The duties of the State Parliamentarian include advising chapters and members, as well as the state officers, regarding parliamentary law questions. As Appointed State Parliamentarian for the 2012-2014 term, I will be available to you in any form of communication you may wish to use.
Every chapter and district should have a parliamentarian. She is appointed by the regent or director, and approved by the members. The parliamentarian advises the regent and also quietly consults with her during the meetings to be sure the regent is following the agenda and proper procedures. She is not a voting member of the board. Parliamentarians should have the following references on hand: Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) or Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief, State Yearbook, NSDAR Handbook; National, State, and chapter bylaws.
To prepare for the new DAR year read RONR page 487-488, PROCEDURE IN SMALL BOARDS. Read the State Handbook (Manual of Procedures) regarding voting by e-mail (it works!). Be familiar with board motions – some can be approved by consensus.
If the parliamentarian is unable to attend a meeting, the regent appoints a pro tem parliamentarian for the meeting. It is very easy for the regent to be distracted during a meeting by unexpected happenings and she may lose her place in the agenda.
The regent does not turn the meeting over to the program chairman. She introduces the program chairman to present the speaker. When the speaker has finished, the regent thanks the individual.
Then there is an issue on the floor to which the regent wishes to speak or the business involves her personally, she hands the gavel to the vice regent for that particular business only.
The state parliamentarian keeps a complete set of chapter bylaws. Your chapter yearbook must contain your bylaws so every member has a copy. Please make sure you send an electronic copy of your chapter bylaws to this officer by November 1.
I look forward to hearing from you with your questions, and will be happy to speak to your chapters on parliamentary procedure.
Mary Lynn Brown
State Parliamentarian