The Presiding Officer’s Whisperer Lorenzo R. Cuesta, PRP
Even a novice parliamentarian can be of revered assistance to a presiding officer, if the novice parliamentarian will at least help to control debate, avoid wasted time, and assure that everyone has a fair opportunity to speak according to the rules. PROBLEM The parliamentarian has an obligation to assist the presiding officer in handling all business on the agenda productively and efficiently. The main obstacle to productive meetings, however, tends not to be simply unfamiliarity with the motions, but more commonly, brain-storming, free for all, pointless discussions. The parliamentarian must collaborate with the presiding officer to cure this common meeting malady. VALID SOLUTION Robert’s Rules recommends stand at ease, RONR (12th ed.) 8:2(4), or even recess to accommodate this collaboration. But stand at ease and recess are usually called too late into the deterioration of a parliamentary situation that could have been avoided if the parliamentarian had prepared the presiding officer before the meeting. Some parliamentarians have tried showing a card that contains a script on how to handle a motion. Others have tried showing a card that reads, “Consult the parliamentarian.” Others interrupt the proceedings to provide an explanation to the presiding officer. All of these approaches accomplish 20
National Parliamentarian • Winter 2022
one thing—they interrupt the presiding officer’s train of thought. The presiding officer now has two problems—the deterioration of the situation and confusion in communicating with the assembly. This approach often spirals the presiding officer down a parliamentary quicksand. BEST SOLUTION What the presiding officer needs is a subtle prompt as the threat of chaos builds. This prompt could even be a brief whisper which would remind the presiding officer of their pre-meeting discussion covering these problems and their remedies. Ideally, the parliamentarian will supply the presiding officer this information on a single sheet for the presiding officer to reference during the meeting. The phrase could be written on an unobtrusive card, or better still, delivered by means of a stealthy whisper that refers to the pre-meeting training. Note the following examples: Whisper: Off topic Meaning: The speaker is not confining his remarks to the merits of the pending motion. RONR (12th ed.) 43:20.
