I like those - especially the last one. We are in the process of creating an organized board. That is good.

Thanks again

"Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."

V Lombardi

You have to start somewhere

"The things we fear most in organization -- fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances -- are the primary sources of creativity."

M Wheatley

You are not unorganized you're creating

[ 08-15-2006, 10:40 PM: Message edited by: Shawn ]

Thank you all for your help. I am under the impression that we do not have a very organized group. Who am I kidding we aren't organized but there are a few of us on the board that are trying to shape it up. Thank you for your comments

No black robes and wigs Waaaaaa!!! I like mine

Google it, theres a couple RRO sites that have little handout and stuuf for new members, usually I post a link but my other 'puter has issues so I cant.

I know it sounds kinda corny but 'Princess Diaries 2 has a scene that pertains to RRO at the end when Princess Mia changes the Genovian Law (I'd explain better but I dont want too give away the ending to a good flick) It might be cueable and shown at a first mtg a fun and festive with refreshemnts

Critter is right - there are plenty of ways to implement RRO and still have fun with it. Following parliamentary procedures doesn't mean you drag out the powdered wigs and black robes. My first year as president the superintendent asked if I wanted a gavel. I asked if I could have a squirt gun instead. We settled on neither.

For my last group, we had voting members and non voting members. At the beginning of the first meeting of the year I would explain who is a voting member, how they could make and 2nd a motion and then vote in favor or against. I let non voting members know that while they couldn't officially vote, they should certainly participate in discussions, ask questions and offer opinions. Throughout the year, if I noticed new faces at meetings, I would quickly run through the process again. Before I became president, I noticed that many people sat with confused looks on their faces as soon as official processes began because they didn't know what their role was. By quickly and clearly defining it at the start of the meeting, everyone felt better.

There's a summary of Robert's Rules of Order on the Bonus Tools page of this website:

www.ptotoday.com/tools/Top_10_RRO_for_leaders.doc

Parliamentary procedure freaks people out (unnecessarily). Get smart, but be VERY careful not to over-complicate the topic. If your group is new to the idea of motions and seconds, take it slow. If you have a specific thing you need to vote on at that meeting, maybe you could playfully coach the crowd through the RRO voting process on that topic. People feel intimidated by RRO, but it really makes meetings run more smoothly, even "just a PTO" meeting. Don't back down, you need to apply pariliamentary procedure consistently if you want to train your members and make it a natural part of your organization. It will feel very awkward for a while, but I've personally seen how relying on RRO can save lots of hurt feelings.

If you're a PTO Plus member, you can access an article about Roberts Rules here:
www.ptotoday.com/magDay.html