Parliamentary Expert
Dorothy Demarest, PRP

Contact Dorothy Demarest at:
Phone & Fax: (239) 417-5269 | Email: dorothy@parliamentaryexpert.org

Dorothy Demarest's philosophy of Parliamentary Procedure is that the rights of the members are paramount, meetings must be fair and expeditious, and a parliamentarian must maintain a sense of humor at all times.

Welcome to Parliamentary Expert.com

As a Parliamentary Expert, Dorothy Demarest is the one to call for all of your parliamentary needs. Whether you are a board member for a small non-profit organization, the CEO of a nation-wide company, the mayor of a large city or if you just need assistance bringing "order" to your meetings using Robert's Rules of Order, Dorothy Demarest can help.

What is Parliamentary Procedure?

Parliamentary procedure was created to help organizations and societies establish their purpose and structure, ensure respect between majority and minority views, protect the rights of absentee members, define rules and procedures for conducting business meetings, and ultimately, expedite the business at hand.  Further, according to The National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP), “Good parliamentary procedure is based on sound democratic principles and respect for the dignity of the individual.”

Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies more commonly known as Robert's Rules of Order, was first penned by Henry Martyn Robert in 1876.  Since then, it has become the most accepted parliamentary authority among organizations and societies in the United States. Other parliamentary manuals such as The Standard Code of Parliamentary Proceedure / Sturgis' and Mason's Manual may also be the source of parliamentary rules of order.

However, without the proper use of parliamentary procedure, meetings can break down into endless debates, motions, and interruptions.  Hours of hard work on projects are rendered void because the voting procedure that authorized them was improper and the process must be started anew.  Council or board members become frustrated and apathetic after spending so much time and effort in meetings that go nowhere.  Or, in spite of efforts to use proper procedure, infighting between two or more parties becomes so severe only the mediation of an objective professional can bring order back to the organization.

Most often, these breakdowns are nobody’s fault.  Parliamentary procedure is a complex process requiring in depth knowledge that is not inborn.  Many persons elected or appointed to positions requiring knowledge of such procedures have little or no background in or knowledge of law, politics, business, or Robert's Rules of Order.  In circumstances such as those above, a Professional Registered Parliamentarian (PRP) can serve as an educator, moderator, and guide to help your organization function more effectively. 

What is a PRP?

According to the National Association of Parliamentarians, “A Professional Registered Parliamentarian (PRP) is an individual who has received professional accreditation from the National Association of Parliamentarians. In order to receive this designation, this member must pass an examination on advanced knowledge of parliamentary law and procedure according to Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, and must successfully complete a practical course demonstrating an ability to provide professional services such as presiding, performing the role of parliamentarian for a presiding officer, and issuing professional opinions.

“A PRP is qualified to assist organizations or individuals in the application of parliamentary procedure for the orderly conduct of business. Good parliamentary procedure is based on sound democratic principles and respect for the dignity of the individual.”

“A PRP offers an opinion or an interpretation—never a ruling—but may be expected to cite a specific rule or reference to support an opinion. Only the presiding officer issues a ruling (an official decision).”

“A PRP offers advice to the presiding officer in an unobtrusive manner, and does not call attention to small errors unless they infringe upon the rights of the members or are in violation of the bylaws or other organization rules.”