FBLA Intro to Parliamentary Procedure Practice Questions with Explanations
Questions
The authority FBLA uses for parliamentary procedure, unless its bylaws say otherwise, is:
- Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised
- Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure
- The U.S. House Rules and Manual
- Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law
Who wrote the original Robert's Rules of Order, first published in 1876?
- Henry Martyn Robert
- Thomas Jefferson, while serving as vice president
- Benjamin Franklin
- Alice Sturgis
The current (12th) edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised was published in:
- 2020
- 2011
- 1990
- 2000
Which statement best describes the purpose of parliamentary procedure?
- To help a group conduct business fairly and efficiently
- To let the presiding officer make decisions alone
- To guarantee every motion passes
- To shorten meetings by eliminating debate and minority objections
A basic principle of parliamentary law is that the majority rules while the rights of the ______ are protected.
- Minority
- Officers
- Advisers
- Guests
Which principle means only one main motion may be pending on the floor at a time?
- One question at a time
- Majority rule
- Courtesy to all
- Equal speaking rights
The term "the floor" refers to:
- The right to speak in the assembly at that moment
- The secretary's written record of every statement made
- The room where the meeting is held
- The list of agenda items
An assembly's formally adopted proposal to take action or express an opinion is called a(n):
- Motion
- Amendment
- Point of order
- Report
The word "pending" describes a motion that has been:
- Stated by the chair but not yet finally disposed of
- Withdrawn by its maker
- Defeated in a previous meeting and recorded in the minutes
- Written in the minutes
The phrase "the immediately pending question" refers to:
- The last motion stated by the chair that is still pending
- The first main motion introduced at the start of the meeting
- Any motion that has been tabled
- The motion with the most support
The written rules that establish an organization's basic structure, such as its name, membership, officers, and meetings, are its:
- Bylaws
- Minutes
- Standing rules
- Agenda
Rules that relate to the details of administration, such as meeting start times, rather than parliamentary procedure, are called:
- Standing rules
- Special rules of order
- Bylaws
- Articles of incorporation
"Ex officio" means a person is a member of a board or committee:
- Because of the office they hold
- Only for the current meeting
- As a nonvoting guest
- After being elected by ballot
"Pro tem" (pro tempore) refers to someone who serves:
- Temporarily, for the time being
- For life
- Without the right to vote
- As the parliamentarian
The term "germane" means an amendment is:
- Closely related to the subject of the motion it would change
- Approved by two-thirds vote
- Made by the original maker of the motion before it was seconded
- Out of order in every case
A "session" in parliamentary terms is:
- A meeting or series of connected meetings devoted to a single order of business
- Only the period between the call to order and the first vote taken on a main motion
- Any gathering of officers
- The time a member spends speaking
The term "assembly" refers to:
- The body of members gathered to transact business
- Only the officers and board of an organization
- The written rules of the group
- A committee of three or fewer people
The person who advises the presiding officer on procedure is the:
- Parliamentarian
- Sergeant-at-arms
- Treasurer
- Historian
Who actually rules on points of order during a meeting?
- The presiding officer
- The parliamentarian
- The secretary
- The member who raised the point
A quorum is:
- The minimum number of members present needed to transact business
- The number of yes votes needed to adopt a motion at a regular meeting
- The list of members eligible to vote
- The number of officers required on a committee
If the bylaws do not specify a quorum, Robert's Rules sets the quorum at:
- A majority of the entire membership
- One-third of the members
- Two-thirds of the members present at the meeting
- Ten members
When a quorum is NOT present, the assembly may still:
- Adjourn, recess, or take measures to obtain a quorum
- Adopt main motions by unanimous consent if no member objects
- Elect officers by voice vote
- Amend the bylaws
A list of business items to be considered at a meeting is called the:
- Agenda
- Minutes
- Bylaws
- Treasurer's report
In the standard order of business, which item comes FIRST after the call to order?
- Reading and approval of minutes
- New business
- Unfinished business
- Reports of special committees
In the standard order of business, which item comes LAST before adjournment?
- New business
- Reports of officers
- Special orders
- Reading of minutes
In the standard order of business, reports of officers, boards, and standing committees come:
- Right after the minutes are approved
- After new business, just before adjournment
- Before the minutes are read
- Only at annual meetings
Business that was pending when the previous meeting adjourned is taken up under:
- Unfinished business and general orders
- New business introduced by members
- Good of the order
- Special committee reports
Which phrase does Robert's Rules recommend instead of the term "old business"?
- Unfinished business
- Past business
- Prior matters
- Leftover motions
A "special order" is an item that:
- Is set for a specific time and takes priority over other business
- Can only be considered by the executive board during an executive session
- Is introduced without a second
- Is automatically adopted
To formally begin a meeting, the presiding officer:
- Calls the meeting to order
- Asks for a motion to begin
- Reads the bylaws aloud
- Takes a roll-call vote
A consent agenda (consent calendar) is used to:
- Adopt several routine items together without debate
- Allow the chair to vote twice
- Remove the need for a quorum
- Delay all business to the next meeting so members can prepare
A meeting held in private, where only members and invited persons may attend, is a(n):
- Executive session
- Committee of the whole
- Mass meeting
- Open forum
The official written record of the proceedings of a meeting is the:
- Minutes
- Agenda
- Bylaws
- Treasurer's report
According to Robert's Rules, minutes should mainly record:
- What was done, not what was said
- Every statement made in debate
- The opinions of the secretary
- Only the votes of officers
Which item would NOT normally be included in the minutes?
- A summary of each member's debate arguments
- The exact wording of each main motion
- The name of the maker of a main motion
- Whether a quorum was present
Minutes are normally approved:
- At the next regular meeting
- Immediately before adjournment of the same meeting, in all cases
- By the president alone
- By the parliamentarian
Corrections to the minutes are usually handled by:
- General consent, or a vote if someone objects
- A two-thirds vote
- A motion to rescind the minutes and rewrite them completely
- The treasurer
Who is responsible for signing the minutes?
- The secretary
- The parliamentarian
- The treasurer
- Every member present
The officer responsible for keeping the minutes and records of the organization is the:
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Vice president
- Reporter
The officer who receives and disburses funds and gives a financial report is the:
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Historian
- Parliamentarian
A treasurer's report is normally:
- Received and placed on file without a vote to adopt it
- Adopted by a two-thirds vote
- Rejected unless the auditors have reviewed and signed it first
- Approved by the secretary
The officer who presides when the president is absent is normally the:
- Vice president
- Secretary
- Parliamentarian
- Treasurer
The presiding officer should refer to himself or herself as:
- "The chair"
- "I"
- "Your leader"
- "The president personally"
When addressing the presiding officer of a meeting, a member should say:
- "Madam President" or "Mr. President"
- "Hey, chair"
- "Your honor"
- The president's first name, to be friendly
Which is a duty of the presiding officer?
- Recognizing members who are entitled to the floor
- Recording the minutes
- Making most of the motions for the members
- Voting first on every motion
A chair who wants to debate a motion should:
- Hand the chair to another officer until the motion is decided
- Debate freely while presiding
- Ask the secretary to read their arguments aloud to the members
- Speak only after the vote
The officer responsible for maintaining order and assisting with the meeting room, such as admitting members, is the:
- Sergeant-at-arms
- Historian
- Reporter
- Parliamentarian
The correct way for a member to introduce a main motion is to say:
- "I move that..."
- "I make a motion to..."
- "So moved."
- "I want to motion that..."
Before making a motion, a member must first:
- Obtain the floor by being recognized by the chair
- Ask the secretary for permission
- Get a second from another member
- Submit the motion in writing to the parliamentarian for approval
What is the purpose of a second to a motion?
- To show at least one other member wants the motion considered
- To show the motion already has majority support from the members present
- To approve the motion
- To end debate on the motion