It was over 130 years ago when Henry Robert was asked to preside over a public meeting being held in a church in his community. He quickly realized, to some embarrassment, it knew little or nothing about the rules that governed meetings. General Roberts was an Army engineering officer and was transferred to various parts of the United States, where he found virtual parliamentary anarchy, since each member from a different part of the country had differing ideas of correct procedure.
His experience may seem all too familiar to anyone who has attended a meeting of their Rotary Club’s board of directors meeting. To bring order out of chaos, General Robert studied the few books then available on the subject and wrote Robert’s Rules of Order.These rules are useful for anyone involved in an organization, association, club, or group and the authoritative guide to smooth, orderly, and fairly conducted meetings. The book is over 800 pages in length, but abbreviated abstracts are available and useful to an organization like your Rotary Club.
Robert’s provides common rules and procedures for deliberation and debate in order to place the whole membership on the same footing and speaking the same language. They are not intended to intimidate members or limit participation.
To formally adopt Robert’s as the rules for your Rotary Club it would be proper to add to your by-laws the following:
“The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern this Rotary Club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order this club may adopt.”
A Rotary club governed in a calm and orderly way is a Rotary Club that will serve the needs of both the community and the members of the club. Understanding and utilizing these common standards will go a long way toward enhancing the ultimate governance and success of your Rotary Club.