Robert's Rules of Order in Brief

by Henry Martyn Robert, Daniel H. Honemann, Thomas J. Balch

A short, concise and user-friendly guide to the essential procedures of conducting a meeting, written by the authors of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, the only authorized edition of the classic work on parliamentary procedure

Originally published in 1896, General Henry M. Robert's guide to smooth, orderly, and fairly conducted meetings has sold over five million copies in eleven editions. Robert's Rules of Order is the book on parliamentary proceedings, yet to those not well versed on what has now become a rather thick document can find themselves lost-and delayed-while trying to locate the most important rules. The solution? Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief.

Written by the same authorship team behind the officially sanctioned Robert's Rules of Order, this short and user-friendly edition takes readers through the rules most often needed at meetings-from debates to amendments to nominations. With sample dialogues and a guide to using the complete edition, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief is the essential handbook for parliamentary proceedings.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Business, Leadership, Politics, Science, Law

225 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

U.S. Army Colonel Henry Martyn Robert (1837–1923)

In 1863 when Robert was chosen to preside over a church meeting and, although he accepted the task, felt that he did not have the necessary knowledge of proper procedure.

In his later work as an active member of several organizations, Robert discovered that members from different areas of the country had very different views regarding what the proper parliamentary rules were, and these conflicting views hampered the organizations in their work. He eventually became convinced of the need for a new manual on the subject, one which would enable many organizations to adopt the same set of rules.

Reviews

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, it's not like I read Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief because I thought it was going to be scintillating prose, so we'll dispense with any commentary about whether it was enjoyable to read. It wasn't. But if you agree to chair a debate two days in advance, reading this little book certainly beats the hell out of trying to read all of the full-length version. This little volume is more comprehensive than a cheat sheet, contains some useful instructions for officers as well as participants, and is a quick, easy, accessible overview of the basics of debating and voting on stuff via parliamentary procedure. Also, despite not being Robert's Rules itself, it still has the cute little J.R.R. Tolkien-looking logo on it, which I am far too amused by.

[Phobean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Equal parts deadly boring and fascinating. I found the sample situations kind of hilarious, despite the social class assumptions (tennis club, anyone?) All in all, a useful intro to what seems to be a sort of Dungeons-and-Dragons approach to keeping meetings from getting out of hand, minus the dice. To really use RR, though, I'd probably need to hire a tutor.

[Colton Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for a class on presbyterian church polity.

It is what it is, a manual for Roberts Rules. Helpful reference, but won’t be regular reading.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors insist throughout that this is meant only as a companion piece and reference to the bunker buster itself, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th edition). I don't think I ever want to attend the sort of meeting where this text isn't sufficient, but I'm known to be a coward.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best guide I found, very easy to understand.

[❀ Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could, I would give this a 3.5... it is very helpful BUT is a dry read based on content.

Robert’s Rules of Order is not the most exciting book to read. It is dry and very specific but it is a helpful read for anyone that sits on a board. It helps provide structure and fairness to proceedings and lays out direction for things like meetings, debates, bylaws and minutes.

It is a handy refresher for meetings and a resource to keep handy!!

https://ayearofbooksblog.com/2022/01/...

[Nicole Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to rate a reference book, but it was very clearly written and gave me a solid background so I know what's going on during a meeting. I think "in brief" is perfect for folks like me who want to get an understanding of parliamentary procedure, but don't really need the full book with every possible situation.

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It does what it's supposed to do.

[Henry Rice]

Robert does indeed rule.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Handy dandy little guide.
Now on to the full version.

[Ernest Ialongo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is hardly something you would choose to read for fun. However, if you have any role in any sort of meeting that uses Robert's Rules of Order, start with this and realize just how simple, and at times complicated, these meetings can be. But, you should read this first and foremost for empowerment. Once you've figured out the mechanics of parliamentary procedure, then you can move on to the fun stuff--making change.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reference for my purposes -- enough information, but not too much to boggle the mind . . .

[Anakin Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what, I'm truly the only type of person that would read this book for fun. I hope I'll be able to apply it.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

*If you are holding a copy of this that does not align with the 12th Edition of Robert's Rules of Order, recycle it and get the current copy.*
Full disclosure, I am a lapsed former member of National Association of Parliamentarians, so there is bias. Nevertheless, Robert's is about being fair, so I will give it my best.

The full edition of Robert's seems to be inaccessible to most. It is, in fact, a slog to read, but it does help organizations solve their thorniest problems. Robert's in Brief, while not being a fun read, is a really solid handbook for anyone in a position of leadership. I gave copies of this to my great-niece and nephew for their Greek meetings.

I hate long, rambling meetings. I like meetings that start on time, go through process with care, give everyone a chance to have their say, but also do so in a way that doesn't let anyone steamroll or dominate. Robert's in Brief gives the nuts and bolts of how to do that. It explains when officers need to step back and recuse due to an unfair advantage, it explains how when a committee brings a matter of business to the group, a second to their motion isn't required, and it explains that minutes can be complete while still being succinct . It explains that the treasurer's report needn't be as long as an annual report from a corporation. It explains that you accept that report for *review,* not file for audit (unless you pay a CPA to do an actual audit).

It also gives you an overview of how to run a meeting electronically, which given the advent of Zoom during the pandemic, became a necessity.

Now, if your organization needs to rewrite their bylaws, you probably need the big bowser book for the details it provides that will keep you legal and out of the soup. And you need to list it, rather than in brief as your parliamentary authority due to its comprehensiveness. But for the day to day running of meetings and such, Robert's in Brief is perfect. Remember, this is a handbook, not a novel, and the fun quips you'd find in a "for dummies" book are absent, but it gets right to the point, and that's exactly what you want.

[Aquarius_Archives · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book I bring with me everytime my Parliamentary Rules & Procedure class is on in college. It's a requirement for Political Sciences students to have Parl Pro skills or at least the fundamentals. This has managed to shorten the lengthy original that is used to have and helps me at least in understanding the process that the Senate hearings used to hold everytime I have to watch one for class. I would prefer reading this if you are on a time crunch and can't be bothered to read the thick and lengthy version of the book as Robert's Rules of Parliamentary rules and procedures are still being observed globally to this very day.

[David Jacobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A genuinely concise summary of the rules of order used in many organizations, including in my academic department. In reading them, I was struck by how often we are not following them in our faculty meetings and how some of the procedures, such as directing comments only to the chair and only engaging in debate on properly stated motions, could help us improve civility and reduce wasted time. The rules occasionally read like a time capsule from Rotary Club meetings of fifty years ago, but are one of many cases in modern life where we would benefit from greater earnestness.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, I read this and found it enjoyable. Yeah I'm probably not normal.

It was a very succinct overview of Roberts Rules of Order used for conducting orderly meetings. It's primarily intended as a quick "get you up to speed" and reference guide since the actual Rules of Order is well over 600 pages. What I found remarkable about this book was the clarify: it is very succinct, clear, with small examples of how to make motions and run a meeting. Good stuff!

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit I'm a meeting nerd, but giving this baby 5 stars because it's the perfect refresh on some basics after being out of the parliamentary world for a few years. Going into a conference meeting that's a pretty well oiled machine, this hits all the basics that would likely come up.

I plan to pass this along as a family heirloom and pray one of my sons develops a love for agendas and parliamentary procedure like I have. 😆

[Mark Trigsted · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little resource especially for those new to the process. It takes the reader through the elements of a meeting, motions, debates and amendments (confusing at times) through roles and different types of meetings.

A very solid FAQ rounds out a great resource.

[Marti Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m in my first year chairing a board that has been in existence for quite some time under a well-trained and capable chair. I probably should have read this before I took on his mantle. Not scintillating stuff but it will help us stay out of trouble.

[Cameron Toney · Rating 3 out of 5]

You don't read Robert's Rules of Order because you want a fun read. You read it because you need to know things about how to run a meeting, and this does a really nice job of summing up the most important things that you need to know!

[Connor Holttum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I enjoy reading this book? Not really. Do I think it’s a useful primer on parliamentary procedure and a resource that I’ll refer back to? Yes.

4 stars because it accomplishes what it sets out to do. It’s dry, but that should be expected for a manual on how board meetings are run.

[Dalene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lot of great information about Parliamentarian Procedure. I loved this condense and to the point edition.

[Renee]

A seemingly endless but necessary read for me.

[Erica Heiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, quick intro to Robert's Rules of Order

[Gino · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fine. Unless you already have some experience in well-structured meetings.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely helpful.

[Mitchell Traver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical, necessary, and understandably dry. Will refer back when needed.

[Alcqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative

This is a good resource to learn about the correct meeting order rules. I recommend it to others seeking to improve their parliamentary skills.

[Charles Zange · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost as fun to read as it sounds.