Structure your meetings with Parli!

by Siddhu Bhumpelli

We all know meetings can turn chaotic in a matter of minutes. Everyone has their own input that they want to be heard immediately, and voices begin to rise over each other. After a certain amount of time, we realize that the discussion has gone in circles, with limited progress having been made.  So that leaves the question: How can we structure our meetings to be efficient while having everyone’s voice be heard? 

This is where parliamentary procedure shines, and it’s easy to implement into your meetings! There are many simple parli rules your chapter can incorporate while still keeping meetings informal. For example, instead of talking over other members to make yourself heard, you can obtain the floor, which is the parli way of saying being called on by the president or adviser (also known as the chair). Once recognized by the chair, the member begins with “I move to…” followed by the suggestion they are bringing to the meeting. Having the “I move” statement helps the ensuing debate stay streamlined without losing focus of the original point. Once a majority has agreed on the suggestion, another member can obtain the floor and make a new motion. 

If you are interested in learning more rules to incorporate into your meetings, you can refer to Roberts Rules of Order in Brief, a quick and easy guide, as well as the National Parliamentarian Council’s Instagram (@fblaparli).

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