ScriptRONR or how to have fun!

Jacob sent a response to a previous post asking about the Script file I talked about. Sorry I took so long to answer it.

The Script program contains basic scripts for many of the motions. I did not cover all 86 motions found in RONR, but I did cover all the major ones and many of the less common ones. I do keep updating this file.

The file works very simply. All you have to do is click on the table of contents and the formula for making the motion shows up. The picture for the Main Motion shows the most basic style that only shows what the chair says. It tells you a little more than just what say for the motion being made. Other considerations are included.

The picture for Renewal of Motions shows one that has both the wording for the maker of the motions. Wording for the Member is in Red while the wording for the Chair is in Black. Even somebody with color blindness should be able to read it although they might not see the colors.

The idea is that the user of this chart will get the idea of what must be included in the motion that he wants to make. It is not a hard concept to absorb. I have tried this with my university students in Japan and they got it. Using the Script program along with the Motion Chart program mentioned before made it easy for the students to understand what I was talking about. They were quickly able to make the motions under discussion that day.

This program is not a freebie. If you are interested in find out about it, send an email to ParliamentarianCorner@gmail.com and I will get back to you. The cost is $50 for each program. If you want both, it is $100.

I hope this gives you some ideas about these programs.

Computers and the Parliamentarian

Some are going to think that I have only one topic to talk about. That is not true but I do think that computers and parliamentarians just do not come together often enough. Yes, there are lists such as the Kain's list on Yahoo and the Robert's Rules of Order website, but these are not enough.

We are in the 21st century. The publishing-in-paper industry was fully developed in the late 19th and early 20th century. Paper books have not changed much since that time. Yes, they have faster and cheaper ways of inputting material into books. These have reduced the costs of making books. However, they have not changed books much.

The computer is the engine of the late 20th and early 21st century. This engine handles data (material) in a very different manner than books. The order of input is no longer important as the output is going to be governed by rules that the user sets up. Also, in a flash data can be recombined in new ways to give new answers to questions. Using the old paper method would lead to hours of intense work to recombine in the manner needed; computers do it in microseconds.

All of this is going to change the role of the parliamentarian. The parliamentarian will remain the adviser to the chair. Added will be a more direct role as adviser to the membership. In addition, the parliamentarian will most likely become the keeper of the rules (along with the secretary for a time) as these will need to be accessed immediately to solve questions.

The parliamentarian will be a user of databases. Notice that I used the plural as there will be more than one database in use. One will contain all the sections of the bylaws -- current and previous. The history will be available at all times to the organization with instantaneous searches. Another database will be motions and resolutions with many ways of sorting these. Even long expired will be available to help the membership in making decisions.

I could go on and on about this. Come to the Business Institute that AIP is having in July and learn more about using a computer as a professional parliamentarian -- and a lot of other things about doing business as a parliamentarian.