Parliamentary Rules are what keep meetings fair and orderly.

Business meetings are almost always conducted under the rule of Parliamentary Law.
Parliamentary Law is the set of rules that governs most official meetings. This law is what keeps order in the house. There are five principles, which guide the implementation of the rules. 1) Courtesy and Justice to all. ) Consider one topic at a time. !) "a#ority rules. $) The minority has a right to %e heard. &) 'airness to all and partiality to no one. These principles date %ack to the ancient (reek and )oman civili*ations. These rules developed as unwritten codes of conduct in the +ritish Parliament. ,t was Thomas Jefferson who first wrote them down for use in -merica. (eneral .enry ". )o%ert has written three %ooks on the su%#ect and /)o%ert0s )ules of 1rder/ are now the standard for most groups and governing %odies that meet in assem%lies. Parliamentary )ules There are three kinds of rules that apply to an assem%ly. (eneral )ules are the standard, commonly used rules found in a rule%ook on parliamentary law. 2pecial )ules are rules adopted %y an organi*ation to meet their own particular needs. They are specifically for that one %ody that adopts them and usually supercede the (eneral )ules. 34ceptions are e4ceptions to the (eneral )ules. The purposes of the rules are to maintain order, speed up %usiness and assure fairness. Parliamentary Terms Parliamentary law spells out the procedures for making laws and changing policies. ,n order to comprehend the procedures, it is essential to understand the T3)"2. These are only some of the most common ones. -mending a motion is adding to or modifying a previously discussed motion. -mending can only %e done %efore a motion has %een voted on. The Chair is the officer presiding over the meeting, "ister or "adam Chairman.

34 1fficio means %y virtue of office. -n assem%ly may have a special rule that designates the treasurer an e4 officio mem%er of all committees. - convention is a series of "eetings. -ll of the meetings in a convention constitute a 2ession. The "inutes are the official record of %usiness at a meeting. - "otion is a formal proposal for action to %e taken. - 5uorum is the minimum num%er of mem%ers necessary at a meeting to transact official %usiness.