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Robert's Rules of Order

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1876 edition

Robert's Rules of Order is the informal short title of what has become a very widely used parliamentary authority—a book containing rules of order intended to be adopted for use by a deliberative assembly.

History and origins

The first edition of the book, whose full title was Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies, was published in February, 1876 by then-U.S. Army Major Henry Martyn Robert (1837–1923), with the short title Robert's Rules of Order placed on its cover. The procedures prescribed by the book were loosely modeled after those used in the United States House of Representatives, with such adaptations as Robert saw fit for use in ordinary societies. The author's interest in parliamentary procedure was sparked when he was chosen to preside over a church meeting and, although he accepted the task, felt that he did not have the necessary knowledge of proper procedure. In his later work as an active member of several organizations, he discovered that members from different areas of the country had very different views regarding what the proper parliamentary rules were, and these conflicting views hampered the organizations in their work. He eventually became convinced of the need for a new manual on the subject, one which would enable many organizations to adopt the same set of rules.

Explanation

The book is designed for use in ordinary societies rather than legislative assemblies, and it is the most commonly adopted parliamentary authority among societies in the United States. The book claims to be a "codification of the present-day general parliamentary law"; however, courts have ruled it is only persuasive and not binding upon assemblies that have not formally adopted it, and this is reflected in recent editions[1].

Subsequent editions and versions

Robert published several editions of his book before his death in 1923. Through a family trust, and later through the Robert's Rules Association, several subsequent editions of Robert's work have been published. The current edition published in this fashion is Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, Tenth Edition (2000) (paperback ISBN 0-7382-0307-6; hardcover ISBN 0-7382-0384-X). That edition states that it

"supersedes all previous editions and is intended automatically to become the parliamentary authority in organizations whose bylaws prescribe 'Robert's Rules of Order', 'Robert's Rules of Order Revised', 'Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised', or 'the current edition of' any of these titles, or the like, without specifying a particular edition."[2]

That book, often referred to using the initialism RONR, is the most widely used parliamentary authority in the United States[1], according to the National Association of Parliamentarians (an association of approximately 4,000 members which provides education and accreditation certifications for parliamentarians). [2] That association bases its opinions and instruction on RONR.

Since the copyrights for several of the original editions have expired, numerous other books and manuals have been published incorporating "Robert's Rules of Order" as part of their titles, some of them based on those earlier editions.

The existence of multiple editions and other variations all published as "Robert's Rules of Order" can sometimes cause confusion, as the various publications may differ in some details. If an organization that has adopted "Robert's Rules of Order" does not wish RONR to be considered its reference authority, it should adopt another version explicitly, as RONR is generally considered by parliamentarians to be the definitive source on the subject.

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Although it is unwise for an assembly or a society to attempt to function without formally adopted rules of order, a recognized parliamentary manual may be cited under such conditions as persuasive." - Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th edition, Perseus Books Group, Cambridge MA, 2000, page 16, lines 23-26.
  2. ^ Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th edition, Perseus Books Group, Cambridge MA, 2000, page ii.
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