Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-16
FOR LADIES' CLUBS.
PARLIAMENTARY UsAGEs DISCUSS
ED BEFORE THE DAUGHTERS.
Mrs. Putney's Excellent Pnper-she
suur~>ts How Meetings May ne
Conducted without Disorder and
So as to Make Them interesting.

An interesting feature Of the meeting
on Friday OF Otd Dominion Chapter
Daughters OF the American Revolution,
was the paper read by Mrs. STEPHEN
Putney on Parliamentary Usages.' The
suggestions made are practical ones. and
may be studied with profit by both ladies'
and gentlemen who take part In the pro
ceedings OF deliberatlve bodies Mrs. Put
ney's paper is here given in fun;
When our chapter made the request
that | should draft few suitable and
simple rules on parliamentary usages
for the guidance of our meeting II WAS
without hesitation that assented KNOW
ing. as | did. that nothing original could
be expacted in this line. and thinking II
would be an easy matter to gather from
Roberts's Rules OF order all that was
necessary. But rather too late touhp
myself vastly mistaken, and that II WAS
one OF those things not nearly 30 ea'y
as IL seemed, what was necessary an"
unnecessary most difficult thing 10 &C.
eide. IL was truly case OF an enhpai-
rassment OF riches. and As read the
wonder grew that under parliamentary
rulings how any business was ever trans
acted for | found that for every RUE
as to how to do a thing there was an
other as to how mot to DO it, and here
after | shall look with sympathy on inc
present Congress. and not ridicule It's
lack of results AS | have
HARD TO SUIT ALL.
It is a simple thing FOR any one Of us
as members of chapter or congress 10
select the rules We wish from manual
TO suit our special case. but 10 select them
TO suit chairman and member. majority
and minority, the silent and the taika-
tive Il quite another matter. At the same
time. | deem il OF the first Importance
that societies composed OF women should
be conducted by set OF forms as wen as
those OF the opposite sex. ani ieei sure
most of our members Will agree with me
who has not felt the effect OF the lack
Of lust such forms How many or Us
have sat through those dreadful pauses'
that. strange as IL may seem. do occur
and. worse still, the period when nearly
every woman I'm the room Is trying TO
be heard, and meeting that should only
have lasted an hour has been lengthened
To two. because IL was impossible Tor the
chairman to bring order out of chaos?
do not mean TO say these things are CON
fined to societies formed OF women. Tor
know TO the contrary, and If any body
Of women could dispense with parlia-
mentary rules 1t is the Old Dominion
Chapter. for we all seem 10 be OF one
mind on most subjects.
II NAV hlppen that some Of our most
capable members are timid and reserved,
and will not press an opinion in the face
OF opposition. 1t VIII surely be a good
result of our modest little manual II
IL makes ii less difficult for her TO voice
her ideas Again. a member may be
very fOni OF hearing herself talk. myself
for instance. and II II OF ineStimable
benefit To be able to stop her N per-
fectly courteous manner by calling pre-
viOus questions on o.dsr OF the day, and
not the least important is. II renders un-
usual any personal contention. When a
well-meaning but mpraciicable resolu-
ton IL offered. II l. surely a gain To
be able TO lay II on the table without
entering into the merits or demcrits OF
the case. thus avoiding any unpleasant
results that might otherwise follow.
WOMEN MUST KNOW HOW.
The day has passed when women can
be laughed at for not being able To con-
duet formal meetings: 80 many are the
clubs and societies. formed by her that
in this field - is fast becoming the
equal Of her brother who no longer
SCOTS az her efforts, nor says her only
reply IS tears. not. that she has for
gotten how to Us. tears sifectiNely-no
indeed. she only reserves them until par
namentary usages have been exhausted.
and then uses them as an additional
argument. thus being able 10 90 a step
beyond the lords OF creation. There are
i'm existence many clubs formei Tor the
purpose Of becoming fertile I'm the use OF
AL l.IsH
most satisfactory. II is first-rate mental
training in a special school. making one
alert. not easily thrown of her line OF
thought. able to think AND speak on her
feet: TO classify accurately and quickly;
To preserve her self-COntrOl and dignity
under trying and ofteI aggravatlng CIR
cumstances for there ls no truer axiom
:han this. that the cool head VIII win
i'm debate" though IN many cases the
cool head" is far less clever than the
quick-tempered antagonist.
50. you see the subject Is one tnat
wdens and deepens as We go INTO II
but / Will stop herr. rs my duty was not
To- prepare paper on the subject put 70
give the rules. which | VIII now submit
To you. asking each one OF you TO quee-
ton freely on any point you wish intor-
nation and 10 crticise wherever you
think IL needed. II / have abridged too
much that fault can be easily remedied
"a we'll as the opposite one ! only beg
YOU will all remember | am novice IN
this work. and that you Will be lenient
in your Judgment Of my effort ana give
me that assistance Of which | so deeply
feel the need.
THE RULES SUGGESTED.
Mrs Putney then submitted the follow
INK code OF rules:
order of Business: First. reading OF
minutes and their approval; second. re-
ports Of standing committees, third, re-
ports Of select committees. fourth. un'
finished business. NTH. new business.
The presiding officer should BE- address
ell always as Madam. or Mrs President;
the person addressing her should stand,
as In this way il Is much easier for the
president to recognize the person speak
ing. In addressing the chair this form
should be used. The member standing
says Madam President. and pauses walt
ing for recognition. the Chair responds
by saving Mrs. ---: the member then
GOES on to state her motion. II some
times occurs that two or more members
rise at once. the chair should recognize
the one she first saw, the others takin8
their seats.
After hearing the minutes or any re-
ports the chair may say. II there Is no
objection. the minutes are approved or
the reports are accepted. Th-s method
IS adopted In preference 10 member
moving TO accept the minute or reports.
as it avoids delay and In no way prevents
connections being made.
Before voting on a motion or question
the chair should state the same 70 the
chapter, and then ask. Are you ready
for the question:" II no one responds
member calls, Question; the same Is
put. In this way all have an opportunity
to express their views. but after Il ques-
ton is put any further reference 10 II
is out Of order unless some member
makes the motion 10 reconsider, when
a twO-thirls vote is required, the motion
To reconsider does not have 10 be second
ed. but must be made by one who votes
with the prevailing side.
LAW AS TO MOTIONS.
A motion is a proposition 10 bring be-
fore the assembly for its consideration
a particular subject \ principal mo-
ton cannot be made when there ~ any
other question before the assembly. II
takes precedence Of nothing. Motions are
OF two classes principal and subsidiary
or secondary. The latter class are Tor
the purpose OF most appropriately DIS
posing Of the first class: for instance.
a motion il before the assembly wnlch
member thinks Il unwise 20 discuss. she
moves to lie on the table. and THIS oeihg
a secondary motion. must be decided
haso,. ,ha nrinrinal question can be acted