary to have the work planned by a few persons in advance of holding the large meeting, as described in R. O. R., pages 275, 284.
If the group, however, is somewhat larger it would be difficult without some organization for the timid members to have any influence on the discussion and resultant action. In fact, the probabilities are that very soon several small groups would be talking over the matter in different parts of the room independently of the other groups. Experience has shown that it is very difficult to get a full discussion of a subject and a fair expression of the opinion of even six or eight people unless one person is chosen to preside over the meeting and to enforce the rules just mentioned so that the rights of all the members shall be protected. The presiding officer is called the "chairman," and is chosen as described on page 4. If the meeting is in an ordinary room the chairman retains his seat or takes a more prominent one at his pleasure. In a room where there is a table or desk he takes a seat by it, and states the object of the meeting, or calls upon some one who is more familiar with the subject to explain it. If it is desired to have a record of what is done, the chair makes a memorandum of what is agreed to, or he may ask a member to act as secretary, or a secretary may be elected as in a larger assembly. [See page 4.]
In meetings consisting of a half dozen or more people, it has been found advisable to have, in addition to a chairman and a secretary, more rules and more formality than in a meeting of three or four persons. Thus, the members must be seated and are not allowed to walk about or to talk to others while a member is speaking. Usually the chair should require motions to be made and the discussion to be confined to the pending question. In some cases it is well to require remarks to be addressed to the chair as in ordinary assemblies, and this is especially the case where the discussion is intense. But it is not advisable that members be required to rise and stand while debating or making motions unless there are more than a dozen present. The chair should not insist on any more formality than is necessary to protect the rights of the minority and to preserve order. If there are any troublesome members in the meeting it may be best to enforce most of the rules applicable to ordinary deliberative assemblies. The chairman should be the best judge of the extent to which these rules may be relaxed with advantage. In such small bodies motions need not be seconded. The chairman may take part in the debate without leaving the chair and may even make motions himself. There is no limit to the number of times a member may speak, but he cannot speak a second time if a member who has not spoken on the question wishes to speak and claims the floor. A member who has spoken seldom should always have the preference over one who has spoken frequently. No member can speak longer than ten minutes at any one time.
The members may be so peaceable and orderly that it is not necessary to require a motion to be made before the subject is discussed. The chair may allow the method of the English Parliament in its early history to be adopted, namely, to consider the general subject they wish to act upon until they are practically agreed upon a course of action, and then to have the chair frame and put to vote a question expressing the idea. In all cases a vote should be taken on whatever action it is proposed to take. [See R. O. R. pp. 212-214.]
Business in Meetings Designed for Other Purposes. In many societies there is practically no business transacted except at the annual meeting when the reports for the year are received and acted upon, officers are elected, and committees appointed, etc. Other societies find it convenient also to have regular business meetings quarterly, or even monthly, these meetings frequently being in connection with, and at the close of, the regular literary, musical, scientific, social, or religious meeting. These business meetings are under the rules of deliberative assemblies.
While in such organizations most of the business can be held over for the business meetings, yet occasionally there is pressing business that requires immediate attention and that must be acted upon at the regular meetings which are designed for other purposes. Unless it is prohibited by the by-laws, urgent business and minor matters may be attended to at any regular meeting. But such meetings are not meetings of deliberative assemblies in the fullest sense, where members have the rights and privileges which they have at the business meetings. It would be manifestly improper in a meeting with a musical program to allow members the right to introduce questions and to engage in debate the same as in a business meeting. Those who attend the meeting to hear the music, or the addresses, or whatever the program calls for, have the right not to be interfered with, except in an extreme emergency, of which the president is usually the best judge.
When important business must be attended to, the president should be informed of it, if possible, before the meeting opens. At such times as he thinks proper, usually at the close of the meeting, he announces that certain business should be attended to, and either explains it himself or calls on some one else to do so. He may then put the question to vote without any motion. After announcing the vote he proceeds to any other business that requires attention. When all necessary business has been disposed of he continues with the program, if it has not been completed, or closes the meeting as usual. No motion to adjourn is made, nor have members a right to introduce questions. When the president has brought up a question, a few remarks may be allowed and members may make subsidiary motions to dispose of it, but it must be remembered that this is only a semi-deliberative assembly. If ordinary debate is desired, the rules may be suspended for the purpose of debate by a two-thirds vote, as shown on page 94, or an adjourned meeting may be appointed at which the question may be considered. No minutes are read at such meetings, but the secretary should keep a memorandum of the business transacted which should be entered in the Minute Book and be read and approved at the next regular business meeting.
In many societies of the kind here referred to, the rules allow members to be received at any regular meeting. In such cases the membership committee should inform the president in advance that it has a report to make. The president calls on the committee for its report, usually just before the close of the meeting, and action is then taken.