If you’ve ever attended a meeting and witnessed the group president call it into order, heard the secretary review the minutes of the previous meeting, heard motions, seconds and then voted, you have participated in parliamentary procedure. Very likely, you saw something called Robert’s Rules of Order put into action — even if you didn't realize it.   Robert’s Rules spell out the procedure for conducting meetings and activities of an organization for making decisions, and that the majority will rule.

Tim Arel reports that Robert’s Rules of Order were developed by Henry Martyn Robert in the 1870s when he was asked to preside over a church meeting, according to the official website for Roberts Rules of Order. Having never presided over a meeting before, that one didn’t go very well. He ended up determined to never attend a meeting again without having some understanding of parliamentary law.

There were a few books available on the subject then, and Robert studied them. As he was transferred around the United States, he discovered disorganization ruled in meetings as people from all over the country brought different ideas as to what the correct way to run a meeting was. He then decided to streamline everything by writing Robert’s Rules of Order, the first edition of which was published in 1876.

The most recent edition of the rules, which have been updated over the years, is titled, Robert’s Rules of Orders Revised, 10th Edition. One problem is that the rules in their complete form can be somewhat difficult to understand.   It’s not easy to read but there are many tools out there seeking to learn parliamentary procedure that are written on an easier level. The authors have written a simplified version called Robert’s Rules of Order in Brief, which is more understandable, user-friendly and deals mainly with the simple rules.

The full version runs over 600 pages and goes into details beyond how to conduct meetings, including how motions are formed and handled, how they interlock, and how an assembly accomplishes goals. Dean says the shorter version works for many organizations and would likely work for many condos and co-ops. Condos, and any organization in fact, can learn the less complex rules and usually accomplish the will of the majority.

The best boards run a very structured, business-like meeting.  At the end of the day, every community is first and foremost a corporation. They run it truly as a business meeting with a structure and an agenda and  time limits for discussions.  Not necessarily strict compliance, but adherence to Robert’s Rules of Order.

So maybe your association is getting along just fine without following parliamentary procedure — after all, running a meeting is pretty basic stuff. But a good parliamentary procedure book will delve into details that a lot of amateurs are likely to miss.   For example, the rules state that when voting, the word “majority” should be defined only as “more than half.” That may seem obvious, but some organizations word it differently, such as “50 percent plus one.” That can be a problem, according to Robert’s Rules. Let’s say you have 17 voting members, and nine members vote in favor of a motion while eight oppose. That is more than half but it isn’t 50 percent plus one. That could open the door toward someone claiming that a rule is invalid.

Similarly, the rules state that you can’t round off to the nearest number when determining a vote because “the requirement of a two-third vote means at least two thirds.” These are two of the more simple examples of details that Robert’s Rules go into that laymen are likely to overlook.

If you’re following Robert’s Rules of Order, you’re following parliamentary procedure. But it isn’t the only option out there. Another book available is entitled The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure by Alice Sturges, the most recent edition of which was edited by members of the American Institute of Parliamentarians.

If you are intent on using Robert’s Rules, you need to be wary of versions that appear on the Internet, and even some that are newly printed. Since the rules have been around for so long, the earliest editions aren’t protected by copyright. As a result, they’ve been republished and revised by writers with “variable qualifications in parliamentary law,” according to the Robert’s Rules official website. One book published under the name even uses an entirely different text. The edition that is sanctioned by the Robert’s Rules Association is the 2000 edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.

The rules have been updated over the years in order to fit the needs of today’s organizations. The current edition covers a few things that weren’t issues in Robert’s day, like holding meetings via telephone conference calls. The rules state you can do so only if your bylaws specifically allow them. Then the meetings have to be conducted in a manner where all members can hear each other at the same time and rules should be adopted to specify exactly how a member seeks recognition and how the floor is obtained during the meeting.

The AIP offers various programs that can teach organizations about parliamentary procedure on various levels, including correspondence courses. Information is available and books are sold at parliamentaryprocedure.org. The official Robert’s Rule website (www.robertsrule.com) offers information intended to help organizations adopt the rules.

The bottom line may be that your condominium is so small that the board meeting is also the Association meeting by default, and business is conducted over coffee and muffins in the board president’s living room. More likely, however, your building could benefit from adopting some or all of Robert’s Rules — even if it’s just so your more soft-spoken residents can get a word in edgewise.

More about Tim Arel