Conduct of Chapter Meetings

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Purpose

To introduce eighth, ninth, and tenth-grade students to parliamentary procedure while learning how to conduct efficient meetings and build their communication skills.

 

Objectives

1. Demonstrate correct use of FFA opening and closing ceremonies. 
2. Demonstrate parliamentary procedure to conduct an orderly and efficient meeting. 
3. Communicate and participate effectively as a team member. 
4. Demonstrate critical thing and teamwork for effective decision-making.

 

Event Rules

Who May Participate

1. Each team will consist of seven members in the 8th, 9th, or 10th grade.  Members will fulfill the duties of president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, reporter, sentinel, and advisor.  The member who performs the advisor role in opening ceremonies will participate as a member for the remaining time of the event. 
2. There will be an area qualifying event and the top two teams in each area will qualify for the state event. 

Event Format

1. Written Exam - 25 questions (one point/question; 25 points/member; 175 total team points)
   1. Officer Duties and Meeting Room Preparation (FFA Manual): 3 questions
   2. Parliamentary Procedure: Permissible motions (Only the 11 motions dealing with the contest) and the Order of Business: 22 questions
2. Presentation Opening Ceremonies
   1. 15 points/member; 105 points/team 
   2. Voice 
   3. Poise 
   4. Expression
3. Team Demonstration – The team will demonstrate four of the following permissible parliamentary procedure motions. Event official(s) will select motions to be demonstrated. 
   
   1. Privileged Motions: 
      
      1. Raise a question of Privilege 
      2. Recess
   2. Subsidiary Motions: 
      
      1. Previous Question 
      2. Postpone Definitely 
      3. Commit or Refer 
      4. Amend 
      5. Postpone Indefinitely
   3. Main Motion 
   4. Incidental Motion: 
      1. Parliamentary Inquiry
      2. Division of Assembly
      3. Point of Order
4. Presentation – Closing Ceremonies: (20 points: 10 president; 5 secretary; 5 team) 
5. Presentation – Opening and Closing Ceremonies Accuracy 
   
   1. One point deduction per error (adding, deleting and transposition of words or deviation from printed ceremonies) per team member with a maximum deduction equal to the amount available to be earned.  
   2. Judges will ask one oral question (which may contain two parts), per participant.  Oral questions will be predetermined and related to the permissible motions, general purposes of parliamentary procedure or office duties and responsibilities.

 

Event Procedure

1. The room(s) will be pre-set with a lectern, tables, chairs, station markers, and a timer prior to the event. 
2. Participants will have one minute immediately before their demonstration to read their card silently.  Team members may not mark or write on the cards and may not confer or signal each other during the one minute time period or during the demonstration, except when seeking recognition from the chair.
3. The student advisor will participate during the opening ceremonies for the advisor’s part and then will take on the role of a member to participate in debate and may be assigned a motion. 
4. Every participant will receive a card (See sample below) with the main motion and the four required motions from the list of permissible motions.  No other motions may be used.  However, a point of order and parliamentary inquiry may be used if it is not listed on the motion card.  Points will not be awarded if it not on the motion card, and an appeal may not be made on the president’s ruling.  Included in the four required motions, will be a minimum of one debatable subsidiary motion. 
   Example:
   MAIN MOTION:                                                                            
   I move that our chapter organize an area novice parliamentary procedure event.
   
REQUIRED MOTIONS:                                                            
   Raise a Question of Privilege                                             
   Previous Question                                                                         
   Amend                                                           
   Point of Order                                                                                        
   * Highlighted and Bolded motion is required motion.
5. Required motion must be demonstrated by the officer that the motion is assigned to for points to be scored.  If the assigned motion is used by another officer it must be properly renewed again if allowed by the assigned officer to score points. 
6. Judges will score all member debates, only the top three debates per team member will impact the final team score. 
7. If the privileged motion recess is adopted, members must stay at their officer stations and may not talk or signal each other. 
8. Four of the six participants on the floor will be assigned a required motion.  The motion will be marked in bold print and underlined on their cards to indicate the motion assigned. 
9. The demonstration including the opening and closing ceremonies will not exceed 13 minutes.  (Penalties will be assessed starting at 13:01) 
10. A time clock will be provided so that the team can see. The clock will count up from zero minutes starting with opening ceremonies (signaled to begin by two taps of the gavel by the president) and stop when closing ceremonies are completed. If a time clock is not used, the timekeeper will signal the team with large cards at the elapsed times of nine and 11 minutes. 
11. Judges will ask one oral question (Which may contain one or two parts) per participant. Oral questions will be predetermined and related to the permissible motions, general purpose of parliamentary procedure or officer duties and responsibilities. The same set of questions will be used for each team in each flight of the event. 
12. Main Motion – There is no pre-determined list of main motions.  Main motions are determined annually by the event superintendent and must be developed for any of the three divisions of the chapter program of activities, which includes grow leaders, build communities, and strengthen agriculture.  In addition, any amendments that may be brought before the delegate body at the State FFA Convention, may be used. 
13. Official dress is required

 

Order of Business

1. The order of business will begin at the conclusion of opening ceremonies and will begin with the consideration of new business (other items normally on the order of business are not to be considered).  After opening ceremonies are completed, a member on the floor will gain recognition and state the main motion which will not be assigned to any particular officer. 
2. The motion to adjourn is not allowed.  Closing ceremonies must be performed. 
3. A rubric will be used to score teams. 
4. Point of order and parliamentary inquiry may be used with no point deduction, if not listed on the motion card when used appropriately.  Use of other motions not listed on the motion card have no point value and will result in a point reduction not to exceed 20 points per instance. 

 

Tiebreakers

1. The first tiebreaker is Presentation – Debate

 

Specialty Awards

1. A medal for the top chairman performance
2. A medal for the top member score 
3. A medal for the top written test score 

* Students may not compete in both the Conduct of Meeting contest and the Senior Parliamentary Procedure contest.

 

 

Previous Winners

Once a team wins first place in the state contest for the Conduct of Meetings Contest, the students on that team are ineligible to compete again in the event.

 

 

National FFA Competition

The state winning Conduct of Chapter Meeting team will be eligible to represent Oklahoma in the National Conduct of Chapter Meetings Leadership Development Event finals at the National FFA Convention.

 

References

Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 12th Edition. Henry M. Robert III, William J. Evans, Daniel H. Honemann, Thomas J. Balch.
National FFA Website: LDE Contests, Conduct of Meetings
Parliamentary Procedure Basics, CIMC.  AG430317. 
Official FFA Manual, National FFA Organization, Latest Version, 2017 

 

Supplemental Materials

Conduct of Meeting Materials