Note :
12
Article xii /
Parliamentary Authority
A parliamentary authority is a rulebook for conducting meetings and official business . If an organization ’ s own rules & documents don ’ t say anything on a particular matter , the parliamentary authority speaks on the matter .
Section 1 of Article XII establishes Robert ’ s Rules of Order ( RONR ) as the parliamentary authority of the NJCL :
“ The rules contained in the current edition of
Robert ’ s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the NJCL in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution , Bylaws , and any special rules of order the NJCL may adopt .”
Note :
This wording is exactly what Robert ’ s Rules of Order recommends for adopting it ( see here ).
Take special note of that last part . Since NJCL has multiple governing documents , it ’ s super important to establish what has priority over what . The NJCL ’ s documents have the following priority ( from highest to lowest ):
Constitution > Bylaws > special rules adopted by NJCL > Robert ’ s Rules
Section 2 pertains to the National Committee , Executive Board , and Board of Directors specifically . This section states that these groups can adopt their own special rules as needed , but they cannot conflict with the NJCL Constitution and Bylaws or the ACL Constitution and Bylaws .
How do I do it ?
Σ Establish what parliamentary authority governs your JCL . σ The NJCL recommends using Robert ’ s Rules of Order .
Σ This article is also a good place to establish the different priorities of your JCL ’ s rules & documents . The parliamentary authority should be lowest in priority , below any constitution , bylaws , or special rules .