Find Resources:
Parliamentary Procedure
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Audiostreamed WisLines
Parliamentary Procedure For Local Governments
- February
1, 8, 15, and 22, 2006, 3:00-4:20 p.m. (Order)
Downloadable Texts
Printable PDF Files
A
Few FAQ's on Parliamentary Procedure
(PDF file, 64 kb, 8 pages). This
document, a reproduction of a chapter from the Wisconsin Counties
Association's 2004 Wisconsin County Supervisor's Handbook,
provides an overview of parliamentary procedure for local
government.
Reconsidering Main Motions FAQs (PDF file, 47 kb,
2 pages). Description of the
special and rarely used "motion to reconsider."
Closing Debate (aka "Calling the Question") FAQs
(PDF file, 41 kb, 1 page).
Describes the proper procedure for ending debate. Also, debunks the
common misperception that any member may end debate simply by "calling
the question."
Voting Procedures for Local Government Bodies FAQs
(PDF file 44 kb, 2 pages).
Describes voting procedures, including unanimous consent.
Participation Rights of the Chairperson FAQs (PDF
file 46 kb, 2 pages). Often
poorly understood, the participation rights of the presiding officer
are explained in this document. A must-read for anyone teaching about
the roles and responsibilities of the chairperson.
Quorum
and Attendance of Members at Local Government Meetings FAQs
(PDF file, 45 kb, 2 pages).
Describes a quorum and what actions the
members of a governmental body may take in the absence of a quorum.
PowerPoint Slide Presentations
Fundamentals of Effective Meetings: Basic Principles and Protocol
(PowerPoint file, 514 kb, 19 slides).
These slides provide an overview of parliamentary
procedure, emphasizing some of the most common areas of concern
for presiding officers. Many slides contain comprehensive
notes for instructors.
Parliamentary Procedure for Local Government (Supplement to
Video) (PowerPoint file, 127 kb, 19 slides).
These comprehensively annotated slides were designed to be used
with the parliamentary procedure videotape, "Parliamentary
Procedure in Local Government: Six Vignettes" (#17389, 28 min.,
videotape/color, 1992).
Order
video.
Agendas and
Minutes for Local Government (PowerPoint
file, 128 kb, 34 slides). These slides
provide guidance to those department heads, committee chairs,
clerks, and secretaries charged with developing the agendas or
minutes for the meetings of local government bodies, including
boards, committees, and commissions.
Other References
Video Tapes Available on Loan (How
to Borrow)
Parliamentary Procedure in Local Government: Six Vignettes #17389, 28 min. Videotape/Color (1992).
Parliamentary Procedure in Local Government / Satellite Video
Conference #17418, 90 min. Videotape/Color (1993). If you
use either video, also download the accompanying
PowerPoint discussion (PowerPoint file, 127
kb, 19 slides)
with notes on the vignettes.Books
Larmer, Larry E.
A Guide to
Parliamentary Procedure for Local Governments in Wisconsin. Dubuque:
Kendall-Hunt Publishing Company, 1998. ( Order
form PDF file, 95 kb)
Websites
Local Government Center's
Effective
Meetings web page - many references on this topic.
Local Government Center's
Internet Resources web page - section on parliamentary procedure.
Parliamentary
Procedure by John A. Cagle
Parliamentary
Procedure -- provided by the National Association of Parliamentarians |
