Democratic Rules of Order: Easy-to-Use Rules for Meetings of Any Size

by Peg Francis, and Fred Francis

Published by: New Society Publishers

Imprint: New Society Publishers

Sales Date: 2019-05-28

Paperback

CA$14.99

Published: May 2019

Product Details

Imprint: New Society Publishers

Page Count: 104 Pages

Dimensions: 4.50 x 7.30

104 Pages, 4.50 x 7.30 x 0.60 in

Paperback

CA$14.99

ISBN: 9780865719064

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Description
Authors
Contents

Revolutionize meetings! Over 20,000 copies sold – the easy-to-use guide for running democratic meetings of any size

The key to promoting true democracy in meetings is clear, easy-to-understand rules of order that support the right of each member to participate fully and equally, and the right of the majority to make decisions while respecting minority rights.

An alternative to Robert's Rules of Order and other complicated and unwieldy guides, Democratic Rules of Order is the guide for the rest of us. It lays out clear, concise, easy-to-use rules for governing meetings from clubs and non profits to formal meetings. Benefits include:

A complete set of laws for governing meetings
Can be read in an hour
Plain language, free of complex protocol and jargon to enable equal and efficient participation
Tested and honed through thousands of successful meetings
Adoptable as the official rules of order for meetings of any size
Allows informality, including decisions by consensus, but ensures formality when needed
A sample meeting that uses all the rules plus answers to 31 common questions.

Now in its tenth edition, and with over 20,000 copies sold, Democratic Rules of Order will produce fair, efficient, and harmonious decisions in meetings of any size or complexity.

Peg Francis, and her late husband Fred Francis, had decades of experience with meetings in school, college, business, church, and community organizations as members and as officers. They saw the urgent need for more justice and stronger democracies and believed that for a democracy to work successfully, the populace itself must understand and practice democratic principles. They brought their skills as former educators to bear to create a set of rules that are easy-to-learn, easy-to-use, and widely applicable in meetings and that promote democracy at a grass-roots level. Always seeking to improve, they were also entrepreneurs who have designed several commercial products including clean-burning wood stoves, rodent-proof composters, and children's building sets. Peg lives in Victoria, Canada.

Foreword by Douglas Leiterman
Preface

Part 1: The Rules
Introduction
    Fairness and Orderliness
    Democratic Principles
    A Democratic Ideal
    Another Democratic Ideal
    Degrees of Formality
    Higher Laws
    Minority Rights
    For Maximum Efficiency
    The Tenth Edition
    Virtual Meetings
    To Adopt or Modify These Rules of Order
    An Impersonal Referee
Governing Elements
    Government Control
    Constitution
    Bylaws
    Standing Rules
    Rules of Order
    Executive Board
    Officers
    Election Procedures
Members Making Decisions
    Final Authority
    Equal Rights
    The Chair
    Chair's Authority
    Formal Chair
    Informal Chair
    Addressing the Chair
    Quorum
    Agenda
    Motions and Decisions
    Mover's Privilege
    Amendments
    Postpone, Refer
    Voting
    Tie Vote
    Larger Majority Vote
    Informal Discussion
    Rescind
    Reconsider
    Minutes
    Reports
    Ratifying a Previous Decision
    Adjournment
Keeping Meetings Flowing
    Staying on the Subject
    More Thought, Less Talk
    Mutual Respect
    Point of Order
    Disturbances
    Differing Opinions
    A New Chair
Committees and Small Meetings
    Committees
    Less Formality
    Special Committees
    Chairing a Committee Meeting
    Nondemocratic Meetings

Part 2: Further Help
Frequently Asked Questions
    Involving the Chair
    Involving the Secretary
    Motions and Other Topics
Sample Meeting
    Flowchart Using Democratic Rules of Order

Summary of the Rules
Index
About the Authors
A Note about the Publisher