Services Offered

Meeting/Convention Parliamentarian

As a meeting/convention parliamentarian, I will

Review all governing documents of the organization - charter, bylaws, special rules of orders, and standing rules;
As needed, review minutes of previous meetings;
Consult with the presiding officer to map strategy for the meeting;
As needed, coach the presiding officer in techniques of chairing;
Meet as needed with standing and special committee chairs to review their roles in the meeting;
To the extent possible, create a script for the presiding officer to use in the meeting; and sit in close proximity to the presiding officer so as to provide advice during the meeting.

Bylaws Composition and Editing

For a newly forming organization there are at least two, and often three persons whose services should be retained: an attorney, a professional parliamentarian, and (sometimes) an accountant. If establishing a legal presence, an attorney is recommended for ensuring proper preparation and filing of articles of incorporation and other legal documents. If the organization will be filing for 501(C)3 status, or comparable, an experienced accountant will be invaluable.

It is my role as a PRP to work with the organization in composing bylaws for the appropriate structure and requirements of the organization. I will also aid in creating both special rules of order and standing rules of order for the operation of the organization. The bylaws, and other governing documents, are necessary for the proper operation of any society, club, association, or corporate entity. The parliamentarian will work with the attorney and accountant to ensure all legal requirements are met.

Periodically, it will be necessary to update or "tweak" the governing documents in order to meet changed circumstances. Again, I stand ready to perform these services.

The Professional Registered Parliamentarian®

As A Presiding Officer

Is your organization, home owners' association, or club having serious conflicts in meetings?

Is the presiding officer being accused of showing partiality or taking sides?

A PRP may be hired to serve as the presiding officer in such situations. What are the advantages of doing so?

As the presiding officer, I have no "stake" in the decisions being made, and thus may maintain complete impartiality. I do NOT take sides.
With a PRP as presiding officer, the meetings should flow more smoothly as I am accustomed to making parliamentary rulings and will have familiarized myself with the organization's governing documents.

From The Code of Ethics For Parliamentarians

A Parliamentarian shall

4.4 Not accept gratuities or favors that might appear to warp professional opinions nor shall parliamentarians offer any favor, service, or thing of value to obtain special advantage.

4.5 Keep in confidence any information obtained in the course of professional service.

4.6 Maintain a position of objectivity and impartiality and refrain from participating in debate.

Written Professional Opinions

On occasion, an organization's members may have differing interpretations of the governing documents. One consulting role of the Professional Registered Parliamentarian is to offer a definitive interpretation of the governing documents. This written professional opinion will clearly provide a rationale for the interpretation. It remains the prerogative of the organization to accept or reject the written opinion.

Training in Parliamentary Procedure

I am available to conduct workshops in the use of parliamentary procedure. These may be partial day, full day or weekend training sessions. Each workshop will be customized to the needs of your organization, and will include "book learning" based on Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th edition and/or Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief, 2nd edition, learning games, and script enactments.