NAP President, Darlene T. Allen, opened the landmark “Virtual 2020 NAP Training Conference” and welcomed Martyn Robert Redgrave, President of the Robert’s Rules Association (RRA) as the keynote speaker.
Martyn proceeded to officially retire the previous 11th Edition and release the new Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) 12th Edition with 718 conference attendees watching through Zoom as administered by Openwater, Inc. In addition, Martyn released the guide, RONR In Brief 3rd Edition, which is updated to accord with the RONR 12th Edition. He also announced the new RobertsRules.com website, which is being launched coincident with the release of the new books. Martyn’s full presentation can be viewed at the end of this article.
Martyn’s presentation was followed by the RRA Authorship Team presenting key changes in the 12th Edition in three segments with Q&A sessions over the next three hours. Attendees could post questions to the speakers during the talks, other attendees could support questions (with likes) to raise its priority to be addressed early during the Q&A sessions. Panelists could provide answers online to posted questions as the talks progressed, which helped expedite the proceeding.
A summary and detailed list of changes to the RONR 12th Edition are available here.
The Author’s slide presentations of changes are available on the NAP website with other Conference materials.
Here is a Zoom picture of several NAP officers and coordinators along with the RRA Executive Council and some of the Authorship Team, who were among the panelists during these sessions.
Inauguration address of
Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th Edition, and
Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief 3rd Edition
By: Martyn R Redgrave
to the
National Association of Parliamentarians Training Conference
August 28, 2020
MADAM PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good Morning. I am Martyn Redgrave and as President Allen just shared, I currently serve of the President of the Robert’s Rules Association. It is my honor to be here again with all of you. Today, I have the privilege to be able to officially launch the new editions of Robert’s Rules of Order.
I will also give you a brief update on the Robert’s Rules Association and our work with our great Authorship Team. I am joined here today by other members of the Robert’s Rules Association Executive Committee. First, my sister Barbara Holloway who serves as the Author’s Agent for the RRA. Next, my brother Tim Redgrave who currently serves as the Treasurer of the RRA, and Geoff Kruth who serves as the Vice President of the RRA. We are very pleased to have Geoff join our Executive Committee this year. He is also a direct lineal descendent of the General and represents the Portia Robert to Fowler to Mathews branch of the Robert Family.
Later I will introduce Bob Pigeon from our publisher to offer some remarks and updates on the new editions.
I also want to mention that we are joined today by other members of the Robert Family who serve with us on our Board of Directors which we call the Authorship Council. This virtual format has allowed them to be with us, which is great.
So, let’s begin the formal proceedings:
As fourth and fifth generation members of General Henry Martyn Robert’s family, it is our pleasure to welcome the attendees at this year’s NAP Training Conference and to greet all of you on behalf of the Robert’s Rules Association.
AND NOW, FOR THE CEREMONY:
By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Robert’s Rules Association, I hereby honorably retire Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition and I announce the official publication of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th Edition, and declare it now to be in full force and effect.
This morning, we inaugurate Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th Edition. That is to say, the 12th in the full set of editions, beginning with the 1876 publication of the first edition of General Henry Martyn Robert’s Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies; and the sixth edition of the second, completely reworked major revision: Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, which was first published in 1970.
At the same time, I am pleased to be able to officially announce the publication and release of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief 3rd Edition, which is updated to accord with the 12th Edition.
Sadly, my uncle, dear friend and colleague, Henry Martyn Robert III passed away in January 2019. As you know, Henry was the longest serving author of the Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised editions. He worked on the preparation of all the editions of Newly Revised, including this 12th Edition. He was also very proud to be named as Honorary President of the National Association of Parliamentarians.
I am very grateful and proud to be joined today by Henry’s fellow authors, Thomas (Burke) Balch, Dan Seabold, and Shmuel Gerber. Today, they will be leading you through workshops to highlight the features and changes contained in RONR 12th Edition; and RONR In Brief 3rd Edition. Our fourth author, Dan Honemann is unable to join us today.
I think you all know Burke and Dan Honemann from their work on past editions, and their attendance at many NAP events over the years. Burke currently serves as Authorship Team Coordinator for the RRA.
To remind you about our other 2 authors, Dan Seabold is a mathematics professor at Hofstra University on Long Island, New York. And Shmuel Gerber is a professional parliamentarian and copy editor who has served as Assistant Editor of the National Parliamentarian.
In addition to announcing the publication and release of the books, I am pleased to announce today we have launched a new website for the Robert’s Rules Association.
The new website will still be located at the same URL www.RobertsRules.com. The website continues to offer the same great content of the old website, but it now has a more vibrant and modern look and feel, with upgraded navigation and other enhanced features, including many more photos, and a new Recent Events section. We have timed the release of the website to coincide with the release the 12th Edition today. TO BE CLEAR, the RONR 11th Edition will no longer be discussed on the new website. We hope you will have a chance to look at the new website soon.
Before I close, I would like to give you a brief update on the work of the Robert’s Rules Association. As many of you know, the RRA Membership is composed of direct lineal descendants of General Henry Martyn Robert.
The General charged his family with the responsibility of maintaining his legacy by ensuring the regular revision and updating of Roberts’ Rules of Order. It is a duty that we take very seriously.
The story of Robert’s Rules of Order all started with Henry Martyn Robert was first promoted to Major in 1867. Henry published the first edition of Robert’s Rules of Order in February 1876 at the age of 39.
Hopefully, you all know the story of what has happened over the past decades, and in the interest of time today, let’s fast forward 144 years, through four generations of direct lineal dependents and 11 editions of Robert’s Rules of Order. As you know the 11th Edition was published in 2011, and now the 12th Edition is being released today.
Since I would guess that you are all very interested in how Robert’s Rules of Order is being managed and protected by the Robert Family today, let me share a bit more background information, as I have done at past NAP conventions.
The “Robert’s Rules Association” was formed in 1960. It has governed and administered the business of Robert’s Rules for the past 60 years. Every four years we elect and are governed by an 8 member “Authorship Council” that effectively serves as our Board of Directors. The members of the Authorship Council are all direct lineal descendants of General Robert.
This Authorship Council elects the three members of the Executive Committee, including the President, Vice President and one other member who also serves as Authors’ Agent. The Authors’ Agent works with our publisher and our Authorship team. The Authorship Council contracts with parliamentarians to serve on the “Authorship Team”. This is this team that directly exercises the duty to prepare revisions and to respond to parliamentary inquiries.
Today we have 2 generations of the family integrally involved in continuing to manage the RRA and maintain the legacy of Robert’s Rules. And now we are on to the fifth generation of the RRA leadership and the great news is there are another 2 generations coming right behind us with our children and grandchildren. Here is a fun fact: Did you know that over 6 Million copies of Robert’s Rules of Order have been sold since the beginning?
So in closing, on behalf of the Robert Family, let me tell you how proud we are of our Authorship Team for all their hard work on these new editions that are being released today. We want to particularly express our appreciation to the parliamentary members of the NAP and to the leadership of the NAP. For decades you have all done so much to study, apply, and promote Robert’s Rules of Order, while helping your clients to make meetings orderly, efficient, and fair. We greatly value our long standing and on-going relationship and collaboration.
I would like to close be reading to you a quote from a letter that General Robert wrote to Corinna in 1916:
In it, he implored that “Grandfather hopes you will never use your knowledge of parliamentary law for selfish ends. Always use your knowledge for the benefit of others. Be courteous and show others that parliamentary law is a great help, not a hindrance, to the prompt and proper attendance to business in a meeting. With love, Your affectionate grandfather.”
I hope you will agree that this is still good counsel for today’s parliamentarians and given the shocking lack of civility in our country right now, I think this counsel is essential to keep in mind. Finally, let me reiterate to you, our Robert family commitment that is: Through each generation, we will do everything possible to perpetuate, maintain, update, protect and preserve the legacy of Robert’s Rules of Order.
Now, I would like to turn the podium over to Bob Pigeon, who will update you on more details about the publication of the new books. Bob is Executive Editor for Public Affairs, a division of Hachette Book Group. Bob has worked with the RRA for many years and we are grateful for his partnership, guidance, and support.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND NOW, OVER TO YOU, BOB