by Chris Raneri, DTM, Program Quality Director
I have enjoyed all of the Club Success Workshop presentations this year and last week was no exception. Each workshop has taught our clubs something useful and something that could assist their clubs or the district. During this session, Distinguished Toastmasters Jodie Sanders and Cindy Hinckley skillfully weaved our group through a very complicated subject – Parliamentary procedure. They taught us the “Rules of the Road” on how to improve the quality of our clubs. After providing some history on why our founder chose Robert’s Rules as a foundation, they walked us through some basic procedures. There was even an interactive portion that provided the audience with a mock dialogue on how to pass a motion.
My favorite part was when they discussed how to conduct an election. An example script was provided along with ways to make sure the election was fair for everyone. They explained that it was necessary to have a nominating committee to narrow the list of officer candidates and then to have it posted for the club ahead of the election, similar to the District Leadership Committee used to elect our district leaders. These procedures are things the club can implement immediately.
The Club President of our newest club, VARIDESK, also won the door prize. It was a book detailing all of Robert’s Rules. This will ensure the club gets off on the right foot and will always have reference material to solve any situation in their club.
I appreciate that Jodie and Cindy were able to present this very useful information to our members and I look forward to ensuring my club follows the rules they clearly outlined.
