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Chapter Parliamentarians

Regional Parliamentarians

International Parliamentarian

The Role of the Parliamentarian

Frances Jackson, PhD, RN

International Parliamentarian

2004-2012

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Dedication

This manual is dedicated to those who love “order” and to

parliamentarians serving on the local, regional and

international levels who support the will of the majority,

protect the rights of the minority, and ensure justice for all

(Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, adapted).

AND

To the consummate International Parliamentarian, Past

Grand Basileus, Past Central Regional Syntaktes Annie

Lane Lawrence Brown, who set the standard for us all.

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Foreword

The purpose of this guide is to assist sorority parliamentarians with understanding the

role and functioning of the parliamentarian on local, regional, and international levels. This

guide is based on Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised (RONR) (11th

edition). For the most

part, this guide will focus on how to function as a parliamentarian, rather than parliamentary

procedures, per se. The reader is encouraged to purchase the full edition of RONR as the best

and most complete guide to parliamentary procedure. If the role of parliamentarian is new, it

might be advisable to start with Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief. It provides a

good introduction to basic parliamentary law.

Parliamentary procedure is complex. Joining one of the national parliamentary

organizations would be beneficial to expand and support your understanding of parliamentary

procedure. There are two national parliamentary associations: the National Association of

Parliamentarians (NAP) and the American Institute of Parliamentarians (AIP). The author is a

member of NAP.

NAP is divided into geographical regions and there are also local units located in many

major cities. These local units meet once a month and each meeting has an educational

component that will expand and reinforce one’s knowledge of parliamentary law. Recently,

NAP added a web-based chapter for individuals who don’t live near a local unit. NAP is the

organization with which the author is most familiar and that is the one that will be referenced in

this manual. However, AIP is also a fine organization. Both organizations host training

conferences for parliamentarians at all skill levels. NAP sponsors a leadership conference which

meets biennially in the even years. It is open to non-members.

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The first chapter of this handbook will address the role and responsibilities of the local

chapter parliamentarian. The second chapter focuses on the regional and international

parliamentarian. Some of the rules that govern deliberative assemblies are based on

organizations that, at a minimum, meet at least four times a year or more which conforms to the

meeting schedule of most local chapters. Some of the rules differ for assemblies like regional

conferences and Boules, which meet less than four times a year. Serving as a convention

parliamentarian has some different aspects than how one would function on the local level. All of

this is addressed in chapter two of this handbook.

The Author

Frances Carter Jackson was inducted into Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. on March 14,

1970 at 1:03 AM at Alpha Eta Chapter located at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She

was elected by the College of Nursing to serve as the representative to the University Student-

Faculty Council. The first three meetings she attended, she was repeatedly told she was out of

order. After the third meeting, she walked to the bookstore and purchased a copy of Robert’s

Rules of Order and her love of parliamentary procedure was born.

In 2004, Soror Jackson was appointed to serve as the International

Parliamentarian by then Grand Basileus, Mynora Bryant. She was reappointed by Grand

Basileus Joann Loveless and reappointed again by Grand Basileus Bonita Herring. Soror

Jackson has also served as the parliamentarian for Central Region under the leadership of

Syntaktes Pamela Kadirifu. She has been a member of the National Association of

Parliamentarians since 1997 and has served on the National Educational Resources Committee of

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that organization. At the request of the NAP, she authored a manual on parliamentary procedure

written for faith-based ministries (Christians, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, etc.).

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Table of Contents

Foreword……………………………………………………………………………………….2

Local Chapter Parliamentarian………………………………………………………………….6

Functioning of the Local Chapter Parliamentarian……………………………………………...8

Chairing the Local Bylaws Committee………………………………………………………...12

Standing Rules for the Local Chapter…………………………………………………………14

Other Issues……………………………………………………………………………………..15

When the Bylaws/Robert’s Rules are Silent……………………………………………………16

Regional and International Parliamentarian………………………………………………….…20

Review of Local and Regional Bylaws by the International Parliamentarian………………..…21

Revision of the Bylaws…………………………………………………………………….……22

Common Problems With the Bylaws……………………………………………………………23

Serving as the Parliamentarian at the Regional Conference or Boule…………………………..24

Advanced Preparation……………………………………………………………………24

Opening the Convention…………………………………………………………………25

Credentials Report…………………………………………………………………….…25

Standing Rules………………………………………………………………………...…29

Adoption of Convention Program……………………………………………………….32

How the Parliamentarian Functions at a Convention……………………………………………32

Differences Between Local Meetings and Conventions…………………………………………33

Chairing the Regional or National Bylaws Committees…………………………………………35

Presenting and Voting on Proposed Bylaw Amendments…………………………………….…41

Post-Conference Responsibilities of the Regional and International Parliamentarian…………..45

Role of International Parliamentarian to Review Local and Regional Bylaws…………….……47

Developing Parliamentary Procedure Presentations………………………………………….…49

Commonly Misunderstood Parliamentary Rules………………………………………………..50

Road to Professionalism…………………………………………………………………………55

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Chapter One

Local Chapter Parliamentarian

One of the major roles of the parliamentarian is to make the presiding officer look good.

One fear of many presiding officers is looking inept or losing control of the meeting. Sometimes

that means offering assistance even when it has not been requested, a role RONR supports. It is

important, however, to adjust the operationalization of this role to the level of expertise of the

presiding officer that is being advised. Some will need less assistance and the parliamentarian

can indeed wait until asked to give advice on parliamentary procedure. Most presiding officers

will let the parliamentarian know if there is a preference for more or less advice.

It is important that the Basileus has a parliamentarian that she trusts. For that reason,

Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) recommends that the parliamentarian is

appointed rather than elected. However, chapters have the right to elect the parliamentarian if

they so choose.

It is important that the parliamentarian is seated next to or very close to the Basileus. It is

awkward for the parliamentarian to try and advise the chair from a distance. One common

method of unobtrusively advising the chair is for the parliamentarian to write her advice on a

3X5 card and slip it to the Basileus. This is an easy but effective way to advise the Basileus that

a certain motion requires 2/3 vote or is not debatable but can be amended.

In addition to parliamentary procedure, the local chapter parliamentarian must be

knowledgeable about local bylaws, regional bylaws, and national bylaws. It is strongly

recommend that she is an active member of either the National Association of Parliamentarians

(NAP) or the American Institute of Parliamentarians (AIP). NAP is the largest parliamentary

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organization in the world. It is also the organization that publishes Roberts Rules of Order

Newly Revised (RONR), the parliamentary authority used by most organizations in this country.

The designation of the letters “RONR,” denotes that this is the most recent edition of Robert’s

Rules of Order. AIP uses the Standard Code of Parliamentary Law by Alice Sturgis as its

parliamentary authority. There are some minor differences between RONR and Sturgis. Both

organizations are very good.

The bylaws should specify the parliamentary authority adopted by the chapter in the next

to last article in the chapter’s bylaws (the last article in the bylaws addresses how the bylaws are

amended). Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) is the standard authority used in

Sigma Gamma Rho. The parliamentarian should also have a copy of the most recent local

standing rules.

At the local level, it is assumed that the parliamentarian is a financial member of the

chapter, and thus, is entitled to vote and speak on all matters that are brought before the

assembly. However, to maintain as much objectivity as possible, it is advisable that the

parliamentarian rarely votes or participates in debate on an issue; the exception to this are votes

by ballot. The parliamentarian is free to vote by ballot at any time a ballot vote is taken, unless

the vote is a tie; only the presiding officer can vote to make or break a tie. To avoid any hint that

the parliamentarian’s advice to the presiding officer or to the chapter is biased by a personal

position on an issue, the right to vote should be exercised rarely, and only on matters of the

utmost importance.

Similarly, the same issue is also true with the parliamentarian participating in debate. At

the local level, she would have the right to participate in debate since she is a financial member,

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but should generally refrain from doing so. It is paramount that the parliamentarian, similar to

the Basileus, is viewed as neutral so that there is no credible impression that her advice to the

chair is influenced by her personal wishes to support a particular point of view.

The role of the parliamentarian, at all levels, is one of advice. The parliamentarian,

regardless of the level (local, regional, international), does not rule. The presiding officer rules

on all matters of parliamentary law. It is of paramount importance that the parliamentarian’s

advice is based on either the bylaws or the adopted parliamentary authority. It is also important

that she not take it personally if her advice is ignored. However, if the presiding officer regularly

ignores the advice of the parliamentarian, that may be an indication that someone else should

serve in the position. Remember, one of the reasons for allowing the presiding officer to appoint

the parliamentarian is that the parliamentarian must be someone the presiding officer trusts. If

the parliamentarian does not have the trust of the presiding officer, there is little point in

remaining in that role.

RONR advises that, in general, the parliamentarian should provide advice to the presiding

officer only when requested. However, RONR also states that in advising the chair, the

parliamentarian should not wait until asked for advice, as this may be too late to avoid potential

problems. The key distinction between what sounds like conflicting advice, is the avoidance of a

bigger problem if the parliamentarian remains silent.

In general, the parliamentarian should wait until she is asked for assistance. However, if

it becomes clear that a problem is developing and intervening can be helpful, she should not wait

for the chair to ask for advice, but proactively advise the chair on the matter. In addition to

restrictions on participating in debate and voting, the parliamentarian should speak to the

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assembly only on the most “involved” matters (RONR, p. 466), but this should occur on only

rare occasions.

Functioning of the Parliamentarian

When possible, it is preferable that the Basileus will upload the chapter agenda to chapter

members in advance. Even if she does not do so with the entire chapter, it would be

advantageous for the parliamentarian to receive the agenda in advance of the meeting. Once

received, it would be important to review it prior to the meeting to identify potential motions that

might be made. For example, if the agenda lists that certain reports will be given, what motions

might be made in relationship to those reports? The motion to commit or refer to a committee?

The motion to amend? Is this a report that might be amenable to the motion fill in the blank? By

reviewing the agenda prior to the meeting, the parliamentarian can be prepared to advise the

presiding officer.

Do not be afraid to use assistive tools to support this role. Both NAP and AIP publish

numerous educational materials for purchase that can assist with the role of parliamentarian. For

example, NAP has a one-page flyer that lists the major motions, whether the motion must be

seconded, is debatable, can interrupt, can be reconsidered, and the vote necessary to adopt. This

can provide a quick and handy reference that is easier to use than trying to locate each individual

motion in RONR.

In addition to identifying reports that will be made at the meeting to anticipate motions

that might be used to dispose of those reports, it would also be important to make note of reports

that might not require any action. If a report requires no action, for example it has no

recommendations for the chapter to approve, then no motions should be made (exception is the

report of the chapter historian; a motion is made to adopt the official chapter history presented).

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Often sorors feel that if a report is made, even if no action is required, that some motion needs to

be made to validate the report. This is not true. Above all, the motion to receive should not be

made in such cases. The report was received when it was heard. When a report is given that has

no recommendations, the Basileus can ask if there are any questions, and after all questions have

been asked, thank the person and indicate they can be seated. An example is below:

Basileus: We will now have the report of the Hospitality Committee.

Soror Johnson, Chair of the Hospitality Committee stands up and comes to the front of

the room.

Soror Johnson: Thank you Madame Basileus. Last month I mailed out four cheer cards,

three get well cards and one sympathy card.

Basileus: Are there any questions for Soror Johnson? There being none, we thank you

for that report. You may be seated.

If there is something on the uploaded agenda that is inappropriate (e.g., the Call to Order,

which is NOT part of the agenda and should not be listed on the agenda), advise the Basileus

privately, before the meeting so it can be deleted. This is also true for establishment of the

quorum. Identifying that a quorum is present should not be on the agenda. Once the Basileus

recognizes that a quorum is present, the meeting is called to order.

Also review the uploaded minutes. Is there any unfinished business from the previous

meeting that should be on the agenda for this meeting? Any tabled motions? Any Special

Orders? Did anyone announce at the previous meeting their intentions to make a motion at the

next meeting (previous notice)? Review any major motions that were adopted at the previous

meeting. Do the minutes accurately memorialize these motions? If bylaw amendments are on

the agenda for this meeting, were they presented or disseminated at the previous meeting or in

compliance with whatever advanced notice is required by the chapter bylaws? By receiving a

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copy of the agenda in advance, the parliamentarian can be prepared for all of these eventualities

and advise the chair in advance of any potential problems or issues.

It was noted earlier in this chapter that one method of advising the chapter is to write

advice on a 3 X 5 card and slide the card to the Basileus. It is also advisable to retrieve this card,

and on the back write down what action was taken in response to the advice that was given. One

of the major complaints lodged against parliamentarians with NAP is that they did not provide

accurate advice during a meeting. This card can help keep track of what advice was given and

what action was taken in case a dispute arises at a later date on the issue.

In addition, the parliamentarian is advised to bring a pad to the meeting, or a notebook.

On that pad, keep track of which business is pending and what motion is before the body. Also

write down all substantive motions, any amendments, and the final disposition of the motion. At

any time, the presiding officer should be able to turn to the parliamentarian and get a faithful

history of the pending motion. Also, particularly if debate was prolonged or heated, the

presiding officer may not remember where she left off on the agenda or what question is

pending; the parliamentarian should always know what is pending or what is next on the agenda.

Another responsibility of the parliamentarian is to maintain an accurate set of the current

chapter bylaws and standing rules. With today’s technology, that should be easy to do. Use

some system to ensure that you are working with the most recent version of the adopted bylaws.

The date is normally the easiest way to do this. By putting the date in a footer or header, you

will know if this is the most recent version of the chapter’s bylaws. New members should

receive the most recent copy of the bylaws and the standing rules upon joining the chapter.

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Maintaining up-to-date bylaws and standing rules means the parliamentarian must be

diligent in following the progress of any regional or national bylaw changes that may require a

change in local bylaws or standing rules. In addition, the parliamentarian must keep abreast of

changes in the parliamentary authority adopted by the chapter. RONR is revised every ten years.

It would be important for the parliamentarian to be aware of any revisions that would necessitate

amending local chapter bylaws or standing rules. For example, the 11th

edition of RONR greatly

expanded the rules governing electronic meetings. It is important to know about these changes

so that local chapter bylaws/standing rules can be updated to the new provisions in the 11th

edition. However, while RONR is published every ten years, there are often updates or

clarifications on motions contained in RONR that are sometimes published prior to the next

publication date. This is why it is important to be an active member of NAP (or AIP). These

updates and clarifications are not widely disseminated outside of the organization, so being

active is key to keeping updated with the latest information.

The Local Bylaws Committee

Finally, as a general rule, the parliamentarian chairs the chapter Bylaws Committee. The

chapter bylaws should designate this as a responsibility of the parliamentarian. This committee

is responsible for reviewing chapter bylaws on a regular basis and handling submitted bylaw

amendments. This is not just a secretarial function of the committee. The committee should

review the submitted amendment, make sure it is not duplicative, that its meaning is clear and

unambiguous, that it doesn’t contradict some other bylaw article, and that the details are correct

(it seeks to amend the right article).

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The committee can move adoption of the proposed amendment, or it can move to amend

the proposed amendment, then move its adoption. If the committee could not reach agreement

on the disposition of the amendment, they are not required to make any motion. The motion to

adopt will have to come from the body. The committee can also move to delete the proposed

amendment.

If the committee needs to contact the maker of the motion to get clarity on the

amendment, that is not only permissible, it is highly desirable because it saves time and endless

discussion during the meeting. The committee can also edit the language of the proposed

amendment to improve clarity or make grammatical corrections, as long as the essential language

is not changed. Once the amendments have been adopted, or once the changes to chapter

standing rules have been approved, it is the parliamentarian’s responsibility to make the

corrections in both documents, after consultation with the anti-grammateus to ensure the changes

are accurate. Also, any changes to local bylaws must be submitted to the International

Parliamentarian (IP) for approval before implementing any changes.

It is important to remember, unless there is a date clause included with an amendment,

adopted bylaw amendments take effect immediately! A date clause would be stated similar to the

following: “As of September 1, 2015, local dues will be increased by $100 to $200.” If that date

clause was not included, then this change would take effect immediately. For this reason,

affirmative votes on adopted bylaw amendments cannot be reconsidered.

It is also the responsibility of the local Bylaws Committee to periodically review its

chapter bylaws and make recommendations for amendments that will improve the form and

context of this document. Be careful! What should be in the bylaws are those items that the

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chapter does not want changed in a single meeting (because it requires advanced notice) and

which requires more than a majority vote to adopt (should require 2/3 vote). All bylaws should

always provide for those two requirements: advanced notice of at least one month (or more) and

minimally 2/3 vote for adoption of amendments. It has been the observation of the author that

chapters tend to put too many items in the bylaws. Some provisions are better suited to be

placed in the Standing Rules. It would be important to note here that traditionally, some chapters

(and Regions as well) believe that proposed amendments to the bylaws must be read three times.

This is not consistent with RONR. While a chapter or assembly has the right to require three

readings, the reasons for doing so are obscure and not supported by parliamentary law.

Being careful about what is placed in the bylaws is also important because the bylaws

cannot be suspended. For example, chapters should not put the time chapter meeting will start in

the bylaws or the place. If something occurs that makes starting at that time impossible, or

meeting in that building difficult, the chapter wouldn’t be able to change the starting time of the

meeting without amending the bylaws. That is not practical. It is better to put such specific

details in the chapter standing rules.

Standing rules contain the chapter’s administrative procedures. Unlike the bylaws,

standing rules can be suspended (for one meeting only and only those rules that relate to the

conduct of business during the meeting), and they can be amended without advanced notice. For

example, there may be a bylaw provision that dues are due locally by September 15 of each year

and that the amount of the dues can be found in the standing rules. By putting the amount of the

dues in the chapter Standing Rules, when regional or national dues change, the chapter doesn’t

have to amend the chapter bylaws to change the amount that is due. However, chapter bylaws

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should have a provision that identifies that paying chapter dues is requisite for active

membership.

It is important to note here that if chapter bylaws do not provide authority for assessments

to be made, the chapter cannot levy member assessments, even by unanimous vote. For

example, the chapter cannot assess sorors for unsold tickets to a particular event unless the

bylaws give the chapter the authority to levy assessments. The provision for such an assessment

must be in the bylaws, but the details (amount due, deadline date, etc.) are better placed in the

Standing Rules. Each local parliamentarian (and the Bylaws Committee) is encouraged to

review the bylaws to see if there are items that would be better placed in the chapter’s Standing

Rules.

An example of suspending a Standing Rule that pertains to conduct during a meeting

would be the limit on debate. RONR states that each person is entitled to 10 minutes of debate

on each motion. That’s a long time. Chapters can establish a Standing Rule that debate on any

motion is limited to 2 minutes. If this is a Standing Rule, since it is a rule that pertains to actions

taken during a meeting, it can be suspended for one meeting. If the chapter is debating an issue

of major importance and the chapter wants to extend debate beyond the two minutes, they can

suspend this Standing Rule. If this limit on debate is in the bylaws, it can’t be suspended, not

even by unanimous vote.

Other Issues

Observation reveals that some people who self-select for the position of parliamentarian

are those who are passionate about things being done “right” and that the business is conducted

in an orderly fashion. While this is important, it can be traumatic to a chapter if there is an

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attempt to change too many things at once. Trying to make numerous changes in how a chapter

functions can, in fact, create more confusion and even distrust. If you are the parliamentarian of

a chapter that has been doing things a certain way for a long time, then you come along and tell

them that they are functioning completely wrong, they will often resist change, even though you

are right. It is better to slowly and carefully institute changes, using workshops on parliamentary

procedure to highlight why something is wrong and how the chapter would benefit from doing

things in accordance with their parliamentary authority.

You also want to be the source for on-going parliamentary education of the membership.

Present one parliamentary tip at each meeting. Or, if your chapter has a newsletter, ask if you

can have a column to discuss parliamentary procedure. In this way, you can institute changes

gradually while also educating your chapter on proper procedures.

What To Do When the Bylaws/RONR Are Silent

There will be times when one will encounter a situation where the bylaws are either silent

or contradictory, or some key element is missing from the bylaws. Not everything will slot

neatly into RONR. The author once served as the parliamentarian for a large convention that

met every four years. According to the bylaws, anyone wanting to run for office had to apply or

be nominated by June in the year preceding the convention. All offices had a two-term limit.

However, the bylaws did NOT state that all officers serve four years or until their successor is

elected. The current executive secretary had served two terms and was not eligible to run again.

One person applied for the position of executive secretary by the deadline date in the year prior

to the convention, as required by the bylaws. However, the following year, the year of the

convention, this person got ill and had to withdraw two months before the convention was to be

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held. There was nothing in the bylaws that provided for an emergency of this nature. The

Executive Board could only fill a vacancy if an officer died.

When confronted with a dilemma of this nature, parliamentarians will often use the basic

philosophy of parliamentary law which is the following: Parliamentary law exists to enforce the

will of the majority, protect the rights of the minority, and ensure fairness for all. In this case,

not having an executive secretary would have been devastating to this large, international

organization. The executive secretary ran the office for the organization. The bylaws could not

be suspended. The deadline date for submitting amendments to the bylaws had expired. After

consultation with the parliamentarian, the president sent a notice to all delegates about the

dilemma the organization was facing and indicated that a vote would be taken at the convention

to allow the current executive secretary to serve an additional term. At the convention, because

this was a violation of the bylaws, the parliamentarian advised the president that the vote

necessary to adopt this motion would have to be 90%. Thus, in this way, there was an attempt to

protect the rights of the minority by essentially allowing what would have been a very small

minority to stop this action. The motion was adopted unanimously and all was saved.

This is an example to demonstrate that sometimes things are not all neat and tidy and

slotted into appropriate boxes. Sometimes neither the local bylaws nor RONR provides a clear

cut solution, but a solution has to be found for the good of the organization. Henry Robert has

been quoted as saying that parliamentary procedure should never be used as an excuse for not

doing the right thing. This was one of those situations where the right action required the

organization to violate its bylaws, but the rights of the minority were protected and the will of the

majority was enforced and it was a fair solution.

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It is also true that RONR does not have a chapter entitled “This Is a Hot Mess.” RONR

assumes that organizations have order, bylaws, Standing Rules, and that all of this conforms to a

neat and tidy standard. Sometimes, this is not the case. If a person is determined to do the

wrong thing, rules and rules of order will not stop them. Sometimes things are a “mess” because

that is what the members want. RONR will not be able to resolve that.

Also remember that chapters have the right to institute rules that are contrary to its

parliamentary authority or which are not addressed in its parliamentary authority. For example,

many chapters, regions, and the national body have an Election Committee. No such committee

exists in RONR. Thus chapters cannot use RONR to establish how such a committee should

function. It is not wrong to have an Elections Committee; organizations have the right to

establish such a committee and to include it in the bylaws. However, if there is a controversy

about this committee, RONR cannot resolve it because no such committee is addressed in

RONR.

Sometimes, it can be helpful to bring in an outside presenter on parliamentary authority.

For example, you might invite the IP to your chapter to assist with parliamentary training. An

external speaker may often have more “clout” than someone who is a member of the chapter

even though their advice is the same.

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Chapter Two

The Regional Parliamentarian

The International Parliamentarian

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Chapter Two

The Regional Parliamentarian/The International Parliamentarian

The regional parliamentarian may or may not be a voting member of the regional Board

of Directors (RBOD). Each region has the right to decide who will be a voting member on the

RBOD or who will be an officer but not a voting member of the RBOD. The major

responsibilities for the regional parliamentarian normally include chairing the regional Bylaws

Committee, being prepared for the regional conference and any post-conference updating of the

regional bylaws that occurred as a result of bylaw amendments to the regional bylaws that were

adopted at the regional conference. She might also be responsible for updating the regional SOP

as well as the bylaws. In addition, in between regional conferences, the regional parliamentarian

is often called upon to advise the Regional Syntaktes in interpretation of the regional bylaws, to

advise chapters on interpretation of the regional or national bylaws, and to sometimes review

chapter bylaws to ensure they don’t conflict with the regional bylaws. The work of this office

does not end with the regional conference (or Boule for the International Parliamentarian).

At the time this manual was written, the International Parliamentarian (IP) was a voting

member of the International Board of Directors (IBOD), appointed by the Grand Basileus. As

such, she is a national officer and is entitled to all of the courtesies extended to all national

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officers of this organization. Her responsibilities mirror those of the regional parliamentarian,

but on a larger scale.

The Role of the International Parliamentarian In Reviewing Local Bylaws

One major responsibility of the IP is to review local chapter and regional bylaws to

ensure there are no articles in the local or regional bylaws that conflict with the national bylaws.

For example, the national bylaws state that graduate chapters must hold election of officers every

two years. Local alumnae chapters cannot have a provision that conflicts with this national

requirement. Local chapter bylaws are reviewed in two areas: are there any articles that conflict

with the national bylaws; and secondly, are there recommendations that would strengthen

chapter bylaws even though this may not be a conflict with the national bylaws? It is important

to be clear on the difference between what must be changed versus recommendations on what the

chapter should consider changing.

There is often confusion that local chapters are required to mirror the national body in its

operations. That is not true. Local chapters don’t have to have all the same officers as the

national body. Having some different local officers is not a conflict with the national bylaws.

For example, if a local chapter does not have a National Projects Coordinator, that is okay.

Remember, many chapters in this sorority are small, with fewer than 10 members. If they can

fill the major offices, they feel lucky to do so. Having a conflict with the national bylaws is

different than having provisions that are not the same as the national bylaws. The role of the IP

is to ensure that local bylaws don’t conflict with the national bylaws.

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The Bylaw and Standing Rule Template

When the author was first appointed to serve as the International Parliamentarian (IP), it

was clear that some chapters needed considerable assistance with correcting their bylaws to have

them conform to RONR. The Regional Syntakti requested a template be developed that could be

given to new chapters who were writing bylaws for the first time as an assistive tool. Given

these two issues, the author developed a bylaw and standing rule template for alumnae and

undergraduate chapters. It has been updated to the 11th

edition of RONR. It includes a

discussion on the Articles that are normally part of the bylaws. It also has a section on standing

rules. The template includes an abbreviated set of mock bylaws for alumnae chapters and an

abbreviated set of mock bylaws for undergraduate chapters. This template has been an

invaluable tool to assist new and established chapters in either writing their bylaws or correcting

their bylaws. If, when reviewing chapter bylaws it is clear that extensive assistance is needed, it

saves time to upload this bylaw template, ask the chapter to review the provisions contained

therein, then modify/revise the chapter bylaws before re-sending them to the IP for review.

Hopefully the next IP will continue this practice as it has been of invaluable assistance in helping

chapters and regions develop strong bylaws and Standing Rules.

This review of regional and local bylaws is a very important function of the IP.

Typically, chapters will upload their bylaws electronically to the IP. While there is no specific

rule on the turn-around time for the bylaws to reviewed and returned to the chapters/regions, a

two-week turn around time is probably reasonable for the chapters/regions to get a response. If

the IP does not return the bylaws to the chapters/regions in a timely manner, chapters/regions

will stop sending their bylaws for review. This can have tremendous legal repercussions for the

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sorority if chapter bylaws have a provision that is illegal or which contradicts the national

bylaws. It is important to reserve time each week to do this review.

Revision of the Bylaws

A revision of the bylaws should be briefly mentioned. In most cases, chapters and

regions are amending their bylaws. They are trying to change one paragraph or subsection of a

section of the bylaws. A revision of the bylaws is done when the bylaws need to be completely

overhauled. Discussing the procedure for doing a revision is beyond the scope of this manual,

but parliamentarians should be aware that such an act exists and that it is a special case of

revising the entire bylaws. NAP publishes a book called Pathway to Proficiency – Bylaws, that

includes an entire section on bylaw revisions. If your region is considering a revision, this would

be an excellent resource to purchase from NAP. It includes not only the process for doing a

revision, but also a script for what the presiding officer says and how the Bylaw Revision

Committee functions.

Common Bylaw Problems

Listed below are some common problems identified in local chapter bylaws as either

items that are omitted or items that are included but inappropriately so:

1. Article II of the bylaws should speak to the purpose of the organization, not the purpose

of the bylaws.

2. The language on term of office should end with the phrase “or until their successor is

elected.” For example, the language might say: A term of office is two years or until a

successor is elected.” Without this phrase, two things can happen. First, if no one runs

for office, the office becomes vacant. Secondly, whether the chapter uses “or until their

25

successor…” versus “and until their successor…..” depends on what process the chapter

wants to use to remove someone from office. If the chapter uses “and until their

successor is elected,” then a trial will have to be held to remove the officer from office.

If the chapter bylaws state “or until their successor is elected,” then the chapter only

needs to rescind the election to remove the officer from office. It is recommended that

local chapter bylaws include the phrase “or until their successor is elected.”

3. The Basileus should be listed as ex officio of all committees except the Nominations

Committee. RONR does not address Election Committees, but if such a committee exists

as it does in some regions and on the national level, the Basileus/Regional

Syntaktes/Grand Basileus should not be ex-officio on this committee either.

4. RONR considers it a bad idea to prevent people who serve on the Nominations

Committee from running for office. Unless the bylaws specifically prohibit this, people

who serve on the Nominations Committee are eligible to run for office. Again, RONR

does not address Election Committees. However, given the nature of an election

committee, it is advisable that candidates for office should not serve on the Election

Committee.

5. Unless they are authorized in the bylaws, chapters, executive boards and standing

committees cannot hold electronic meetings. Authorizing electronic meetings for ad hoc

committees can be placed in the Standing Rules.

Convention Parliamentarian

Conventions (Regional Conferences and Boules) are different from local chapter

meetings in several respects. RONR makes a difference in assemblies that meet four times a

year or more, versus assemblies that meet less than four times a year. Both the Regional

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Conference and the Boule fall into this latter category. This section of the booklet is to assist the

parliamentarian (Regional and International) who is serving at a sorority convention.

Advanced Preparation for the Regional Conference/Boule

As is true for local chapter parliamentarians, the regional or IP also needs to receive the

conference program ahead of time. Review the agenda of the entire conference. Does the first

plenary session include the adoption of the credentials report, the convention standing rules and

the conference program in that order? Does the agenda provide for approval of the minutes for

each succeeding plenary session after the first session? Review the convention standing rules.

Do they include a provision that limits individual debate? The number of times a soror can

speak on any issue? Do they provide for a committee to be appointed that will review the

minutes of any plenary session whose minutes were not approved during the regional conference

or Boule?

Unlike the local chapter, the agenda for the regional conference or Boule will rarely

include any unfinished business from the previous conference or Boule. When an organization

meets less than four times a year, there is only one way to hold over business from one meeting

to the next and that is to refer it to a committee. Anything that is not referred to a committee at

the close of the convention/conference, falls to the ground when the conference is adjourned.

This would include any motions that were tabled, or any recommendations that were not

presented to the body. They “go away” when the conference adjourns unless they were referred

to a committee. However, there will be unfinished business that occurs during the conference.

Each business meeting after the first meeting should include unfinished business to handle any

items left over from the previous business meeting.

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In addition, it is expected that regional parliamentarians and the IP are chairing their

respective Bylaws/Constitution and Bylaws committees. Remember, there is only one

constitution in Sigma Gamma Rho, and that is the national constitution. All other constituent

bodies have bylaws only. As the chair of the regional Bylaws Committee (RBLC), you must

take the lead in ensuring that compliance with the required notice to amend the bylaws is adhered

to. For example, on the national level, amendments to the bylaws must be received by chapters

60 days in advance. The IP works with headquarters to ensure the proposed amendments are

prepared so that they are received by chapters at least 60 days in advance of the Boule. How

these committees function on the regional and national levels will be addressed later in this

chapter.

Reports That Open The Regional Conference/Boule

There are three actions that open a convention. These reports form the delegates into a

voting body. The convention must adopt the credentials report, the convention standing rules,

and the convention program. The adoption of these items must be in the order listed above.

Only after these three reports have been adopted, can the Grand Basileus or Regional Syntaktes

declare the Boule or Regional Conference open for the transaction of business.

The first report is the report of the Credentials Committee. In our sorority, this function is

normally filled by the Regional or International Grammateus. Depending on the language in

your bylaws, this report will have three categories. The first category that the Grammateus will

report consists of everyone who is registered for the conference, including guests.

The second category that would be reported are the number of voting delegates who have

picked up their credentials, meaning they have arrived at the conference/Boule. On the regional

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level, this part of the report would be limited to: Regional Officers (only if they have a vote),

national officers living in the region ( if they are entitled to a vote at the regional conference),

alumnae chapter delegates, undergraduate chapter delegates, regional undergraduate members,

members-at-large, and life members. On the national level, the report would include the number

of international board members who have picked up their credentials.

Whether or not there is a third category to this report depends on the quorum requirement in

the regional or national bylaws. For example, in Central Region, the quorum for the Central

Regional Conference is 50% of the financial alumnae chapters and 50% of the Regional

Executive Board. In order for the Syntaktes to have any chance of determining if a quorum

exists, she will need this third part of the report to include the number of financial alumnae

chapters in the region, the number of alumnae chapters that have registered, and the number of

alumnae chapters who have picked up their credentials. Then the number of regional officers

who are registered would be reported, and the number who have picked up their credentials

would then be reported.

“There are 80 financial alumnae chapters in Central Region. Delegates from sixty

alumnae chapters are registered. Representatives from 30 alumnae chapters have picked up

their credentials. There are 14 Central Regional officers. Twelve officers have picked up their

credentials.”

Given the above report, the Central Regional Syntaktes now knows she does NOT have a

quorum, because she does not have delegates from 40 alumnae chapters who have arrived at the

conference. With this information, it doesn’t matter if there are a thousand sorors in the room.

The quorum for the Central Regional conference is 50% of the financial alumnae chapters and if

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50% have not arrived, it doesn’t matter how many sorors are in the room, the quorum

requirement couldn’t possibly be met. In Central Region, the quorum requirement is based on

chapter representatives and the Regional Board, not a certain number of delegates being present.

If the regional bylaws do not define a quorum, according to RONR, the quorum would be a

majority of the registered delegates. If there are 250 registered delegates, the quorum would be

126 delegates.

Do not confuse the credential report with the quorum. Remember, the quorum reflects

who has to physically be in the room in order for business to be transacted. That is different

from who is registered. Given the above example, all 80 chapters could have delegates

registered and their credentials picked up. However, if there are only 10 sorors in the room, it

would be impossible for there to be delegates from 40 chapters in the room, and therefore, there

is not a quorum. The Grammateus is reporting who is registered and essentially, who has arrived

and picked up their delegate packet. The Syntaktes or the Grand Basileus declares whether or

not there is a quorum present. That is not the role of the Grammateus.

When building the credential’s report, it is important to have a policy on how to handle

sorors who hold multiple voting statuses. For example, at the time this manual was written, the

International Parliamentarian was a national officer, living in Central Region which entitles her

to have a vote at the Central Regional conference according to the Central Region Bylaws. She

was also the Central Regional Parliamentarian, which also entitled her to have a vote at the

Central Regional Conference. She was a Life Member, which entitled her to have a vote at the

Central Regional Conference. In spite of these multiple statuses, she only gets one vote. The

region has to decide how they are going to count someone with multiple voting statuses in the

credentials report. At the regional level, the decision may be to count the person as a regional

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officer since, in Central Region, the Central Regional Board is part of the quorum definition. At

the national level, a decision would have to be made on whether to count the person as an

international officer or a life member. Again, regardless of status, a soror only gets one vote and

can only be counted under one category in the credentials report. Both the regions and the

national Board should establish a Standing Rule on this issue to decrease confusion and promote

consistency on how the credentials report is presented. While the credentials report can only list

a soror in one category, any listing of the attendees at the regional or Boule could reflect all

categories of status for a soror who can be counted in more than one category. This listing does

not reflect voting strength, but conference attendance. An example is below:

Name Regional Officers National Officers

Living in Central

Region

Alumnae Chapter

Delegates

Undergraduate

Chapter

Delegates

Life Members Members-at-

Large

Mary Carter X X

Frances Jackson X X X

Joyce Dewar X X

After the Grammateus has made the Credentials report, there must be a motion to adopt.

If this is a committee of more than one person, then a member of the Credentials committee can

move adoption of the report on behalf of the committee. If the motion to adopt is made by a

committee of more than one person, then no second is required. If it is a one-person committee,

then the Grammateus cannot move adoption of this report (individual officers can never move

adoption of their reports). There will have to be a motion from the floor. This motion only

requires majority vote to adopt. Please refer to the full RONR to read how to handle a challenge

to this report.

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At each subsequent plenary session, the credentials report must be updated, but at the

updates, the time of the report must be included: “As of 1 PM, July 25, this is the report of the

Credentials Committee.” Every time a new report is given, the report must be adopted. Also, for

subsequent updates, the report must include the voting strength, which would not include Philos

and Rhoers. If the report is unchanged from the previous report, then a new report is not

required and no motion is made.

In addition to having an updated credentials report at each session of the convention, an

updated credential’s report is usually made before an election or any important vote. This report

provides the maximum number of votes that can be cast. If there are 1000 delegates, then any

counted vote that exceeds that number is invalid.

The second report that must be adopted is the report of the convention Standing Rules.

These are different from chapter standing rules. Convention Standing Rules relate to the conduct

of the convention/conference. If the rules are unchanged from one year to the next AND if each

delegate receives them in advance of the convention, then they do not have to be read. If they

are not sent to all delegates prior to the convention, then they have to be read even though they

are printed in the convention workbook. They are read by the Parliamentarian.

Convention standing rules typically include limits on debate, require that all delegates

wear the official convention badge, turn off cell phones or place them on mute, can’t speak more

than twice on the same issue, must complete a motions form when making a motion, etc. It is

also important to have a convention standing rule that all minutes will be approved at each

succeeding session, but that the last session will be approved by a committee appointed by the

Regional Syntaktes (or Grand Basileus).

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RONR states that all conventions are responsible for approving their own minutes. For a

regional conference held in 2012, it is not reasonable to assume that the delegates who attend the

regional conference in 2013 will remember what happened in 2012. Additionally, a good portion

of the delegates who attend in 2013 probably were not at the conference in 2012, so they

certainly can’t determine if there are errors in the minutes. Therefore, after the first session, the

second session should include approval of the minutes of the first session. The third session of

the convention should include approval of the minutes of the second session. Obviously, there

will not be a session after the last session (it might be the last day which may include more than

one session) for approval of the minutes.

What RONR recommends is that the presiding officer appoints a committee that will

review the minutes of the last session (or all sessions whose minutes were not approved by the

body) and approves those minutes. After this approval, then the minutes in their entirety can be

disseminated to the appropriate level of membership. In the following year, the Syntaktes or

Grand Basileus only needs to ask if there are any corrections to the minutes that were

disseminated. Remember, factual corrections to the minutes can always be made, even years in

the future if the facts can be proven. If the bylaws provide for a Minutes Approval Committee

(or some facsimile), then this does not have to be in the convention standing rules.

Instead of appointing this committee prior to the Conference/Boule the Regional

Syntaktes/Grand Basileus may appoint this minutes approval committee during the first plenary

session. The only benefit in waiting until the regional conference or Boule is to ensure that the

persons appointed are in attendance. Whenever the committee is appointed, it is important for

these sorors to know that they need to take their own minutes so they will have something to

compare to the minutes they will receive from the Anti-Grammateus. For the Boule, experience

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suggests that the members of this committee take minutes of at least the last 3 sessions. Often,

given the press of time, the Grand Anti-Grammateus may not have the minutes ready for

approval by the body for several sessions, not just the last day. The committee needs to be

prepared to take their own minutes for any sessions not approved by the body before

adjournment. Instead of a minutes approval committee, RONR also suggests that this function

can be completed by the Executive Board. It would be advisable to appoint specific officers who

will physical be in the meeting (and not running in and out) to be tasked with this responsibility

and not just the generic “Executive Board.” If the Executive Board will fulfill this function,

adjust the standing rules to reflect this change.

The parliamentarian will read the standing rules in their entirety. If she has a committee

on Standing Rules, she can move adoption of that report. If not, then anyone can make the

motion to adopt. Because the standing rules always contain limits on debate, they require 2/3

vote to adopt. If a soror objects to a standing rule, then she can, without a motion, have that

standing rule omitted from the motion to adopt. That standing rule would then be debated and

approved or denied on its own. Please refer to RONR to read the procedure on rescinding the

standing rules or amending the standing rules after they have been approved.

The third motion that must be adopted in order to open the convention/conference is the

motion to adopt the convention program. The convention program is not just the meeting agenda.

This motion is to adopt the entire convention program which includes the business sessions,

workshops, convention meals, all activities. It requires only majority vote to adopt. The

convention program can be amended at this time if a soror wants to move an item, within reason.

For contractual reasons, for example, obviously the luncheon cannot be moved from noon to 2

PM or the Public Meeting moved from Wednesday to Friday because there are invited guests

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who have made arrangements to come on Wednesday. However, a soror could move that the

report of the Recommendations Committee be moved from Friday to Wednesday or moved to

earlier in the day on Friday.

Once all three of these reports have been made and the reports adopted, then the

Syntaktes/Grand Basileus can declare that the Xth Session of the Region/Boule is officially

opened for the transaction of business. In recent years, there has been an opening session which

the Philos and Rhoers attend. If the Syntaktes /Grand Basileus is not opening the

conference/convention at this session, then these reports can wait until after the Rhoers, Philos,

and guests have departed.

Conduct of the Parliamentarian During the Regional Conference/Boule

Similar to that of the chapter parliamentarian, the regional and IP should sit next to the

podium so she can unobtrusively advise the Syntaktes or Grand Basileus. She should review the

order of business, just like the local parliamentarian so that she can anticipate what motions will

be made and ensure she is knowledgeable about those motions and potential amendments that

might be made. On the national level, it is also wise for the IP to be seated next to the Grand

Legal Adviser. Sometimes an issue arises that may involve both of these officers and being

seated next to one another can facilitate their advice to the Grand Basileus.

It is important for the IP to keep track of how the business has progressed, i.e., what

items from the agenda have been handled, which were not disposed of and should be shifted to

the next business session. It is common that all items of business may not be completed during a

session, so it would be important for the IP to remind the presiding officer of which items were

not completed from the previous session and which should be handled under unfinished business

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the next day. One way of doing this is to bring a pad and keep track of the motions that are made

and the disposition of those motions. At any time, the Grand Basileus should be able to turn to

the IP and ask what business is pending or before the body. As with the local chapter

parliamentarian, it is advisable to use 3X5 cards to advise the presiding officer on issues of

parliamentary law when it is deemed helpful. Retrieve the card and keep it to document the

advice that was given to the presiding officer in case there is a dispute at some later date.

The Difference Between Local Meetings and the Regional Conference/Boule

RONR draws a line of demarcation between organizations that meet at least quarterly (four

times a year or more) and organizations that meet less than four times a year. As either a

regional or the IP, it is important to know about these differences:

1. A convention is normally one session composed of several meetings. Each succeeding

meeting continues the business at the point where it ended at the previous meeting

(RONR, p. 82).

2. There is only one way to hold over any business from one regional conference/Boule to

the next and that is to refer it to a committee. Any business that is not finally disposed of

at the final adjournment (sine die, RONR, p.83), falls to the ground (goes away). For

example, if a motion is tabled, but the conference/Boule adjourns before that motion is

taken from the table, that matter dies. It is not part of some “unfinished business” at the

next conference or Boule.

3. Adjournment sine die (final adjournment) occurs after the final event, not the final

business session. If the regional conference or Boule program indicates that the final

activity is a banquet, that is when the Regional Syntaktes/Grand Basileus adjourns the

conference/Boule.

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4. The motion to reconsider is one of those motions that has language specific to a

conference of more than one day. A motion to reconsider can only be made on the same

day that the original vote was taken or on the next succeeding day within the session

(conference) on which a business meeting is held. For example, say a motion is adopted

on a Thursday to increase dues by $200. If plenary sessions are held on Thursday and

Friday, then the motion to reconsider this motion that increased dues is only in order on

the same day, i.e., Thursday, or the next calendar day, i.e, Friday. If the next business

day is Saturday, then the motion to reconsider must be made on Thursday or Saturday.

After the motion to reconsider has expired, the motion to rescind would be in order.

5. On all levels (local, regional, national) any action that requires more than majority vote to

be adopted is a rising vote. On the local level, sorors will be asked by the Basileus to

stand when she takes the vote. However, at the regional conference/Boule, if voting

cards are being used, the Syntaktes/Grand Basileus can ask sorors to raise their voting

cards instead of standing up for motions that require more than majority vote to be

adopted.

Chair of the Bylaws Committee – Regional and National

Regional and national bylaws should normally denote that the parliamentarian is chair of

the Bylaws Committee. Usually, these committees are appointed by the Regional

Syntaktes/Grand Basileus. Unfortunately, it is likely that some committee members will not

attend the Regional/Boule. Often Sorors who are in attendance will volunteer to serve on the

committee. It is advisable to check with the Syntaktes/Grand Basileus to make sure they would

not have a problem if volunteers are allowed to serve who were not official appointees.

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The regional bylaws and/or the policies and procedures (SOP) should specify the

procedure for handling proposed bylaw amendments. At the regional level, it is usual that

proposed amendments, whether they are seeking to amend the regional bylaws or the national

bylaws, are only submitted by chapters, the Regional Executive Board, or regional committees,

not individuals. The reason for this is simple. Since regional conferences meet once a year, the

matters that are submitted for action should have widespread support. If individual sorors were

able to submit amendments and recommendations, it is likely that the number of items submitted

would be impossible to manage in the brief amount of time the conference actually meets in the

business session. The same is true for those items intended for action by Grand Chapter. Those

items of business handled by Grand Chapter should be those items that have widespread support

beyond an individual or even a single chapter or the business could be mired down in a myriad of

issues for which there is little support.

Chapter 7-3 of the national SOP specifies the process for handling both

recommendations and proposed amendments to the National Constitution and Bylaws (NCBL).

The following table can be found in the national SOP and is the required format for submitting

proposed bylaw amendments (and recommendations) to the national body from the regions, the

IBOD, or international committees:

Sponsoring Chapter/Region

Section to be

amended

Current language, if

applicable

Proposed Language

Rationale Motion Disposition

As described in the national SOP, Section 7-3, proposed bylaw amendments to the

NCBL can only be submitted by the Regions, the International Board of Directors, or National

38

Committees. In all cases, submitted amendments must conform to the timeline contained in the

bylaws. On the national level, all recommendations and bylaw amendments must be received by

chapters 60 days prior to the Boule. In order for headquarters to mail/e-mail/post all proposed

bylaw amendments and recommendations so that they are received by chapters 60 days prior to

the Boule, the deadline date for International Headquarters to receive the proposed amendments

and recommendations is normally three months to four months prior to the Boule.

The International Parliamentarian (IP) is chair of the National Constitution and Bylaws

Committee (NCBLC). It is important to remind the Regional Syntakti to make sure that the

proposed amendments to the national constitution/bylaws (NCBL) adopted by the regions for

both years preceding the Boule are submitted to headquarters. For example, if the regional

conference adopted proposed bylaw amendments to the NCBL in both 2013 and 2014, both sets

of proposed amendments must be submitted to Headquarters for action at the 2014 Boule.

Sometimes regions will forget to submit the proposed amendments and recommendations

adopted in the off-Boule year to headquarters for inclusion in the packet that will be voted upon

in the Boule year.

Each region should identify who on the regional level will submit adopted proposed

amendments to the national level. It is strongly suggested that proposed amendments to the

national CBL are simultaneously submitted to the IP and the International Headquarters. Neither

the National Recommendations Chair nor the IP does the actual compiling and mailing of these

proposed amendments and recommendations to the chapters. They need to receive a copy, but

headquarters needs to have a copy as well.

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Once the proposed amendments have been received, whether at the regional level or

national level, it is important to understand that the Regional Bylaws Committee (RBLC) and the

NCBLC are not just passive, pass-through committees whose function is to merely receive the

proposed amendments. Once the proposed bylaw amendments (from chapters on the regional

level and from the regions on the national level) have been received, each proposed amendment

should be reviewed to determine the following:

Which ones are editorial or grammatical in nature and therefore don’t need to be

voted on? Under these circumstances, the parliamentarian can ask the Region or

Grand Chapter permission to make the changes as noted; there is no need to vote

on these. Alternatively, if the committee is “bundling” a group of proposed

bylaws to be voted on as a group, include these editorial changes in the bundle.

Are the proposed amendments clear and unambiguous? If they are not, contact

the chapter (on the regional level) or the appropriate Syntaktes and ask for

clarification on the intention of the proposed amendment.

Will the adoption of this amendment cause a problem or conflict with other

articles in the bylaws?

Are there proposed bylaw amendments that are mutually exclusive? That is, if

Grand Chapter adopts proposed amendment #2, does that invalidate proposed

amendment # 9? Or if proposed amendment #5 is defeated, does that make

proposed amendment # 45 invalid? For example, some years ago there was a

proposed bylaw amendment to add a national officer who would be the Grand

Anti-Epistoleus. That was one proposed amendment. In a separate amendment,

the duties of this officer were listed. Grand Chapter was informed that if they

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voted the first amendment down, the second amendment about the duties of the

office would go away and not be voted upon. Obviously if the motion to establish

this new office failed, there would be little point in adopting the duties of that

office.

If amendments are related, but are not in numerical order, the committee can and

should bring forward the ones that are related so that the Region/Grand Chapter

are voting on them in a bundle. Or, as referenced above, announce that if

proposed amendment X is lost, proposed amendment XX will fall to the ground

and not be voted upon.

Are there similar proposed amendments that should be merged together? This is

not the same as the two bullet points above. Sometimes there are a number of

proposed amendments that all seek to do the same thing. For example, at every

Boule since the 1980’s, there has been a proposed amendment to have the

regional conference meet every other year rather than every year. If more than

one proposed amendment is submitted on this issue (meaning more than one

region has submitted this as a proposed amendment to the NCBLC), it makes no

sense to vote on one that is proposed amendment #4, another that is proposed

amendment #42 or a third that is proposed amendment #60, all wanting to change

the meetings of the regional conferences. Either merge the three so that they read

like one motion, or if they can’t be merged because of differences in detail, make

the motion that first establishes the change (i.e., that regional conferences will

only meet every other year), then make the motions on the details (how Annie

Neville winner selected, regional election details, etc). So, the first motion would

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be to amend the national bylaws so that regional conferences meet every other

year. If that motion fails, then the other proposed amendments fall to the ground.

At that point, the details are immaterial. If the motion to have regional

conferences meet every other year is adopted, then subsequent motions would be

made from the proposed amendments that have been submitted, to adopt the

details. The NCBLC would make these motions.

Is this amendment necessary and appropriate? For example if a region submitted

a bylaw amendment that proposed that we should all love one another, that is not

an amendment that should be included in the bylaws. The NCBLC should move

to postpone this indefinitely, which kills the amendment. Also, sometimes the

regions will submit bylaw amendments to headquarters that are amendments to

the regional bylaws, not the national bylaws. Regional bylaw amendments are not

handled on the national level. When this happens, first contact the appropriate

Regional Syntaktes to make sure this is an amendment to the regional bylaws. If

it is an amendment to a region’s bylaws, simply inform Grand Chapter that it was

submitted in error and will not be voted upon.

Are there non-controversial bylaw amendments that can be “bundled” together

and voted on as a group? If so, identify these, write a report that lists what the

committee considers non-controversial bylaw amendments, and make enough

copies for each delegate to have in advance. It is recommended that this is

distributed well before the session where the assembly will vote on the bylaws so

that chapters have a chance to caucus and determine if they agree or disagree with

what should be included in the bundle. It only takes one delegate to disagree with

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an item for it to be taken out of the bundle and then voted on separately with the

other proposed amendments. Bundling can save a lot of time at the

Conference/Boule.

The IP should also review the recommendations intended for either action by Grand

Chapter or action by the regional conference to make sure that there are no bylaw amendments

that were sent to the Regional/National Recommendations Committee. Sometimes, the reverse is

true, i.e., there are recommendations sent to the NCBL committee that are not amendments to the

bylaws but are recommendations. What is the difference? Proposed amendments must identify a

specific bylaw article that it wants to amend (or add). At the Boule, the National

Recommendations Committee and the National CBL Committee meet jointly to make sure each

committee is handling the appropriate recommendations/amendments.

Once the two committees have determined that they have the proper recommendations or

bylaw amendments, the two committees separate. During the bylaws committee meeting at the

Boule or the regional, the committee discusses each proposed amendment and whether or not the

amendment has the support of the committee. It would be important to note at this point that

RONR does not address recommendations. RONR addresses resolutions. However, it is a time

honored tradition in Sigma Gamma Rho to use recommendations, not resolutions, so the

procedure for the handling of resolutions that can be found in RONR is not useful for the

sorority’s process. Remember, each organization has the right to have its own rules.

After discussion of the pros and cons of each proposed amendment, the committee then

takes a vote on each proposed amendment. The committee can:

1. Vote that the committee will move to adopt a proposed amendment

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2. Vote that the committee will postpone indefinitely (kills the proposed amendment)

3. Vote that the committee will offer an amendment to the proposed motion

4. Or if the committee vote is tied, we would state that we have no motion on the

proposed amendment. If the committee has no motion to make on a proposed

amendment, the motion for adoption must come from the floor.

After completing work on all amendments, or before beginning consideration, the assembly may

wish to adopt a motion to authorize the committee to correct article and section designations,

punctuation, and cross-references and to make such other technical and conforming changes as

may be necessary to reflect the intent of the organization with reference to the adopted

amendments (RONR, p. 599).

Member: On behalf of the Bylaws Committee, I move that the bylaws committee be authorized to

correct article and section designations, punctuation, and cross-references and to make such

other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the intent of the

organization in connection with the amendments (or the revision) to the bylaws.

If this motion is adopted, this will eliminate the need to propose a number of amendments that

seek to correct Article numbers because an adopted bylaw amendment changes the Article

numbers or paragraph designation. This motion gives the committee the authority to make those

corrections. The above language can also be included as a convention Standing Rule.

Presenting the Proposed Bylaw Amendments at the Regional Conference/Boule

During the regional conference or Boule when the committee makes its report, a member

of the committee reads the proposed amendment, the article it seeks to amend, the current

language, if any, the rationale and the proposed change. If the committee has voted to move that

this amendment be adopted, a member of the committee will read the motion then say the

following: “By direction of the committee, I move adoption of this amendment.”

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When a committee offers a motion, as long as it is a committee composed of more than

one person, no second is required. Once the motion is made, the member steps back, and the

Regional Syntaktes or the Grand Basileus steps forward, and states, “it has been moved by the

National Constitution and Bylaw Committee (or Regional Bylaws Committee) that (reads the

proposed language). You have heard the motion, are you ready for debate?” It is important that

the Syntaktes/Grand Basileus reads the proposed language. She should not say, “the committee

moves adoption of amendment #1.” Once the floor is open to debate, other amendments can be

offered by the delegates to the motion, and then a final vote is taken. Two-thirds vote is

necessary to adopt amendments to the bylaws at both the regional and national levels. However,

if there are primary or secondary amendments to the proposed bylaw amendment, that only

requires majority vote to adopt. This may seem confusing, but the motion to amend the bylaws

is a main motion. Amendments to this main motion are made through primary and secondary

amendments. Consider the following example:

NCBLC Member: On behalf of the committee I move to adopt proposed bylaw

amendment number 3 which reads: National Head Tax will be increased from $100 to $200 per

soror and will be due October 1.

Grand Basileus: It has been moved that proposed bylaw amendment #3 be adopted which

reads: National Head Tax will be increased from $100 to $200 and will be due October 1. You

have heard the motion, are you ready for debate?

Soror A: Not ready!

Grand Basileus: State your unreadiness

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Soror A: I’m Soror A from Rho Sigma Chapter Detroit. I move to amend this motion by

striking out $200 and inserting $125 (this is a primary amendment).

Anyone: Second!

Grand Basileus: It has been moved and seconded to strike out $200 and insert $125 to

the proposed amendment. If adopted, the amendment will read: National Head Tax will be

increased to $125 and will be due October 1. You’ve heard the motion, are you ready for the

question?

Soror B: Not ready!

Grand Basileus: State your unreadiness.

Soror B: I’m Soror B from XX Chapter. I move to strike out $125 and insert $150 (this

is a secondary amendment which must be germane to the primary amendment. If this

amendment wanted to change the due date of the dues, it would be out of order because the

primary amendment speaks to the amount, not the date.)

Anybody: Second!

Grand Basileus: It has been moved and seconded to strike out $125 and insert $150. If

adopted, the amendment will read: National Head Tax will be increased to $150 and will be due

October 1. You’ve heard the motion, is there any debate?

In the above example, the original bylaw amendment, i.e., to increase head tax by $100 to $200

is a main motion. The primary amendment, if adopted, would increase head tax by $25 from

$100 to $125. The secondary amendment would increase head tax by $50 to $150. Both the

primary amendment and secondary amendment only require majority vote to adopt. However, if

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the secondary amendment (increase head tax by $50 to $150) is adopted, then the primary

amendment (increase head tax by $25 to $125) goes away. If the secondary amendment fails,

then Grand Chapter would vote on the primary amendment to increase head tax to $125. Again,

majority vote would be required to adopt this secondary amendment. Once all amendments have

been made and disposed of, the final version of the motion would require 2/3 vote to be adopted.

If the committee has an amendment, the committee member reads the proposed

amendment as submitted, then state, “The committee has an amendment. By direction of the

NCBLC (or RBC), I move to strike the word “first” and inserting the word “second” and as

amended, that the motion be adopted.”

Grand Basileus/Regional Syntaktes: “It has been moved by the committee that the

proposed amendment to the bylaws be adopted. The committee has an amendment. We will

handle the amendment first. The amendment by the committee is to strike out the word first and

insert the word second. The proposed amendment as amended reads, ”The What-Not

Committee shall be chaired by the Second Grand-Anti-Basileus. Is there any debate?” After

debate, the Grand Basileus/Regional Syntaktes takes the vote on the amendment offered by the

committee. If the committee’s amendment fails, then the motion is on the proposed amendment

as it was originally submitted without the committee’s amendment.

Other Issues With the Bylaws

It is important to note that an affirmative vote on the bylaws cannot be reconsidered. If

the motion to adopt an amendment passes, it takes effect immediately (unless there is a date

clause included with the motion). Therefore, because bylaw amendments require advanced

notice, an affirmative vote on the bylaws is not subject to reconsideration.

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Secondly, proposed amendments to bylaw amendments cannot exceed the scope of the

notice. In one of the examples above, there was an amendment to increase head tax from $100 to

$200. At the Boule, any amendments to the proposed amendment that wants to exceed the $100

increase (which would increase head tax to more than $200) is out of order. It would also be out

of order if someone wanted to move to decrease head tax to less than $100. Because bylaw

amendments require advanced notice, the primary and secondary amendments that are offered

cannot exceed the scope of what was in the notice.

Post-Conference Responsibilities of Regional and International Parliamentarians

As a practical matter, it is wise to use the conference workbook to keep track of which

proposed amendments to the bylaws were adopted, which failed, which were amended, and what

is the final, approved language of the motion that was adopted. Committee members are also

asked to also keep track of the above so that the committee can confirm the final adopted

language on each proposed amendment. The Boule uses a court reporter who submits a typed

transcript. This can be used to resolve any dispute between what the committee has recorded and

what the Grand Anti-Grammateus may have recorded. On the regional level, the committee and

the Regional Anti-Grammateus must come to agreement on the final, adopted language.

After the Boule, the IP will make the corrections in a electronic copy of the NCBL, and

send the edited document to International Headquarters so that new copies of the bylaws can be

printed and sent to new members or sold to returning members. Both the Regional and IP need a

MS Word copy of the bylaws. On the regional level, in some regions, the parliamentarian is

responsible for updating the regional bylaws and the regional policies and procedures. In other

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regions, the regional recommendations chair updates the policies and procedures or other

documents, while the parliamentarian is only responsible for updating the regional bylaws.

Obviously, the importance of ensuring that the language of adopted amendments is

accurate is critically important. For that reason, when the Minutes Approval Committee reviews

the minutes of that session where bylaw amendments were adopted (whether Regional or Boule),

it is crucial that the minutes reflect a format of the adopted amendments and recommendations

that ensure that years later, if there is a dispute, the minutes are clear about the amendments and

what changes were made. In other words, it is not helpful if the minutes simply state “Bylaw

amendment # 3 amended and then adopted.” Years from now, if there is a dispute about bylaw

amendment # 3, no one can tell from these minutes as stated here, what was adopted, what

amendment was adopted, and it might be difficult to identify which amendment is # 3! The

importance of the parliamentarian insisting that the minutes list the amendment, including any

amendments to the language that were adopted, and lists the final disposition (adopted, not

adopted) cannot be overemphasized. An example of what is needed is below:

Amendment #3: Proposed language:

To amend Article IX, Section X,X to add: The International Parliamentarian will be paid

an honorarium of $5000 a year. The committee had an amendment. The committee’s

amendment is to strike out $5000 and insert $2500. The amendment was voted on first.

The motion to amend the amount from $5000 to $2500 was adopted. The motion as

amended was voted on. The amended motion is: The International Parliamentarian will

be paid an honorarium of $2500 a year. Motion carried.

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Ten years into the future, it would be clear to everyone what was specifically adopted by Grand

Chapter in regards to this motion.

After the convention or conference is over, the parliamentarian is responsible for making

sure the newly adopted amendments are properly inserted into the bylaws (and in some regions,

it might also include the regional SOP). Sorors newly appointed to the position of Regional

Parliamentarian or IP should request the latest version of the bylaws (CBL on the national level)

in Microsoft Word and standing rules/SOP. The parliamentarian is the keeper of the most recent

version of these documents.

When inserting newly adopted amendments into the bylaws, please be advised that

headings and titles of the bylaws cannot be changed without specific action of the region or

Boule if the change has any effect on meaning. Corrections that do not change meaning can be

made without a vote of the assembly (e.g., adding an “s” to the title Committee).

Presentations on Parliamentary Procedure

As the parliamentarian, whether local, regional or international, chapters should be able

to depend on you to do presentations on parliamentary procedure. If you don’t already have

presentations prepared, it is suggested that you develop these as soon as you are appointed or

elected so that you will have this resource readily available if called upon to do a presentation.

Three types of presentations are needed. One is a basic presentation on effective

meetings. This would include the agenda, officer reports, committee reports, etc. A second

presentation needs to be developed on the bylaws. Many problems that you will deal with as the

parliamentarian occur because the bylaws either don’t address a specific issue, or the bylaws are

ambiguous in its language. A third presentation is on more advanced parliamentary procedure

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for those who are knowledgeable about the basics but would like to learn more advanced

parliamentary law. This would include precedence of motions, nominations and elections,

voting, disciplinary action, motions to bring back matters to an assembly, as a basic start.

Finally, a brief discussion on the process to become a Professional Registered Parliamentarian is

normally included with each presentation (AIP uses the term “Certified”).

NAP publishes some educational resources that can assist with these presentations.

There is a parliamentary Jeopardy game, parliamentary Wheel of Fortune game and other

resources that can make your presentations exciting and engage participants in parliamentary

play. Also develop scripts for role playing scenarios with pre-tests and post-tests that also make

the presentations more exciting. Everything that you can do that engage participants is better in

most circumstances than presentations where you are the only speaker. As a general rule, the

maximum amount of time given for these presentations rarely exceeds one hour. Remember, it

normally takes two minutes for each power point slide, so a power point presentation with 30

slides will generally take one hour to present. That is too long if the presentation is only one

hour. Always, always, always, leave time for questions. In a 60-minute time frame, prepare a 45

minute presentation and leave at least 15 minutes for questions.

Other Resources

In addition to parliamentary games, NAP has a number of other resources that can be

very helpful to parliamentarians at every level. You can also make your own materials according

to your needs. For example, often the parliamentarian serves as the timekeeper. It is easy to

create pages that have ONE MINUTE, THIRTY SECONDS, STOP in a very large font so that

speakers know when their time to speak is winding down. NAP also has a one page document

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that list the major motions, whether or not they have to be seconded, can interrupt, the vote

needed to adopt, and whether they can be reconsidered in an easy to read format that makes it

easier to quickly advise the chair on motions.

Commonly Misunderstood or Misused Parliamentary Procedures/Issues

1. One of the most misunderstood motions in parliamentary law is the motion to table.

The motion to table is in order when something more urgent interrupts your business.

The two key words are “urgent” and “interrupt.” For example, suppose the Grand

Basileus is visiting in your city and is coming to your local chapter meeting. When she

arrives, you are discussing the chapter budget. You aren’t going to make her sit there

while you go over that. Her arrival means that something more urgent has interrupted

your business. A motion to table the budget would be in order. However, many times

the motion to table is used when the assembly wants more information or isn’t ready to

make a final decision on an issue. Under those circumstances, since nothing urgent has

interrupted your business, the motion to table is not in order. The proper motion would

be to postpone to a certain time or to refer the matter to a committee. This motion is so

misunderstood that RONR suggests that the presiding officer should change the motion to

postpone to a certain time when the motion to table is made and is not in order.

2. The agenda does not include the “call to order” or the “establishment of a quorum.”

Once the presiding officer recognizes that a quorum is present, she calls the meeting to

order, but these items are not part of the agenda and should not be listed on the agenda.

3. Another motion that can be misused is the motion to call the previous question. This

motion is used when a member wants to stop debate on a motion. What is often

misunderstood, is that one person cannot stop a whole room full of people from debating.

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This is a motion. It must be seconded, it is not debatable, and it requires 2/3 vote to be

adopted. If the motion to call the previous question is adopted, then the presiding officer

immediately takes the vote on the pending motion without asking for any more debate or

unreadiness. If the motion to call the previous question fails, then debate on the pending

motion continues.

4. A call for a division is a call for a rising vote, not a counted vote. Any member who

doubts the outcome of a vote can, without waiting to be recognized, call for a division by

simply calling out “Division!.” At that point, the presiding officer will ask all those in

favor to stand, have them be seated, then ask all those opposed to stand. If a member

wants a counted vote, they must make a motion to have the vote counted. However, if

the presiding officer cannot tell from a voice vote or rising vote the outcome of a vote,

the presiding officer can, without a vote, ask the vote to be counted.

5. What should constitute the quorum for a local chapter? The quorum should be set at that

number that, at a minimum, should be present in the room to make decisions for the

entire group. Chapter bylaws should indicate what constitutes a quorum. There are

several ways to determine this. One method is to estimate normal chapter attendance,

then make the quorum a majority. If 25 sorors normally attend chapter meetings, the

quorum would be 13. The bylaws would specify that a quorum is the presence of 13

members in good standing. Another way of determining the quorum is to make it a

percentage of the financial membership. That could be set at whatever percentage of the

membership the chapter wants present to constitute the quorum. If the bylaws state that a

quorum is 40% of the financial membership, then if the chapter has 60 financial

members, the quorum at 40% is 24 financial members. Under this scenario, the

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grammateus would have to keep the Basileus apprised of the number of financial chapter

members so she can determine the 40% needed to meet the quorum requirement. What

chapters want to avoid is making the quorum requirement so high, that chapter meeting

has to be cancelled due to lack of a quorum. But chapters also should not make the

quorum number so low that a small group of sorors are making major decisions for the

entire chapter. The chapter needs to consider that number, that a minimum, they feel

comfortable being present making decisions for the entire group and make that the

quorum requirement in the bylaws.

6. Financial reports are never adopted. Once the Grammateus and Tamiochus have made

their reports, the presiding officer asks if there are any questions. Once the questions

have been exhausted, the Basileus states without needing a motion, “the report will be

filed for audit.” No motion is necessary because filing financial reports for audit is the

only action the chapter can take. What is adopted, is the auditor’s report, once it is made.

7. Any motion that requires more than majority vote to adopt is automatically a rising vote.

8. The presiding officer when taking the vote should ask for those in favor to say aye and

those opposed to say no. She should not say, those opposed use the “same sign.” That

can be confusing.

9. When taking the vote, the presiding officer should NOT ask for abstentions. Abstentions

are a “no” vote. They do not affect the outcome of the vote. For example, if there are 50

people in the room and 10 vote in favor and 5 vote against, the motion is carried or

adopted even though 35 people did not vote or abstained. Unless your local chapter

bylaws specifically provide that people who abstain can then make other motions,

knowing who abstained is useless. The exception to this is a personal conflict of interest.

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For example, if a soror’s brother is going to be hired to be the disc jockey for the

chapter’s dance, that soror may want the record to show that she abstained since such a

motion provides financial gain for a member of her family.

10. Often when sorors give a report, it provides information or updates, but there are no

recommendations to adopt. If a report requires no action, then no motion is required or

should be made. The motion that absolutely should not be made is the motion to receive.

The report was received when it was heard. While it may appear anticlimactic, the only

action that should be taken is to have the presiding officer thank the soror and have her

take a seat. The exception to this are reports of the chapter historian. The chapter needs

to vote to accept the report of the historian as the official history of the chapter for the

time period indicated in the report.

11. While this is not as important at the local level as it is at the regional or national levels,

the name of the person who seconds the motion does not go into the minutes. It is

important, however, that the presiding officer can identify who seconded the motion. If

the Grand Basileus does not know the identity of the soror who seconded the motion, she

can ask the seconder to go to the microphone and give her name and chapter.

12. Some people believe that you must have a motion for every action in order for that action

to be valid. That is not true. For issues that are non-controversial, the presiding officer

can use unanimous consent. For example, with the approval of the minutes, the presiding

officer can ask if there are any corrections. Once the corrections have been made, she

can then state, “If there is no objection (pause), the minutes stand approved as

corrected.” Asking for a motion is not wrong, it just isn’t necessary. As long as the issue

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is non-controversial, many items can be handled in this way, thus facilitating the

meeting.

13. It is not uncommon for the regional conference or the Boule to not complete its business

within the confines of the adopted program. If the region or Grand Chapter must return

after the Awards Banquet in order to complete its business, the motion that must be made

is the motion to “fix the time to which to adjourn.” The format for this motion is “I move

we adjourn in order to reconvene at X time.” This is the highest ranking motion and is

undebatable (unless it is moved while no other question is pending), but must be

seconded. It is amendable. Majority vote required for its adoption. It can be

reconsidered.

14. The presiding officer, whether that is the chapter Basileus, the Regional Syntaktes, the

Grand Basileus, or a designee, cannot preside over the meeting and participate in debate.

Nothing is more unfortunate than a presiding officer who is the first to voice an opinion

on an item of business. The role of the presiding officer is to help facilitate the business

of the organization and to be available to resolve conflicts. This cannot happen if the

presiding officer has voiced an opinion on the outcome of an issue. If a presiding officer

believes that it is imperative to speak, they must physically vacate the chair (i.e., move

out of the chair) and once they have spoken, they cannot preside until the entire issue is

finally resolved. She cannot vacate the chair, voice her opinion, then retake the chair and

preside over the motion. If the Basileus vacates the chair to speak in debate, then the

First Anti-Basileus presides, IF she has not voiced an opinion on the issue. If the First-

Anti-Basileus has voiced an opinion, then the assembly needs to elect a president pro tem

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from among those who have not spoken on the issue to preside until the matter is

disposed of.

The Road to Professionalism

As stated in the Foreword, NAP is divided into regions and there are also local units

located in many major cities. RONR is a complicated book that is more than 700 pages long. In

order to really achieve proficiency, joining a national parliamentary organization is critically

important. First, join the local unit in your area. Put the word “parliamentarian” in your web

browser and the web site for NAP will pop up. Click on that site and find the local unit in your

area. If there is not a local unit in your area, you can join the web-based unit. The local unit has

educational meetings every month. In this way, members learn the philosophy behind the

motions and other procedures in RONR. Just as importantly, the exceptions are also taught, why

they exist and when they should be applied.

The next step is to join the NAP. In order to become a member of NAP, individuals have

to pass a 100 question exam at the 90% pass rate. Thus, anyone who is a member of NAP, has

passed an exam in order to join; they didn’t just pay dues. Once a person passes the NAP

membership exam, they can also join their State NAP organization.

The highest level of recognition in NAP is the Professional Registered Parliamentarian

(PRP). The first step is to become a registered parliamentarian (RP). To become a registered

parliamentarian, a person purchases the 1200 questions to study. The exam is composed of 400

of these questions and also has a section where the person has to find verbatim sentences in

RONR within a timed sequence. Once a person passes this exam, they can add the letters RP to

their name, which stands for Registered Parliamentarian. Once a person becomes a RP, they can

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then take the course of study to become a Professional Registered Parliamentarian (PRP). This

course teaches RPs how to write parliamentary opinions and how to work as a professional

parliamentarian. It also includes the parliamentary code of ethics to which all parliamentarians

associated with NAP are expected to adhere. Every six years, PRPs have to recertify in the

professional course.

In addition to the above, every other year, NAP sponsors a leadership institute which

focuses on specific topics on parliamentary procedure. It also includes updates, corrections and

clarifications. It is a marvelous opportunity to network with other parliamentarians from around

the world. A person doesn’t have to be a member of NAP to attend this conference.