08.21.08

A note from the moderator… (or, of Robert’s Rules and Traffic Cops)

Posted in Uncategorized at 7:29 pm by Bryan Dunn

First order of business is a ‘thank you’ for your trust as you have chosen to elect a moderator.  I thought it may be useful to offer you a way to voice your questions or concerns using this forum.  Perhaps we can discuss how to best deal with business!  But, I digress, I did have some information I wanted to share so you could be aware of how I’m attempting to (or will attempt to) moderate at our business meetings.

First, I need you to know that I’m no ‘expert’ at Robert’s Rules of Order (any edition).  That doesn’t mean I have not attempted to understand how to deal with certain situations and how to best handle the various questions and situations a business meeting provides.  I hope that doesn’t disappoint you or discourage you, in fact, I hope it inspires you.  This is certainly not something I aspired to do at most anytime in my life, and I don’t plan on making it the crowning achievement at Seaford - so you too may have the opportunity to serve in this capacity.  I pray that I leave the position as a respectable one whenever that time comes.

I would like to explain the title of this post, of Robert’s Rules and Traffic Cops.  As I chair our meetings, please understand that I am trying to be a good steward of your time and efforts.  In that way, I view this role very similar to a traffic cop.  And I think it is a concept that all of us can understand, so please journey with me into this area.

Traffic Cops Enforce the Laws

Notices how I stated this.  The traffic cop does not make the law, they are the enforcement arm, the ‘feet on the street’ if you will.  Please understand that as moderator, I have great leeway in getting things to transpire in various business meetings.  It is not my role to make up the laws, however, it is my role to enforce them.  The traffic cop does not know every law on the books, so there are times that they are - in the routine of their duties - making judgment calls ‘on the fly.’  I don’t want you to have any reservations that there will be times that I, in my role as moderator, will also be presented with situations that I need to make a judgment call on.  It is my hope that you see this as using my role as one that is doing the best one can do with the circumstances that are present during that time.  I don’t know every nuance of our rule book and don’t feel compelled to learn them all just so we can run the tightest ship in the business meeting fleet!  I will do my best to keep the ship on an even keel during our meetings, but those attempts to outsmart the traffic cop may not be the best thing to do - on the road for sure, but in meetings as well.  I will respect you and your input to the body, all I ask is that you respect the things I try to impart in this role as well.

Traffic Cops Assist in Controlling the Flow of Traffic

One of the things that a traffic cop does is to assist in ensuring the highway is safe for all travelers.  In doing so, they see folks that are going too slow and sometimes pull them over for impeding traffic.  Other times people want to go too fast, and they get pulled over for speeding.  It’s a lot like that in business meetings!  There are times that our brothers and sisters get up and want to have their say.  That is one of the beauties of a business meeting - we get to discuss items we have a stake in.  But if we try to use this as an opportunity for a ‘bully pulpit’, I will pull you over and ask you to relinquish the floor.  Likewise, everyone who attempts to speed - by trying to obtain the floor or get your thoughts in during someone else’s time on the floor - will get ticketed by me and ruled out of order (you can’t make a motion or speak in debate until you have risen and been recognized by the chair and thus have obtained the floor).

Traffic Cops Direct the Traffic

Also, in assisting with traffic flow, there are times when the traffic cop gets out in traffic…say, when a traffic light is out or a big event has traffic streaming in or out.  They are there to direct traffic so that it flows.  And the moderator does that as well!  There may be times where I need to wade into traffic and start to move things along, especially when something comes up in debate where there are differences in opinion.  Don’t be surprised if I limit the speakers to someone speaking in favor of the item put before the body, and then someone speaking against the item put before the body.  It really is pointless to have 25 people all in favor of the item before the body speak - we should be moving traffic ahead and put that matter to a vote if there is no opposition!

Traffic Cops Ticket Violators

Of course, this is the part that no one wants to be a part of.  And - be honest - when you get pulled over, your anger is normally directed at the cop that pulled you!  He didn’t violate the law, he is enforcing it.  I hope you afford me the same leeway here.  There are times when we get passionate about an issue or item being debated on the floor.  If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be people!  Part of my role is to ensure we are civil with each other at all times.  Here are some guidelines I want to moderate under.

  • All members have equal rights, privileges, and obligations; rules must be administered impartially.
  • The minority has rights which must be protected.
  • Full and free discussion of all motions, reports, and other items of business is a right of all members.

To best do this, I guess we need to also understand this portion of business meetings.  We must not attack or question the motives of other members.  To help facilitate that, all remarks are addressed to the presiding officer.

One of the areas this also applies to are our demonstrations.  In traffic, if you honk your horn, it could mean different things to different folks.  Some may be thankful you alerted them to a situation and avoided an accident, while others will take that same honking of the horn as the start of an incident of road rage!  That is how it is with our applause and demonstrations in our business meetings.  Some folks see it as a polite way to acknowledge agreement with a speaker, while others see it as an affront to their disagreement.  For that reason the moderator asks everyone to refrain from this type of display.

If you have me call you on this issue, please know that it’s not about me, and it’s not really about you.  It’s all about US as a body.  It’s the part of moderation that I hope to never get to use, because our meetings should be tempered with love, bathed in prayerful consideration, and operated under the principle that our own ‘rights’ are secondary to those of our brothers and sisters.

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV)

If you are interested in learning more about Robert’s Rules of Order, in (hopefully) simpler terms, here are some links for you to visit (and note, I’m not responsilbe for any of the content on these pages!):

Finally, if you have questions, comments, concerns - feel free to contact me.  Or, if it is general in nature, post a comment on this thread, maybe someone will answer it here!  Take care & God bless!

Leave a Comment