Parliamentary Procedure Institute

Bruce Bishop, PhD., C.P.
Certified Parliamentarian

Customized Training

Bruce Bishop - Customized Training

“Awesome! No better words than that!”


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Parliamentary Pizza by Bruce Bishop

Dr. Bishop is an outstanding teacher and trainer. Participants of his workshops consistently give him the highest evaluations and comments are universally exceptionally positive.

Bruce's workshops are custom designed for the client and can cover any number and variety of subjects, including:

Basic Parliamentary Law and Procedure

Provides an introduction to parliamentary law by discussing the history of parliamentary procedure in the United States, the development of parliamentary authorities and a discussion of various authorities. This workshop will also cover:

  • Roles and responsibilities of members
  • Roles and responsibilities of officers
  • Roles and responsibilities of committees
  • The importance of governing documents (bylaws and rules)
  • Basic motions – making a motion
  • Amending motions
  • Table and Postpone
  • Debate of motions
  • Voting and disposing of motions

Motions and Voting

Provides an introduction and analysis of the different kinds of motions that can be employed by a parliamentary body and a discussion offering a comparison and contrast of how the various parliamentary authorities delineate motions. This workshop will cover:

  • Discussion of the various categories of motions
    • Main Motions
    • Incidental Motions
    • Secondary Motions
    • Restorative Motions
  • Discussion of the various methods of voting
    • Voice Vote
    • Secret Ballot
    • Roll Call Vote
    • Counted Vote
    • Proxy Voting
    • General Consent

Governing Documents

Provides a detailed discussion of the variety of documents that may be employed by an organization or association and the role those documents might have in the decision making process. This workshop will cover:

  • Constitution
  • Bylaws
  • Standing Rules
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Role of a Parent Organization or Entity
  • State Law
  • Federal Law

Open Meeting Laws

Every state in the United States has an "Open Meeting Law" and each state's laws may be different than every other and many states have more than one law addressing different organizations, associations, and boards. It is important for your organization to know how these laws impact and influence your decision making. This workshop will cover:

  • History of Open Meeting Laws
  • Discussion of Various Open Meeting Laws
  • How Open Meeting Laws Impact Your Organization
  • Playing it "Safe"
  • Consequences and Corrections

Advanced Parliamentary Law and Procedure

Increased knowledge about parliamentary law and procedure will offer more options as to how to deal with the large variety of issues that come up in a meeting. Robert's Rules of Order identifies over 50 different kinds of motions and, though most of us will never use many of them, being aware and knowledgeable does afford different options for dealing with issues and provides protection from abuse from less informed members. Additionally, there is so much about parliamentary procedure most people do not know. This workshop will cover:

  • Main Motions
  • Amending Motions – Primary and Secondary Amendments
  • "Friendly" Amendments
  • Substitute Motions
  • Appeals to the Chair
  • Reconsideration and Rescinding of Motions
  • Withdrawal of Motions
  • Object to Consideration of a Motion
  • Disciplinary Action against Members and Officers