Monday, September 4, 2017

Assemblies out of order

The monthly delegates assemblies are not working the way they are supposed to work.
David Israel dominates the meetings but does not conform to the rules of order that are supposed to govern the assemblies.
Interrupting speakers is a NO NO ! David Israel from his position as chair interrupts speakers on a regular basis. This is a contravention of Roberts Rules which says that speakers are not to be interrupted unless it's on a point of order.
As chairman, Israel is not permitted to enter a debate. His role as chair is to introduce and recognize speakers. He can speak at the beginning of a discussion or debate in a preamble, and he can speak in a summation at the end of a debate.According to Robert's Rules, he must relinquish the chair if he wishes to debate the issue.  Speaking out continually, especially when he does not agree with a speakers premise is a tactic Israel uses to promote his agenda, but it is against the rules. It's not really fair to the members either. During the debate on the cable contract, David Israel limited debate to one hour. He then went on to speak for almost half that time arguing with members who brought up points they thought should be considered. There were others wishing to speak at the end of the hour, but were cut off by the chair who announced the debate period was over. You have to ask : IS THIS FAIR ? No it's not! If Israel wanted to debate the issue, he should have relinquished the chair and spoke for the three minutes everyone else was allowed. Dominating the debate from the chair should never be permitted. 
Another common contravention is Israel's penchant for addressing speakers by name, this is not permitted under the rules of order. Speakers , once recognized are to be addressed as "the member", using anyone's name is not allowed though it is a common occurrence at assemblies. 
Making offensive statements,or making personal remarks  ie; calling someone a liar, is another contravention,  
Threatening members with removal is another common and oft repeated tactic. No member, chairman included, can unilaterally eject a member from the assembly. It requires a 2/3 vote on a motion from the assembly to do so.The assembly has a duty to demand a retraction and an apology from anyone making those kind of statements, and the people making them are to be removed from the assembly hall until the members decide on a course of action, unless the retraction and apology are forthcoming.
Speaking to the motives or reasons for any member bringing business to the assembly is not permitted, though it's something we see and hear all the time. Israel often chides speakers claiming" you are just being disruptive" or " you are just trying to start a riot" or some such nonsense. Debate and remarks must address the issue , not the motives the personalities  or the reasons anyone believes a bit of business is being brought forward. 
It may seem onerous to comply with the myriad of complexities in Robert's Rules of Order, but CV agreed to comply and included the use of them in the bylaws. They are in place for a reason. That reason being to bring a sense of decorum and procedures for conducting a fair and impartial assembly. Not enforcing the rules tends to bring the assemblies into a chaotic and sometimes disgraceful event. It's up to the members to ensure the rules of conduct are followed. Delegates have a duty and a responsibility to their respective associations to ensure that the assemblies are conducted properly.


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