Books Title: “Robert’s Rules of Order 12th Edition” PDF Free Download

“Robert’s Rules of Order” was first published in 1876 by Henry Martin Robert; it has been revised and updated since then. This is the 12th edition of the book, originally published in 2021 by “Da Capo Press”. It has 816 pages and it belongs to the genre of “Reference Work”. This manual has been considered a gold standard in conducting a professional gathering.

Books Authors: “Henry Martyn Robert”

“Robert’s Rules of Order” was originally written by Henry Martyn Robert in the year 1876 and its 12th edition was co-authored by Thomas J. Balch, Daniel E. Seabold, Daniel H. Honemann, Henry Martyn Robert, Shmuel Gerber in 2021. Henry was born on May 2 1837 in South Carolina, United States and died on May 11, 1923. Besides being a soldier in the American army, he was also an engineer and an author. His famous books are “Robert’s Rules of Order” and “Parliamentary Practice: An Introduction to Parliamentary Law”.

Introduction to “Robert’s Rules of Order 12th Edition”

“Robert’s Rules of Order 12th Edition” is a widely accepted and recognized guide for conducting formal meetings in any association, furthermore it also provides valuable information regarding conduction of voting and reaching a fair consensus by including every member of the group regardless of the group size.

It focuses on various rules to ensure that every individual related to the matter in hand has a fair and equal chance of participating and contributing to the cause. To practically enforce this the rights of majority, minority and individuals themselves have been highlighted.

Summary of “Robert’s Rules of Order 12th Edition”

Robert’s rules of order revolve around some basic principles. These rules have a regard for rights of majority, minorities and every individual who is part of the formal meeting proceedings or is absent at the time of meeting taking place. The rule of majority signifies the strength of individuals in favor or against any notion or any particular matter being discussed. The higher the strength regarding any outcome, it will be the final decision made by the group as a whole.

While establishing the majority rule, the minorities in the parliamentary system should not be overlooked. As a part of the group or as board members they have every right to express their ideas or put forward their concerns. The minorities deserve to be heard and acknowledged. Being the part of any association they should have their freedom of speech. Fairness is one of the basic principles, regardless of any social or financial position the board members should be treated fairly and equally.

To formally conduct a parliamentary meeting a person should take the charge of leading the meeting throughout the proceedings. The person presiding the meeting should not be called by name, Mr. President or Mam President are preferred names in any meeting for the officer. All the other board members should also be addressed by their title, e.g. secretary, director etc.

Every decision made in a meeting should be documented with the minutes taken to reach it. Before speaking during the meeting every member should take the floor meaning getting recognition from the president or chairperson by raising hand or decent gesture, those who didn’t speak before should be given precedence over those who contributed before.

Meeting is formally starts when the leading officer announces it. The first step before any discussion to start is making a motion. A motion is the topic of discussion or any issue that needs to be addressed with the board members to come up with a plan. Motion should be accurate and precise with clear wordings that would not lead to any unclarity or confusion. After the motion is put out, members of parliament will debate about it while remaining respectful to each other.

During this the members should speak no longer than the allotted time and address the presiding officer only, refrain from making any personal comment on anyone. After the debate the presiding officer will take votes on the outcome. A guide to voting out an officer is also part of this rule book. Firstly members are nominated then voting takes place.

The method can vary from hand vote to calling the names depending on the size of the gathering.
Apart from these, Roberts rule of order also provides valuable information on making changes to a motion also known as amendments. The amendments should be of the same concern as the original motion. Other than that motion regarding conduction of the meeting is also covered in the manual. This means that any motion can be delayed or modified using this subsidiary motion. Furthermore if the majority of the board members are not satisfied by the ruling of the presiding officer they can appeal to reverse it by voting against it.

Additionally this book also covers some other subjects like duties and responsibilities of officers. During the debate, for the smooth conduction of the discussion certain rules are defined in the book which will prevent any chaos. The procedure for laying down constitution or regulations are also introduced. Several methods of voting are hinted upon, from which suitable method according to group strength can be chosen. For the presiding officer and the board members the process of appeal is also defined which will help to operate the appeal steadily.

Writing Style

The writing style in the original book “Robert’s Rules of Order” by Henry Martyn Robert and its 12th edition by the other authors is somewhat quite similar. The authors have used professional writing style with enhanced vocabulary and sentence structure because it is written for professionals who study it for deep understanding. Key concepts, themes and scenarios in the book are described elegantly to communicate the main ideas of the book.

“Henry Martyn Robert” uses simple and comprehensive sentences to balance the pace and tone of the plot. He avoids dry idioms and complicated vocabularies with the aim to convey his core ideas in an accurate manner. Furthermore, he encourages the audiences to think critically and allow them to draw their own views about the future of this novel book. Although, he also includes several real stories and examples that can assist the audiences in their professional and prectical lives respectively.

Major Receptions

“Robert’s Rules of Order 12th edition” has received many accolades, receptions and kind words from other authors, parliamentarians, professionals and general audience. The book has been recognized and cherished by many mainstream media outlets such as “The New York Times”, “Washington Post”, “The Wall Street Journal”, “USA Today” and “The Huffington Post”.

Washington Post termed it as “A Must-Have for Anyone Who Runs Meetings”. The book is celebrated by parliamentarians and other professional at high positions as a guideline and manual to maintain professional conduct in workplace as well as in their lives.” Furthermore, it has been sold over millions of copies since its publication and it also has been translated into different languages worldwide.

Conclusion of “Robert’s Rules of Order 12th Edition”

“Robert’s Rule of Order 12th Edition” is a comprehensive and quite detailed manuscript on how to run a smooth discussion in any association or organization. Putting forward any rule and regulations has a lot of challenges, this book aims to overcome these and make the process easy for everyone.

As associations are formed to preserve rights of individuals and include them in decision making, this book can be very beneficial to assemble and lead a meeting into a fruitful outcome. It is suitable for both young adults and mature readers. I recommended this book to all of them who love to read refrence books.

FAQs

Q: What are the rules of Robert’s meeting?

Motion: A member rises or raises a hand to signal the chairperson.

Second: Another member seconds the motion.

Restate motion: The chairperson restates the motion.

Debate: The members debate the motion.

Q: What is Section 49 21 of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th edition?

 Members are required to obtain the floor before making motions or speaking, which they can do while seated.

Q: What is the time limit for Roberts rules?

10 minutes.

Q: What is the latest Robert’s Rules of Order?

The Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th Edition.

Q: What’s the newest Robert’s Rules of Order?

The new Deluxe Edition.

Q: Who uses Robert’s rule of order?

The ordinary societies.

Q: Who sets the agenda for Robert’s Rules of Order?

The secretary and approved by the presiding officer or chairperson.

Q: Does Robert’s Rules require agenda?

According to Robert’s Rule, all meetings should follow a strict agenda that adds structure to the meeting.

Q: What are Robert’s Rules of Order 10 minutes?

According to Robert’s rules each senator has the right to speak for 10 minutes twice, for a total of 20 minutes.