Content provided by Jim Slaughter of Law Firm Carolinas. Original article can be found here.
The latest Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised has been released!
For organizations that follow Robert’s Rules of Order, most tend to use the newest edition. That’s because either a state or federal law or the governing documents refer not to a specific numbered edition, but to the latest edition. For instance, two North Carolina state statutes (NCGS § 47F-3-108 & 47C-3-108) provide that as to homeowner and condominium associations, “meetings of the association and the executive board shall be conducted in accordance with the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.” Identical language can be found in other states for HOAs and condos, the model statutes from the Uniform Law Commission, and numerous laws and ordinances governing state and local governmental bodies, such as county commissions, city councils, and school boards. The bylaws for associations, churches and unions often have similar language.
Robert’s even recommends that the following phrasing be used in the governing documents when adopting a parliamentary authority:
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the [Association/Society/Union] in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the [Association/Society/Union] may adopt.
RONR (12th ed.) 56:66.
Since 2011, the “latest” edition has been Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th Edition). However, Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (12th Edition) will be available tomorrow, Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
Wait! Don’t immediately toss out your 11th Edition and assume nothing in it applies anymore. The every-10-years-or-so revisions to Robert’s tend to be tweaks, not complete rewrites. For instance, the 2011 edition had about 120 changes, but most were minor. A few significant changes included altering the name of one motion (“Point of Information” to “Request for Information”), additional language about electronic voting, and expanding sections on member and presiding officer misbehavior. The changes to the new 12th Edition are also important, but not likely to significantly change how most meetings are run.
Online resources from the publisher suggest there are 89 changes between the 11th Edition and 12th Edition. The book’s preface states that there are 9 “notable” revisions and 13 “important points” of revision. That would seem to leave 67 other “minor” changes the authors thought should be referenced. (Based on history, there will also be many other editorial/wording changes that don’t get a special mention.)
Some changes will be written about in greater detail on this site in future articles. For a more comprehensive list of changes in the 12th Edition from the authors, visit What’s New in the 12th Edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
For even greater detail, I’ve written two books on running effective meetings that may be helpful:
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Parliamentary Procedure Fast-Track — a quick go-to guide that provides details on the most used motions, appropriate informal procedures for association boards, and general advice for shortening meetings, and
Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules, Fourth Edition — a user’s guide to Robert’s Rules that uses a question-and-answer format to cover the most misused and asked-about provisions.
The updates to the 12th Edition have no impact on the Fast-Track Guide, as it is an introduction to meeting procedure and presiding. Any needed wording tweaks or citation changes to Notes and Comments will be made in a future edition.
For additional reading on Robert's Rules and parliamentary procedure, please visit the Articles & Resources section of your Board Toolbox.