Customer Reviews

The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, 4th Edition

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If you've always feared having to pull out the ol' Robert's Rules of Order because it was too detailed and complex for the casual social organizations in which you participated, help is here. Someone has realized that, because a group might need parliamentary procedures, it does not need the granularity required by The Parliament of England.

The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure is understandable, comprehensive, logical, refined, and efficient. As it should, it covers all the formal business of holding a productive and respectful meeting. But it also includes procedures that facilitate business for the less formal organization or club.

Necessary jargon is defined in a glossary. The "Often-Asked Questions" section covers many common situations and eliminates the need to look through the chapters for most answers. The book is up-to-date, addressing contemporary and often-encountered situations such as holding meetings and elections via the telephone or Internet.

As a bonus, it serves as a resource to those trying to form an organization. There are chapters to help you prepare documents (like bylaws and financial records) that won't be in conflict with legal and parliamentary procedures down the line. It explains the hierarchy of documents that govern an organization. There's even a section that helps explain some of the arcane procedures in Robert's Rules!

I'm grateful to have found this gem. It deals with all the situations that my clubs have encountered.

One of the best modernised book on the parliamentary procedures.

1st published in 1950, this 3rd edition is revised by the American Institute of Parliamentarians in 1988.Since this publication, many organisations have changed their bylaws to designate it as their parliamentary authority, among them are: American Medical Association and the American Dental Association.

It is the second most popular parliamentary authority after Robert's Rules of Order.

WHAT GROUPS MUST FOLLOW PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE? 'All organizations, such as business, cultural, religious, social, fraternal, professional, educational, labor, civil, scientific, medical, and governmental, are subject to the principles and rules of common parliamentary law. All profit and non-profit corporations and associations and the boards, counsels, commissions, and committees of government, must observe its rules.' Sturgis, p. 3.

This book is undoubtedly one of the best and comprehensive works. There is also a chapter which intended especially to aid persons unfamiliar with parliamentary procedure.

To quote Dr. Floyd M. Riddick, Parliamentarian Emeritius US Senate: 'It is understandable vocabulary makes it usable by anyone, not just experts in the field. All students of parliamentary procedure should have a copy in their library.'

Contains the complete standard code of parliamentary procedure, with each aspect thoroughly explained. This is the widely accepted procedure for meetings (ie United Nations). Very useful for keeping large meetings organized.

The Standard Code is a better parliamentary authority then Robert's. It simplifies and modernizes parliamentary authority, making it more accessible to more people. Dump your RONR and get this work.

At last somebody has finally come up with an understandable approach to parliamentary procedure. Anyone who has wrestled with the outmoded language and complexities of Robert's Rules of Order will appreciate this more modern, "user-friendly" explanation.

If you can convince your orgaization to use this manual instead of Robert's, I say go for it! I find this manual much easier to use and more in line with what people expect to be the procedures for having meetings. The book updates old-fashioned language like, "I move the previous question" with the more understandable "I move to close debate". The book includes model Bylaws (useful for our Homeowner's Association which is in the process of revision), and a section that explains the differences between this book and Robert's, as well as tips for those whose organizations still use Robert's.

The book is much more readable than Robert's and tends to explain the basic principles a little better. There's a handy table inside each cover to help a member attending a meeting or a presider with proposing and handling motions.

I'm forced to use this parliamentary authority for a group that I'm a member of, but really, why not use Robert's? Sturgis chops out half the content of Robert's, tweaks a couple things, and declares itself a "modern and streamlined authority." The only problem is that Robert actually put all that stuff in the book for a reason. Sturgis will leave you with the barebones of procedure, but with nothing to assist your group in anything besides the most basic of operations. Robert's, on the other hand, exhaustively discusses nearly every possibility and is a true reference.

Also, a lot of people seem to like that Sturgis uses more modern language. While this is great for a weekly book club, it misses the point for more official organizations. A huge part of authority is formality. You don't want official proceedings to sound like a conversation; rather, you want it to be based in the culture of parliamentary procedure. Robert's, in drawing from the English Parliament and U.S. Congress, provides this in abundance.

Don't get sucked in. If you want a smaller book, why not just buy the official "Robert's Rules of Order in Brief," or the many unofficial digests? Keep the full copy around for reference, but use the smaller copy for distribution to members.

This is the primary text for this topic. It is well written, concise, accurate, and essential to those who desire accuracy in parliamentary processes.

The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure is not the kind of read that once you pick it up you just can't put it down, but it is an easy to use reference book for those leading meetings and their parliamentarians.

Our Advisory Neighborhood Commission (a minor elective body in the District of Columbia) has been using this book as its parliamentary guide for several years. It's clear, understandable, well organized, and accessible to modern readers. Forget Robert's Rules of Order -- Sturgis provides the same essential rules, but in a manner that doesn't reek of stuffy, archaic 19th century parliaments. Sturgis offers Robert's Rules for the 21st century.