Decorum</title</head> <body> <p>I am not a lawyer. This is not legal advice.</p> <h1>Decorum</h1> <h2>Pattern of Formality</h2> <p>This is an incomplete summary of RONR (10th ed) pp. 21-3.</p> <p>Members are to direct their comments to the chair. Members are not to refer to other members by name if they can be otherwise referenced. The presiding officer in particular is to be addressed as (in our case) Mr. Chairman, <i>even in small meetings</i>, according to RONR (10th ed) p. 22. The pronoun you is not to be used to referred to the Presiding Officer, but rather "the chair". Roberts does not make an exception to these rules for small boards.</p> <h2>Decorum in Debate</h2> <p>The following is an incomplete summary of RONR (10th ed) pp. 379-382.</p> <p>Remarks must be germane. While "a member can condemn the nature or likely consequences of a proposed measure in strong terms, he must avoid personalities and under no circumstances can he attack or question the motives of another member."</p> <p>The maker of a motion is not to speak against his own motion.</p> <p>A member has no right to read from, or have the secretary read from, any paper or book as part of his speech, without permission of the assembly.</p> <p>When the presiding officer is making a ruling, giving information or otherwise speaking within his privilege, no one else is to speak.</p> <p>Members are not to disturb the assembly. They can whisper, get up, move around, etc., but the chair should watch that it does not disturb the assembly or hamper the transaction of business.</p> <h2>Discipline</h2> <p>This is an incomplete summary of RONR (10th ed.) pp. 626-8.</p> <p>The chair may rap lightly, point out a fault and advise the member to avoid it, in the case of a slight breach of order (lack of germaneness, using members names).</p> <p>In more serious instances, such as when a member repeatedly questions the motives of other members whom he mentions by name, or persists on speaking on completely irrelevant matters in debate, the chair or any other member can "call the member to order." The chair or any other member interrupts the member to do this.</p> <p>Form for the chair: "The member is out of order and will be seated."</p> <p>Form for other members: "Mr. (or Madam) Chairman, I call the member to order." If the chair agrees, the chair says his form.</p> <p>These forms do not make sense in small boards. One assumes we must modify them.</p> <p>If a member persists over time, the chair may ask the secretary to take down objectionable language. Procedure for "naming" the offender can be found on RONR (10th ed. p. 627-8).</p> <p>If a non-member is disruptive, the chair may act alone. The procedure and recommendations for how to handle the situation are described on pp. 628-9.</p> <p><a href=./index.html>Conducting Meetings Table of Contents</a></p> <pre>Created July 22, 2007 Updated July 23, 2007 </pre> </body> </html>