User:Guy vandegrift/2024/Consensus

What-goes-where 2024 • Draft..Guy- • User..Guy- • Consensus • Slowdown

What are Robert Rules of Order
What follows is a heavily edited version of chatbot Bard's description (the actual text can be found at Permalink/2615485.)

Robert's Rules of Order is a weighty tome, clocking in around 700 pages in its latest editions. It's a guide for conducting meetings and making decisions as a group in an orderly and fair manner. Here's a breakdown of its core principles:

Overall Purpose:


 * Ensure meetings are efficient, democratic, and respectful of all members' opinions.
 * Enable groups to reach decisions on various issues while considering different viewpoints.

Key Roles:


 * Chair: Oversees the meeting, recognizes speakers, ensures adherence to the rules, and facilitates voting.
 * Members: Participate in discussions, make motions, and vote on proposals.

Motions and Debate:


 * Core business is conducted through motions, which are formal proposals presented to the group for a vote.
 * There are different types of motions, each serving a specific purpose (e.g., main motion to propose an action, amendments to modify a motion, procedural motions to manage the meeting flow).
 * Members can debate motions, presenting arguments for and against.
 * Debate follows a structured format, ensuring everyone has a chance to be heard.

Voting:


 * Voting can be done by voice, hand, or ballot, depending on the situation and the group's rules.
 * The chair ensures a quorum (minimum number of members present) is met for voting.
 * Different motions may have specific voting requirements (e.g., a majority vote for most motions, a two-thirds vote for some).

Additional Features:


 * Robert's Rules covers various scenarios that can arise during meetings, providing guidance on how to handle them appropriately.
 * It also addresses committees, how to handle amendments to motions, and reconsideration of votes.

Resources for Learning More:

When is a two-thirds vote required?
Gemini was unable to answer that question, so I asked Copilot:

In Robert’s Rules of Order, a two-thirds vote is necessary for specific situations. Here are some instances where a two-thirds vote is required:


 * 1) Previous Question (Close Debate): When someone calls for the previous question to end debate and proceed to a vote, a two-thirds majority is needed1.
 * 2) Limit or Extend Debate: If there’s a motion to limit or extend the time for debate, it requires a two-thirds vote.
 * 3) Close Nominations or Close the Polls: When nominations need to be closed during an election or polls need to be closed, a two-thirds majority is necessary.

Remember, a two-thirds vote means at least two-thirds—nothing less will suffice