The Florida Volume 35, Number 2
April 2015
Theme:
President’s Message
“REACH OUT”
Shirley J. Brodbeck, RP
Motto “Let all things be
Fellow parliamentarians, it has been and honor and a challenge to lead the great State of Florida members in their parliamentary pursuits these last two years. Though I’m just getting used to being called Madam President, the title of president will gladly be passed to the next leader of FSAP that you elect at the annual meeting in May.
done decently and in order.” I Corinthians 14:40
What’s Inside Presidents Message
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Call Annual Meetings
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Call FURP Meeting
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Questions & Answers
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Update Information
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Yearbook Corrections
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FURP Proposed Bylaws Registration Form Hotel Registration Form
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The annual meeting is at Homewood Suites in Lake Mary, where there is plenty of room in your suite to cook a meal, nuke popcorn for the munchies or pour a drink from the refrigerator. Your registration covers Saturday lunch and a cookout in the evening. Come casual, kick back and see another side of your FSAP. Newly appointed District III Director Greg Goodwiller, PRP from Mississippi, will join us with the latest from NAP and lead a workshop. Education Chair, Barbara Proctor has workshops lined up to keep us from having a disastrous convention. I wonder what special workshop FURP will have on Sunday after our memorial service? By Sunday noon we should be on our way home and me back to Michigan for the summer. How will you spend your summer and will parliamentary procedure be anywhere in sight? Please keep on reaching out, wherever and whenever you can, to help others have meaningful, productive and efficient meetings. You are needed in all 80% of assemblies that claim to be governed by RONR. You’ve worked hard to learn the rules of democracy. Continue sharing that Continue on page 2
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knowledge. Meetings are better because of you. From our members Daniel Barga and Gustavo Diaz, in Crawfordville to Phillip Goodman, RP, MAL, in Cudjoe Key; and from past NAP president Carl Ann Stickeler, PRP-R, on the west coast to provincial member Elaine Baker on the east coast … I ask all 257 FSAP members to keep on moving those motions, making points of order and inquiring just what parliamentary procedure you can use to move the meeting along. Above all, I urge you to participate in one of the best meetings -- the NAP convention in Arlington, Virginia, September 4 – 6.
The Florida Parliamentarian is the official publication of the Florida State Association of Parliamentarians, published four times a year; February, April, September, December. Subscription rate: $20 per year. © 2005 Florida State Association of Parliamentarians
DEADLINES FOR COPY February issue > > > > Dec 31st April issue > > > > > Mar. 1st September issue > > > > July 31st December issue > > > > Oct 31st
Shirley Brodbeck, RP, Editor-in Chief
941-722-2281 Email: sjbrodbeck@frontier.com Karen Price, Editor 941-697-8000 E-mail: craftyksp@gmail.com
SEND ADDRESS CORRECTIONS TO: Shirley Brodbeck 318 Peace Manor Palmetto, FL 34221-4512
Patricia McDougle, PRP, Associate Editor 954-791-5957 Email: patmcdougle@att.net
FSAP WEBSITE http://www.flparliamentarian.com
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CALL TO THE FSAP ANNUAL MEETING The FSAP 2015 Annual Meeting will be held: Saturday - May 30, 2015 Homewood Suites by Hilton in Lake Mary Registration 8 A.M. Meeting 8:30 A.M.
Guest Workshop presenter: Greg Goodwiller, NAP District III Director Topic: Twenty-First Century Conventions From “event apps” to electronic timers, voting machines, and projector displays, the way conventions and other business meetings occur today is very different than the way they occurred a generation ago. We will explore not only the technologies that are available to parliamentarians and convention planners/leaders, but also the parliamentary ramifications of employing those technologies. We will also explore ways to be prepared for the unexpected, to avoid potential convention disasters! Additional: What makes a convention special? Choosing the parliamentarian. You’ve been elected a Delegate - now what? Script preparation for convention business. Considering bylaw amendments and resolutions.
CALL TO THE FURP ANNUAL MEETING Sunday - May 31, 2015 Homewood Suites by Hilton in Lake Mary, Florida 8:30 - 9:45- Meeting 10:00 -- Noon– Education The Convention Post Convention recommendations RP Exam questions on conventions
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Questions and Answers Associate Editor All page numbers are references to Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th edition unless otherwise noted. Send your questions to the Associate Editor: Patricia McDougle, PRP , Email: patmcdougle@att.net Q&A
Disclaimer: The questions answered in this column are answers to questions on parliamentary procedure. If you are a member of a Florida condominium association, homeowner’s association, etc. the answers might not be applicable because of the Florida Statutes, or the bylaws of the home owners association. Florida statutes, bylaws of the association and in the case of governmental bodies have rules which have precedence over Robert’s Rules of Order
FLORIDA PARLIAMENTARIAN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR FIRST QUARTER 2015
Question 19. We need to know how to interpret this provision in our bylaws: "Officers shall be elected by a majority vote by ballot of eligible members present." Does it mean a majority of members voting or a majority of members present? Answer 19. This simple sentence from the bylaws defines four criteria for the election of officers: 1) A majority vote elects; 2) The vote must be by ballot; 3) Only eligible members may vote; 4) A member must be present to vote. However, has the bylaw provision qualified the majority vote? A majority vote when unqualified means more than half of the votes cast by persons entitled to vote (p. 400, ll. 7-12). The majority may be qualified such as a majority of those present or a majority of the membership. It makes a big difference in the result. Assume a membership of 75, 60 present at a meeting, and 50 voting: 1) Majority of the membership = 38; 2) Majority of members present = 31; 3) Unqualified majority (members present and voting) = 26. That bit of information is useful but it does not help with an answer to “a majority of what?” Rules of grammar and composition having been forgotten when Rhett Butler walked out on Scarlett O’Hara the 15th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style was consulted and here is what it says about prepositional phrases ("by ballot of eligible members present"): 5.166
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, its object, and any words that modify the object.
Without technically diagramming this dynamic bylaw sentence, the interpretation is that the prepositional phrases apply to “majority vote” ̶ “of eligible members present” modifies “ballot ̶-the two phrases together qualify “majority vote.” Because “majority vote” is qualified, officers are therefore elected by a majority vote of members present.
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Question 20. Our unit recently had a lesson on the motion Appeal. Our education chairman remarked that Appeal was the only debatable incidental motion. Is this true? Answer 20. It is true that the incidental motion Appeal is debatable but with exceptions. Appeal is undebatable when it “(a) relates to indecorum or a transgression of the rules of speaking; (b) relates to the priority of business; or (c) is made when an undebatable questions is immediately pending or involved in the appeal.” (p. 257, ll. 33-36) However, one other incidental motion may be debated and that is Point of Order should the chair submit the point to a vote of the assembly. (See p. 249, ll. 18-23) The rules governing the debatability of a point of order are the same as for Appeal.
Constant Contact – FSAP Email Updates The latest FSAP Constant Contact from your president titled “A Flurry of Updates” has come up with the following statistics. FSAP Members Don’t have email Address problems Opened Not opened
257 -29 -30 -98 -100
Wow! I understand that some don’t have email, and some have problems with their address, but 100 that haven’t been opened yet? They are going to miss the latest news that can’t wait until the next Florida Parliamentarian. I would suggest that each unit appoint one member that receives these messages to make sure they are forwarded to others with computers and see that those without computers receive a phone call with the information. If you have not received the FSAP Constant Contact messages please contact Henry Lawton hcljr@bellsouth.net to get your proper address on the list. Shirley Brodbeck, FSAP President
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Yearbook Corrections : Add Sharon Spry, P, Bradenton Unit, 5312 88th St. W. Bradenton, FL 34210-2339 941-794-8147 Sharonspry@earthlink.net Delete Katrina Darden, deceased, from master list and pg. 29, under Apollo X. Correct Master List Joan Soltz phone is 305-230-6690. Master List Wayne Worthley is PRP. Pg. 8 Under Officers, move credentials from right column to end of their name. Pg. 8 Tim Winn’s P.O. is 54 not 24. Pg. 8 Delete Second Vice-President Nancy Watkins. Vacancy not filled. Send membership information to President Shirley Brodbeck. Pg. 8 Delete Treasurer David Gruman and insert Karen S. Price, 15546 Viscount Cir., Port Charlotte, FL 33981, phone: 941-697-8000, craftyksp@gmail.com Pg. 8 Add PRP after Dorothy Demarest. Pg. 9 Under Membership delete Nancy Watkins. Pg. 9 Under Special Committees add PRP to Guiberson. Pg. 9 Under The Florida Parliamentarian add RP to Brodbeck and PRP to McDougle Pg. 10, NAP Standing Committees, District Three Director delete Nancy Dauster and insert Gregory A. Goodwiller – greg@goodwiller.org Pg. 31, CCPU Treasurer is Roduner not Rodruner Pg. 31 John Dauster is an M Pg. 35 Under Plato, Maria Portz not Mario
Email corrections to Shirley Brodbeck, sjbrodbeck@frontier.com
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NOTICE of PROPOSED AMENDMENTS to the FURP BYLAWS and STANDING RULES. BYlAW PROPOSAL #1 ARTICLE III-MEMBERSHIP CURRENTLY READS: Section 3. Reinstatement A member of the unit who has resigned in good standing (i.e., whose dues are paid at the time of resignation, and a letter from whom has been accepted by the unit and placed in the unit files) may, upon written request to the secretary, and payment of the current year's dues, be reinstated after approval by the unit. PROPOSED AMENDMENT:
Section 3. Reinstatement A member of the unit who has resigned in good standing (i.e., whose dues are paid at the time of resignation, and a letter from whom has been accepted by the unit and placed in the unit files) may, upon written request to the secretary, and payment of the current year's biennial dues, be reinstated after approval by the unit.
IF ADOPTED, WILL READ: Section 3. Reinstatement A member of the unit who has resigned in good standing (i.e., whose dues are paid at the time of resignation, and a letter from whom has been accepted by the unit and placed in the unit files) may, upon written request to the secretary, and payment of the current biennial dues, be reinstated after approval by the unit. RATIONALE: Submitted to concur with the directive of the members at the October 2014 meeting for the bylaw committee to propose a bylaw amendment to change to biennial dues. BYLAW COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATION: Not to adopt. The committee believes that the dues should remain on an annual basis. Continue on page 8
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BYLAW PROPOSAL #2 ARTICLE III-MEMBERSHIP CURRENTLY READS: Section 4. Annual Dues A. Annual dues for active and active-affiliate members shall be $4.00. B. The treasurer shall notify members that annual dues are payable by November 15, delinquent by December 15, and must be paid by February 1, or membership shall be forfeited. C. The dues of any member not received by December 15 of the current year shall be considered delinquent, and such member shall be ineligible to vote. D. NAP members shall pay NAP® and FSAP dues directly to NAP® Headquarters.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT: Section 4. Annual Biennial Dues A. Annual Biennial dues for active and active-affiliate members shall be $4.00. as set forth in the Standing Rules. B. The treasurer shall notify members that annual biennial dues are payable by November 15, delinquent by December 15 , of the odd numbered years and must be paid by February 1 of the even numbered years, or membership shall be forfeited. C. The dues of any member not received by December 15 of the current year shall be considered delinquent, and such member shall be ineligible to vote. D. NAP members shall pay NAP® and FSAP dues directly to NAP® Headquarters. C. New members joining in even numbered years shall pay one half of the biennial dues as set forth in the Standing Rules for that dues year only. IF ADOPTED, WILL READ: Section 4. Biennial Dues A. Biennial dues for active and active-affiliate members shall be as set forth in the Standing Rules. B. The treasurer shall notify members that biennial dues are payable by November 15, delinquent by December 15, of the odd numbered years and must be paid by February 1 of the even numbered years, or membership shall be forfeited. C. New members joining in even numbered years shall pay one half of the biennial dues as set forth in the Standing Rules for that dues year only.
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RATIONALE: Submitted to concur with the directive of the members at the October 2014 meeting for the bylaw committee to propose a bylaw amendment to change to biennial dues. The committee believes that the current C. is not consistent with B. The committee believes that association and national rules should not be included within the unit bylaws. BYLAW COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATION: Not to adopt the changes relative to the annual dues as both national and association dues are collected annually and biennial dues for a unit would be confusing to members and add additional work for the treasurer in computing membership. Adopt dues to be set forth in the Standing Rules Adopt striking the current C. and D. In respect to the above the committee recommends the following substitute to be adopted: “Section 4. Annual Dues A. Annual dues for active and active-affiliate members shall be as set forth in the Standing Rules. B. The treasurer shall notify members that annual dues are payable by November 15, delinquent by December 15, and must be paid by February 1, or membership shall be forfeited.”
BYLAW PROPOSAL #3 ARTICLE VII-COMMITTEES CURRENTLY READS: Section 1. Standing Committees shall be: Auditor, Bylaws, Education, Membership, and Yearbook. PROPOSED AMENDMENT:
Section 1. Standing Committees shall be: Auditor, Bylaws, Education, Membership, and Yearbook. IF ADOPTED, WILL READ: Section 1. Standing Committees shall be: Auditor, Bylaws, Education, and Yearbook. RATIONALE: Submitted to concur with the directive of the members at the October 2014 meeting for the bylaw committee to propose a bylaw amendment eliminating the membership committee as there are no duties listed in the current bylaws and no such separate committee has existed for many years. BYLAW COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATION: To adopt. Continue on page 10
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STANDING RULE PROPOSAL #1 CURRENTLY READS: There is currently no item 7. (The cost of the dues were found in the bylaws) PROPOSED AMENDMENT: 7. Biennial dues shall be $10. IF ADOPTED, WILL READ: 7. Biennial dues shall be $10. PROVISO: If adopted the standing rule would go into effect in 2017. Dues for 2016 shall be $5. RATIONALE: Submitted to concur with the directive of the members at the October 2014 meeting for the bylaw committee to propose biennial dues of $10 in the standing rules. Biennial dues would coincide more closely with the FURP terms of office. FURP has not had a dues increase in more than 10 years and this increase would amount to an additional $1 per year. BYLAW COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATION: To amend by striking “biennial” and inserting “annual” and to strike “$10” and insert “$5” to read: “Annual dues shall be $5.” If the recommendation is adopted no proviso would be necessary.
Dorothy Demarest, PRP Julie Palm, PRP Barbara Proctor, PRP – ex officio
Please bring a copy of these Proposed bylaws and Standing Rules with you to the meeting on May 31, 2015
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FLORIDA STATE ASSOCIATION OF PARLIAMENTARIANS 62nd ANNUAL MEETING Homewood Suites by Hilton Lake Mary 755 Currency Circle Lake Mary, Florida 32746 May 29 – May 31, 2015 NAME_______________________________________________________________ ADDRESS___________________________________________________________ CITY____________________________________STATE______ZIP_____________ Unit/MAL/ Member/Guest_______________________________________________ Email Address ____________________________________Phone_______________ FSAP-Office/Chairmanship held__________________________________________ UNIT-Office/Chairmanship held___________________________________________ REGISTRATION FEE: Postmarked no later than May 14 (includes lunch and BBQ dinner ) Choose one: Chicken Pecan Salad ________ Corned beef with Swiss and Coleslaw _______ $80 $_________ Special Dietary Need_________________________________ LATE REGISTRATION FEE: Postmarked after May 14
$10 $_________
GUEST BBQ
$20 $_________ TOTAL ENCLOSED $___________
Make check payable to FSAP and mail to: Kay Stephens, 2946 Golden View Lane, Orlando, Florida 32812-5984 Email: stephensmk@bellwoouth.net
phone: 1-407-658-9779
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Homewood Suites by Hilton Lake Mary 755 Currency Circle Lake Mary, Florida 32746 Ph: 407-805-9588 Fax: 407-805-0236 May 29 – 31, 2015 HOTEL RESERVATION FORM (mail, fax or call directly to hotel. Please print) NAME _______________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________ CITY _________________________________________________________________ STATE ________ZIP ________________PHONE ____________________________ ARRIVAL DATE _____________
DEPARTURE DATE _____________
Room Rate is $89.00 per night plus applicable state and local taxes –King Room Rate is $99.00 per night plus applicable state and local taxes-Double Non-Smoking ____ Smoking _____ King_____ Double Beds _____ GUARANTEE: Submit one night’s deposit or fill out following information. American Express___ Diners___ Discover___ Master Card___ Visa___ Credit Card #__________________________________________ Expiration Date: __________________ Signature: _____________________________________________ Deadline for room rate guarantee: May14, 2015 Group Name: FSA State Meeting
Web Site Reservation: http://homewoodsuites.hilton.com/en/hw/groups/personalized/L/ LKMFLHW-FSA-20150528/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG
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