The Idea You Intend to Convey By John R. Berg, PRP
Gilbert & Sullivan’s opera “H.M.S. Pinafore” premiered in 1878, just two years after Henry M. Robert’s Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies. To assure that the audience did not miss an important plot point sung by the character Buttercup, the character Sir Joseph asks, “Then I am to understand that...?” and he summarizes the plot point. Buttercup then responds, “That is the idea I intended to convey.” The important concept here is that the listener repeats back to the speaker what the listener understood from the speaker, followed by the original speaker confirming the correct understanding. This is referred to as reflective listening.
It is important for us as parliamentarians to assure that the meaning that we intend to convey is clear and that our words cannot be misunderstood. Similarly, the chair repeats the pending question to the assembly before debate, frequently during debate after there are amendments or other secondary motions, and again before the final vote. 6
National Parliamentarian • Spring 2021
In written bylaws, resolutions, or any other rules, the meaning must be clear enough so that it cannot be easily misunderstood or even intentionally misinterpreted. One effective method in translating documents into another language involves having another person translate the document back into the original language so that the original translator can determine if it still has the meaning intended to be conveyed. Having more than one person reviewing a draft for clarity is a useful process, and this practice contributes to the value of committees in drafting documents. Words often have more than one meaning, and meanings change over time.
If my grandmother back in 1920 said that her husband was gay, it would have a quite different meaning than my granddaughter today saying that her best friend is gay. Think of the traditional Christmas Carol “Deck the Halls” with the line “Don we now our gay apparel” as another example of how the word meaning changes.
