Robert’s Rules of Order

Revised for Deliberative Assemblies

General Henry M. Robert, U.S. Army

In 1876 General Henry M. Robert set out to bring the rules of the American Congress to members of ordinary societies with the publication of Pocket Manual of Rules of Order. It sold half a million copies before this revision of 1915 and made Robert’s name synonymous with the orderly rule of reason in deliberative societies.

Bibliographic Record

Contents

CHICAGO: SCOTT, FORESMAN, 1915
NEW YORK: BARTLEBY.COM, 2000

Art. I.—How Business Is Conducted in Deliberative Assemblies.

1. Introduction of Business
2. What Precedes Debate
3. Obtaining the Floor
4. Motions and Resolutions
5. Seconding Motions
6. Stating the Question
7. Debate
8. Secondary Motions
9. Putting the Question and Announcing the Vote
10. Proper Motions to Use to Accomplish Certain Objects

Art. II.—General Classification of Motions.

11. Main or Principal Motions
12. Subsidiary Motions
13. Incidental Motions
14. Privileged Motions
15. Some Main and Unclassified Motions

Art. III.—Privileged Motions.

16. Fix the Time to which the Assembly shall Adjourn
17. Adjourn
18. Take a Recess
19. Questions of Privilege
20. General and Special Orders and a Call for the Orders of the Day

Art. IV.—Incidental Motions.

21. Questions of Order and Appeal
22. Suspension of the Rules
23. Objection to the Consideration of a Question
24. Division of a Question, and Consideration by Paragraph or Seriatim
25. Division of the Assembly, and Motions relating to Methods of Voting, or to Closing or Reopening the Polls
26. Motions relating to Methods of Making, or to Closing or to Reopening Nominations
27. Requests growing out of Business Pending or that has just been pending, as, a Parliamentary Inquiry, a Request for Information, for Leave to Withdraw a Motion, to Read Papers, to be Excused from a Duty, or for any other Privilege

Art. V.—Subsidiary Motions.

28. Lay on the Table
29. The Previous Question
30. Limit or Extend Limits of Debate
31. Postpone Definitely, or to a Certain Time
32. Commit or Refer, or Recommit
33. Amend
34. Postpone Indefinitely

Art. VI.—Some Main and Unclassified Motions.

35. Take from the Table
36. Reconsider
37. Rescind
38. Renewal of a Motion
39. Ratify
40. Dilatory, Absurd, or Frivolous Motions
41. Call of the House

Art. VII.—Debate.

42. Debate
43. Decorum in Debate
44. Closing and Preventing Debate
45. Principles of Debate and Undebatable Motions

Art. VIII.—Vote.

46. Voting
47. Votes that are Null and Void even if Unanimous
48. Motions requiring more than a Majority Vote

Art. IX.—Committees and Boards.

49. Committees Classified
50. Boards of Managers, etc., and Executive Committees
51. Ex-Officio Members of Boards and Committees
52. Committees, Special and Standing
53. Reception of Reports
54. Adoption or Acceptance of Reports
55. Committee of the Whole
56. As if in Committee of the Whole
57. Informal Consideration

Art. X.—The Officers and the Minutes.

58. Chairman or President
59. Secretary or Clerk
60. The Minutes
61. Executive Secretary
62. Treasurer

Art. XI.—Miscellaneous.

63. Session
64. Quorum
65. Order of Business
66. Nominations and Elections
67. Constitutions, By-laws, Rules of Order, and Standing Rules
68. Amendments of Constitutions, By-laws, and Rules of Order

 

Art. XII.—Organization and Meetings.

69. An Occasional or Mass Meeting.
    1. Organization
    2. Adoption of Resolutions
    3. Committee to draft Resolutions
    4. Semi-Permanent Mass Meeting
70. A Permanent Society.
    1. First Meeting
    2. Second Meeting
    3. Regular Meeting
71. Meeting of a Convention.
    1. An Organized Convention
    2. A Convention not yet Organized

Art. XIII.—Legal Rights of Assemblies and Trial of Their Members.

72. Right of an Assembly to Punish its Members
73. Right of an Assembly to Eject any one from its Place of Meeting
74. Rights of Ecclesiastical Tribunals
75. Trial of Members of Societies

Plan for Study of Parliamentary Law.

1. Introduction
2. Lesson Outlines