Questions & Answers

Real questions people have asked our AI Parliamentarian, lightly edited and anonymized. Have your own? Ask it here.

Can the president remove correspondence from organizational files after it is reported

Asked September 2026

Can the president remove correspondence from the organization's records after the meeting in which it was included in a report to the body as having been received?

Can the president remove correspondence from organizational files after it is reported

Asked September 2026

Can a president remove correspondence from the files after the meeting in which it was reported to the body as having been received?

Can a non-member speak at a church council meeting under Robert's Rules

Asked September 2026

Does a non-member of a church council have floor rights at council meetings?

Can a church council create a standing committee or must the congregation act

Asked September 2026

The council has received a written request under our Procedural Guidelines to amend the Guidelines to establish a Community Meals program as its own autonomous committee, separate...

Can a church council create a new committee or must the full congregation act

Asked September 2026

Our church council has received a written request, submitted under the procedural guidelines, asking that a specific ministry program be established as its own autonomous committee...

Can a church council create a new committee or must the full congregation act

Asked September 2026

Our Church Council has received a written request to amend the Procedural Guidelines to establish a Community Meals committee as its own autonomous committee, separate from the Mis...

How to process a written request to amend procedural guidelines

Asked September 2026

Our council has received a written request invoking a specific paragraph of our Procedural Guidelines, asking that the Guidelines be amended to establish a particular program as it...

Can a second meeting be called to let absent members vote on a motion again

Asked September 2026

May a second meeting be called to vote on a motion in order to accommodate members who were unable to attend the first meeting, which was properly announced and scheduled per the o...

Can the agenda be modified at the start of a meeting

Asked September 2026

Can an agenda be modified at the start of a meeting?

Can one person hold two officer positions at the same time

Asked September 2026

May a person hold more than one officer role within an organization — for example, a co-chair and a secretary being held by the same person?

What does majority mean as a percentage under Robert's Rules

Asked September 2026

When a rule or motion refers to a majority vote, what percentage does that mean?

Is an elections committee independent of the board that appointed it

Asked September 2026

Is an elections committee independent of the board that appointed it?

Does an elections committee have to follow a nominations policy

Asked September 2026

Does an elections committee have to follow a nominations policy?

Can the board stop an in-progress election to correct a clerical error

Asked September 2026

Can the board stop an election that is already in progress in order to correct a clerical error?

How to amend a two-thirds vote requirement in your bylaws

Asked September 2026

Our bylaws require a two-thirds majority to amend them, and we want to lower that threshold. It feels impossible — how do we do it?

How does the chair recognize a member to speak under Robert's Rules

Asked September 2026

How does the chair recognize a member for open discussion?

Proper steps and script for calling a meeting to order

Asked September 2026

Can you list the proper steps and words to start a meeting?

Can the chair vote on a small board under Robert's Rules

Asked September 2026

Does the chair get to vote on a small board?

Can you skip a vote when only one candidate is nominated for a position

Asked September 2026

If only one person is interested in a position, do we still have to hold a formal vote, or can we just declare them elected?

Can the president unilaterally cancel a meeting because an officer resigned

Asked September 2026

Our bylaws state that the parliamentarian is the chair of the bylaws committee, but she has resigned. The chapter president cancelled tomorrow's meeting even though we have propose...