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From: Richard Harrison <>
Subject: [BOARD-L] Some Notes on Conduct
Date: Mon, 02 Sep 2002 01:04:12 -0700

Here are some observations by Alice Sturgis regarding conduct during a meeting:

"Debate must be fundamentally impersonal . . .
"A motion--its nature or consequences--may be attacked vigorously.
But it is never permissible to attack the motives, character, or
personality of a member either directly or by innuendo or implication. It
is the duty of the presiding officer instantly to stop any member who
engages in personal attacks or discusses the motives of another member or
is discourteous in word or manner
. . . It is the motion, not its proposer, that is the subject of debate.
Meetings must discuss measures, not people."

"A member who fails or refuses to speak in an orderly and courteous
manner may be denied the right to the floor and, if necessary, may be
ejected from the meeting by order of the presiding officer or by a vote of
the assembly."

At times in the past some of us have failed to live up to the standards
that should be expected of elected officials conducting a meeting. We've
allowed our feelings to override our good sense. We've indulged in
self-righteousness. We've opted for a clever response instead of one that
promotes a solution.

Those times are over.

Our Board meetings on Board-L and other conversation there, our debates on
Board-Exec and on the Discussion Boards, and discussion on any Project
lists that I manage will be conducted according to the standards set forth
by Alice Sturgis.

-Isaiah

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