Robert’s Rules of Order (the Rules) is referenced in the Corporate By-Laws as the rules by which meetings will be run. The Rules are subordinate to the By-Laws; that is to say, the By-Laws take precedence over Robert’s Rules in the event of a conflict between the two. Similarly, the Articles of Incorporation take precedence over the By-Laws in the event of a conflict between those two documents.
Robert’s Rules is a manual of several hundred pages (and it is small print, too) that has evolved over several decades. It provides ‘tried and true’ processes and procedures for the efficient management of meetings, large and small. The most common procedures are condensed into a more concise summary booklet. The summary booklet covers all of the common elements of running a meeting and is adequate for most purposes, particularly meetings with a relatively small number of participants.
An organization can adopt its own “special rules” to deal with specific points if it has a need to do so. But, the Rules are so all inclusive that this is seldom necessary.
Many organizations appoint a Parliamentarian to assist the Chair in running a meeting in accordance with the Rules. The Parliamentarian needs to be quite familiar with the Rules and normally has a reference copy available during meetings. Should a ‘point of order’ be raised, the Chair must rule on it. The Chair is free to take a short recess to confer with the Parliamentarian in making the ruling on the ‘point of order’.
The Rules allow a reasonable amount of flexibility particularly in running meetings of small groups where less formality is needed. Meetings of larger groups generally need more strict compliance with the Rules. Stricter compliance helps insure that issues are clearly stated and understood, that all sides of an issue are fairly represented, to reduce or eliminate redundant discussion and to properly dispose of issues.