The President Ponders…

May 1, 2022

 

Whew! April with all its celebrations of Parliamentary Law Month is past. I hope you had an opportunity to attend at least one seminar during the month that added to your abundant knowledge or encouraged you to take on an unexplored parliamentary task.

 

If you are looking for “something to do” or want to branch out in a fresh direction consider becoming an officer in your favorite organization or serving on the board of a group that shares your values and interests. 

 

Start if you can, by serving on a committee. It helps you see inside an organization. Observe the customs and listen to the ideas that members assert in and out of meetings. Are members willing to accept newcomers? Do they practice what they preach as they accomplish their goals? Are people’s opinions valued or merely tolerated? Is the organization open to lively ideas or is the only way, how it’s always been done?

 

How about you? Do you have interests and gifts that can contribute to the organization’s well-being? Are you ready to accept different ideas and possibilities? Are your interests and beliefs compatible with what the organization is doing? Are you so committed to the organization’s cause that you are willing to be uncomfortable in a new role? Do you have the time and energy to take on another task without jeopardizing earlier commitments? Or, are you ready to let go of earlier commitments? Do you have an adventurous spirit as well as a measure of patience?

 

Sometimes I need a new challenge and other times I simply need to stay where I am. If you are itching to explore new worlds or if you’re being urged to take a position, the world awaits. Nearly every organization needs leaders, not warm bodies to fill positions, but people who are energetic, passionate and committed, people who are skilled in making meetings better, more inclusive, more welcoming, and more civil.

 

Your parliamentary training will serve you well as you prepare to serve causes dear to you. Happy May!

 

Horticulturally, the month of May is opening night, 

homecoming and graduation day all rolled into one.  

– Tam Mossman

 

The President Ponders...

April 2022

 

In case you haven’t heard, we parliamentarians celebrate April as Parliamentary Law Month. I think we are the only people who know that. Indeed, a source of much information (Wikipedia®) doesn’t even mention Parliamentary Law Month! Evidently National Poetry Month, National Volunteer Month, and National School Library Month have a bigger following.

 

In spite of its absence on many lists, I am pondering the importance of parliamentary law. A world without parliamentary law might not be pretty. Contrary to our fondest wishes or popular song lyrics, we don’t all  “just get along.” 

 

If everybody gets along there isn’t good conflict. There’s either a lack of ideas or different notions go unspoken. 

 

While it doesn’t necessarily feel good when we’re in the midst of it, conflict can be important. Why? It’s boring when only one way is expressed. If there’s only one idea, what’s the use of having a meeting? If there’s only one idea expressed, it may mean that people are afraid and unwilling to speak, afraid to offer a counter argument or challenge the status quo. Or it could be that the organization is such a homogenous group that there’s mostly “group think” and its accompanying “group silence.” Or, silence can indicate that nobody is actually engaging in the topic at hand. Nobody cares. 

 

I am not advocating for conflict that rises to shouting or physical violence. I am utterly distraught about the present violence in our world, but I am convinced that different ideas are important to an organization’s health. It indicates a level of commitment, an interest in making excellent, not so-so decisions. It reveals a willingness to hear other ideas and to respect the people who have those ideas. 

 

With parliamentary law there’s a way to have healthy conflict, to debate issues and plans, to learn from others, to perhaps discover a third way, and to do it in a way that is respectful and dignified.

 

So, raise a toast to parliamentary law month! Let’s do all we can to practice parliamentary procedure skillfully and by our actions, lead others to a positive way of conflict and its rewards.

 

 

 

The President ponders....

March 3, 2022

 

It’s March, a month of expectations. I agree with the late Jean Hersey, a garden writer, that there is both a sense of holding back and moving forward as we Michiganders move from winter to spring (sometimes both in the same day).

 

In March, winter is holding back and Spring is pulling forward.

Something holds and something pulls inside of us too

~Jean Hersey

 

If you garden, you know how winter hangs on; while it’s sunny, bright, and breezy the earth is not yet warm enough to plant, nor dry enough to accept your eager footprints. On the other hand, there are seeds on sale and catalogs from nurseries and you finally want to feel the sun on your face.

 

I think there is both holding back and pulling forward in our parliamentary lives. The holding back happens as we resist the next step whether it’s starting the credentialing process, volunteering to teach a parliamentary lesson, or accepting a new leadership role. And yet, the tug is there from within or from friends who keep encouraging you to move forward, try something new, attend an intriguing workshop, or try out a new responsibility.

 

MSAP is leaning into March expectation as we try a new approach to the newsletter The Michigan Parliamentarian.It’s an adventure for all of us.

 

Holding back and pulling forward—may the balance you find in March be all your heart desires. 

 

Adjourning for now,

Gretchen Denton, PRP

 

 

The President ponders....

February 7, 2022

 

It’s February so prepare to be inundated with hearts and sappy Valentine’s Day greetings. This is a day for romantics and dark chocolate candy lovers.

 

The Better Meetings/Happier Members seminar in January was Meeting Decorum: Who Needs It?  It was well-attended with people liking its focus on planning meetings that set the stage for good decorum. How do I connect meeting decorum and Valentine’s Day?

 

Both are about love and respect, not sappy greeting card love, but love connected with respect for yourself and for others, a respect that acknowledges that there are different opinions growing out of various life experiences, a respect that means that we listen thoughtfully and carefully to others, that we let others speak when it is their turn and that we speak with clarity and without rancor.

 

In case you didn’t attend the lesson on decorum let’s review some main points for all meetings:

 

❤︎ Speak only when recognized following the rules for length of speaking time. 

"The chair recognizes Suzi."    

      

❤︎ Address your remarks to the chair, not to any member of the meeting or even to the entire group. 

Facing the chair and looking at him, Suzi says "I speak against/in favor."

        

❤︎ Confine remarks to the item of business on the floor, not to any past action or to anything else. Stay on topic. 

"I think we can build goodwill with this project."    

 

❤︎ Do not attack a member’s motives.          

 

❤︎ Avoid the use of members’ names. "The previous speaker mentioned…"

 

❤︎ Read anything other than your own remarks only with the permission of the assembly.

            "Do I have permission to read the first letter from “Letters from the Birmingham Jail?”       

 

❤︎ Listen when not recognized to speak; do not disturb the assembly.

 

❤︎ Avoid being personal and critical of another member or group.

 

All of us who follow such meeting norms will go a long way to creating respect for ourselves and for others. Every meeting will be like a beautiful Valentine’s Day card created by us and for us.

 

Would you like to attend our next Better Meetings/Happier Members seminar? See the flyer by clicking on the news and events tab and click to register. We look forward to your presence!

 

Adjourning for now,

Gretchen Denton, PRP

President of MSAP

 

The President ponders....

January 2022

 

Dear Friends,

 

If you’re from Michigan you are probably aware that Michigan has a lot of gray days. Detroit is one of the cloudiest major US cities, where over half the days a year (51%) cloud covers more than three-quarters of the sky but we are beat by Seattle and Portland who have over 61% cloudy days.

 

What does one do on a cloudy winter day, besides taking a walk to discover that every day has some loveliness? Curling up with a good book is an option. No, I’m not recommending Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) for leisurely entertainment although it can’t be beat for parliamentary education.

 

On a day when you want to deepen your parliamentary knowledge I recommend Parliamentary Law that is more general than the 12th edition of RONR. It was written by Henry Martyn Robert and first published in 1923. It was republished in 1975 and is available in hard cover from the National Association of Parliamentarians book store at https://nap.users.membersuite.com/shop/store/browse.

 

It is also available in other book stores but be sure to get the real thing with its bright red cover. So, why would you want to curl up with a reference book? One reason is for the questions and answers that are surprisingly readable. Here’s one that Mr. Robert answered in one word. Question—What’s the difference between a committee on nominations and a nominating committee? Answer—None. 

 

Another aspect of Parliamentary Law is its explanation behind parliamentary practices and how it highlights differences between such things as political elections and elections in other organizations. Parliamentary Law isn’t the definitive resource for current parliamentary questions but it gives an overall picture of running and participating in good meetings and is essential for any serious student of parliamentary procedure.

 

Does an afternoon with Parliamentary Law transport you to sunny climes, sparkling waves, or forest beauty? No, but you will realize that while meeting topics may change, the nature of attending and leading meetings is remarkably similar to nearly 100 years ago. 

 

Happy February!

 

Adjourning for now,

 

Gretchen Denton, PRP

President of MSAP

 

 

President Ponderings...

December 6, 2021

 

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the jigsaw puzzle season at our house. I’m a fan of 500 to 1000 piece picture puzzles that I select with care.

 

I don’t like ones that are too difficult, like a jar of jelly beans. Nor do I like puzzles with pieces so similar that I can’t tell if a piece is in the right place. Sharp, clear pictures are preferable, not blurry photos coupled with repetitive puzzle pieces like dime store jigsaws of my childhood.

 

I’ve done puzzles as long as I can remember, enjoying the repetition of putting together the few cardboard puzzles we had, over and over.  I began my parliamentary procedure playing in elementary school. What connections are there in these long-time activities? How are parliamentary procedure and puzzles similar?

 

None of us start doing puzzles by working on 1000-piece wonders; we start easy. It’s a thrill to watch a toddler place an apple-shaped piece into a board, to see coordination and contemplation emerge into action. The same is true for beginners in the parliamentary game, to see a nervous newcomer say, “I move that…”  We begin with basics—making motions correctly, being recognized by the chair, listening to debate, and voting.

 

After turning over every piece I usually begin a puzzle by forming the border, creating a framework for all the pieces. After the basics in parliamentary procedure, we study several frameworks such as the order of business, the precedence of motions, the types of motions, how debate works, and handling motions.

 

After the border is complete (and sometimes before) sorting and assigning pieces continues. In parliamentary procedure it means moving beyond Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief to taking up standard descriptive characteristics of motions seriously and thoughtfully. It’s creating bylaws and amending them. 

 

It gets more and more interesting as the picture appears or we start seeing the overall parliamentary picture.

            How (or if) do the parts of an organization work together?

            What’s missing in the overall picture?

            What parts don’t fall into place?

            What things are simply wrong because they interfere with members’ rights? 

 

Some find deep satisfaction in the parliamentary game when handling complex issues and writing opinions to clarify complicated conundrums. They are like the 2,000 piece puzzle builders who love a challenge.

 

Some are content with knowing basics that help anyone participate well in a meeting. Some want to plumb the depths. And, in between there are options. You can choose your level of difficulty and involvement. But, do join me as we keep playing the parliamentary puzzle this winter and throughout the coming year.

 

 

Adjourning for now,

 

Gretchen Denton, PRP

MSAP President

 

 

The  President Ponders…

October 4, 2021

 

When the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP) Convention, September 9-11, 2021, was over, I took a mental break from all things parliamentary. This was NAP’s first virtual convention and it was a major learning experience for everyone.

 

I had the opportunity to be in the location where the virtual event originated and I have thank Steve Britton, PRP, and most recent MSAP president for driving to Kansas City where the convention happened. Steve, as Chair of the NAP Bylaws Committee needed to be there as a major presenter in the NAP business meeting. As an NAP Bylaws Committee member I tagged along to serve as needed. When Steve invited me to ride to the Kansas City Airport Hilton I was less than enthusiastic. It’s a twelve hour drive from southeast Michigan and during the pandemic I have hardly been out and about.

 

But, it was a highlight of my parliamentary life. I learned so much about virtual meetings by seeing it in person. While I’ve done Zoom meetings for small groups, usually under 30, I had no idea of the logistic challenges of a meeting with 650 participants.

 

Here are some of my learnings:

 

1.It can be helpful to have two parliamentarians, one focused on the electronic aspects of the meeting while the other does the more traditional work of advising the president. It is best if parliamentarian(s) are in the same physical room with the presiding officer.

2.Auxiliary workers who are, if possible, in the same physical room, can be very important in managing the meeting. Auxiliary workers can monitor everything from voting to keeping track of the Chat to seeing that the presiding officer has water, tissues, or whatever she needs.

3.Members should be muted except when allowed to speak and videos turned off help the internet connection.

4.Obtaining the floor can be an issue.

5.Interrupting motions can be a challenge.

6.Technical issues for meeting participants takes a whole team to manage. How is the voting app set up? Do members remember to unmute when they can speak? How much delay time needs to be allowed for members to unmute and show their faces? What about troubling internet issues or power outages in stormy weather?

7.Some business may take more time than expected, particularly when 600 people are voting.

8.Technical expertise is essential, particularly for voting and for running the meeting itself.

9.Two computers can be better than one. I found that using my iPhone for voting and my computer for following the meeting worked well.

 

We are all learning for leading every time we attend a meeting.  I look forward to using this learning in the leading experiences that are in my future. What are you learning in every meeting you attend?

 

Gretchen Denton, PRP

President, Michigan State Association of Parliamentarians

 

 

August 29, 2021

 

Now that it’s inevitably drawing to a close, with Labor Day a week away, I hope that you had a pleasant summer. Doug and I drove to our home state (Iowa) where I saw my siblings in person from around the country, a quiet, uneventful journey of watching corn grow and doing little else.

 

I just attended the two-day National Association of Parliamentarians Leadership Conference for unit and association leaders and other members who are interested in gaining knowledge about how NAP works together in order “to educate leaders throughout the world on effective meeting management through the use of parliamentary procedures.”*  It was an especially effective training focused on where we are now and where we are headed using technology available to us. I was impressed by the depth of the presentations.

 

One word that sums up how we work is collaboration. I saw an example of that in an early-summer meeting when one member publicly thanked another member for supporting her new work as parliamentarian in important community organizations. She had received advice and support and solid information that aided her entry into new cultures and she said, “Thank you.”

 

The person who received the salutation responded simply, saying, “That’s the way we do things in Michigan.” In other words, we share our expertise with others; it’s not ours to hoard or hide. We look for ways to support and build up one another, to nudge people forward in learning and to provide solid, seasoned advice. We rejoice in the accomplishments of each other and are glad for the promotion of parliamentary procedure in many ways throughout our state.

 

Let’s keep moving together, sometimes hopefully and heartedly, sometimes hesitantly but always receiving assistance and sharing the help that we have received. Let’s keep learning and doing collaboration.

 

Adjourning for now - Gretchen

 

*words from the Vision and Mission Statement of NAP.  “NAP is a professional society dedicated to educating leaders throughout the world in effective meeting management through the use of parliamentary procedure.” 

 

 

July 21, 2021

Learning for All Seasons

 

Yesterday we celebrated our grandson’s sixth birthday and what fun it was, with guests, including the guest of honor, wearing Super Mario-themed outfits. Teddy who wore overalls, a red shirt and red cap had a yarn mustache tied beneath his nose and around to the back of his head. I wore a red dress with a Princess Peach paper crown perilously perched on my head. Many gifts were related to his favorite Nintendo action figure—little cars, a tee shirt, a haunted house, and even a backpack to either hold his toys or to take to school.

 

This season of birthday six was all about Mario though next year Mario will be relegated to the bottom of the toy box and replaced by another passion. In the meantime, we speak our fake Italian accents and commiserate over attacks by fire, ice, and ending up in pipes that lead nowhere, or to mounds of golden coins.

 

While toys, fashion, movies, colors, apps, and action games are replaced at dizzying speeds, parliamentary procedure and its basic principles is remarkably stable. Certainly, when I began learning to use parliamentary procedure in a 4-H Club at nine years old I was starting a long journey that began with making and discussing simple motions. 

 

I learned that once the meeting was called to order it was time to quit chattering. I found out that only one person could talk at a time and that you ended up voting on motions. I understood what it meant to adjourn and I saw that some club members had special responsibilities in a meeting. I learned how to win and lose club elections and I got to try out various offices myself through the years in the Dutchettes.

 

I didn’t know very much in the beginning, but I started soaking up the basics. Through the years I gathered more knowledge as I participated in meetings and observed leaders along the way. I began to consciously study and found friends who are far more interested in the fine points of parliamentary law than I will ever be.

 

The Youth Committee is preparing for the 16th Annual MSAP Youth Day when we teach the basics of parliamentary procedure to students from middle through high school. It may be opening season for the young people as they learn the basics and more so they can participate freely and confidently in student-run organizations and competitions. Along the way we hope they will continue to practice, that the basics will be the start of their capable involvement in meetings of all sorts throughout their lives.

 

Whether it’s opening season for your study of parliamentary procedure or if you are already in advanced classes, may you continue to find joy in the journey, knowing that this democratic process will be helpful in all the seasons of your life.

 

I hope you are having a super summer.

 

Warmly,

 

Gretchen Denton 

President MSAP 2021-2023 

 

 

June 14, 2021

 

Learning for Leading - The theme for this biennium

• Do you know that the 2000-2018 drought in the Southwest was the worst drought in over a thousand years?
• Do you know that it’s a good idea to remove old blossoms from plants if you want more blossoms and/or a more vigorous plant?
• Do you know that you can sell tickets and take meeting registrations online for a small fee?
•  Do you know that Americans waste 30-40% of the food supply?
• Do you know that the main motion is the lowest ranking motion?

Not all of these useful facts may be interesting to you; maybe you don’t like to play Trivia. Though I usually forget numbers related to facts, I enjoy learning things that may or may not be useful.

 

I chose the theme for MSAP 2021-2023 to be about learning, not learning for the sake of filling one’s head with more stuff but for the sake of Learning for Leading. It’s what being an MSAP member has offered me, actively gaining knowledge about parliamentary procedure so I can more fully participate in meetings.

 

Learning for Leading reminds me that it’s more than facts that matter. It’s how you synthesize and use what you’ve learned either formally or informally.

 

For example, because I was on the MSAP Board that met virtually before it was necessary because of Covid I learned how to hold Zoom meetings. I had soaked it up by participating virtually. I wasn’t an early adopter nor an expert but when another group I am part of, that had previously met by conference call, was willing to give Zoom a try, I could assist, thus leading the group to more fruitful meetings attended by people across this nation and in Africa.

 

Certainly we focus on learning parliamentary procedure and I encourage you to take advantage of all the opportunities offered in units, workshops, Better Meetings/Happier Members, attending conventions, annual meetings, and more. But, take note of what else you may be learning or absorbing that is equipping you for leading effectively in all sorts of ways.

 

Happy Learning!  I hope you’re having a good June.

 

Gretchen Denton, PRP

President, MSAP

 

 

 

May 10, 2021

 

Learning for Leading—Video Conference Platforms

 

The May flowers promised by April showers are a feast for our winter-weary eyes and even the grass takes on a green glow (before we tire of weekly mowing). Though May tends to be a busy month for organizations, take time to enjoy whatever pleases your eyes these days.

 

A year ago we were staying home in our lounge wear, putting on a presentable top only when we had a Zoom meeting. Many of us continue Zooming and now we know that the National Association of Parliamentarians will be having its biennial convention virtually in September. It is too early to know if virtual meetings will become the norm for organizations but some of us are glad to participate in committee meetings from our bedroom, office, or other at-home space.

 

Yesterday I read an article (Science News, pp. 22-26, April 24, 2021) with the title “What Took the Videophone so Long to Catch on?” The article outlined the history of video communication beginning with a 1927 prototype and the unrealized hope off AT&T researchers that “the 1990’s will be the video communication decade.” There were forays into the field with picture phones but it took the introduction of Skype and the growth of high-speed internet connection in homes to make widespread video-conferencing possible. 

 

Earlier, there were mixed feelings about appearing on a screen, “I’ll have to have my make-up on.”  But when the pandemic landed we adapted fast to this new way of seeing our friends—and we know how to turn off the video camera when we aren’t our most photogenic.

 

Will the use of video-conference platforms continue when we can be out and about? Or will we continue to realize the versatility and convenience of meeting across the miles virtually? We will see.

 

In the meantime, we explore parliamentary issues that are raised with this changed meeting platform:  

• handling debate, 
• ballot voting, 
• meeting participants’ requirements
• using additional features of video-conference platforms like screen sharing, raisinghands, and using breakout rooms to crystalize opinions.

 

Plus, there’s learning about promoting the softer-side of meetings like getting acquainted and welcoming visitors.  Once again, we Michigan parliamentarians are engaged in studying and adapting to new procedures and possibilities. We continue be be Learning for Leading and making a difference in all the organizations we know and love, whether we are meeting virtually or in-person.

 

Adjourning for now,

 

Gretchen Denton, PRP

2021-2023 President 

Michigan State Association of Parliamentarians

 

 

 

Steve Britton, 2019-2021 President receives the president's pin from Julie Pioch, 2017 - 2019 President at the 2019 MSAP Annual Meeting in Novi, Michigan