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Training a Team
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Training a Team
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TIPS ON ORGANIZING AND TRAINING A
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE TEAM
By Shane D. Dunbar, MEd, PRP, PAP
Professional Registered Parliamentarian, and
Professional Accredited Parliamentarian
dunbar@northwest.net.
Preparation for Parliamentary Procedure Competitive Events is a long-range project that requires students to spend a great amount of time studying and practicing.
If parliamentary procedure is part of the regular curriculum, it would be very effective to review the format of the event during class time, provide instruction, divide the class into several teams for practicing, and then conduct a competition as a final activity. Some of your team members could be chosen from these students.
However, coaching and practicing usually takes place outside of regular classroom time because all of the team members are commonly not in the same class.
It is recommended that advisors purchase copies of the Parliamentary Procedure Judging Guide listed on this web site on page two (a complete Table of Contents is listed). It is a TRAINING MANUAL for judges, teachers and team members that covers all parliamentary procedure competitive event phases.
- Review the current national rules and format of the event with all students during class time to recruit team members.
- Make certain that all team members and alternates each have a copy of the current national rules and format for the event.
- Set-up a practicing schedule of at least one hour, two times a week, starting three months before the first event.
- Invite former members who have participated at state or national parliamentary procedure events to observe practices, offer advice, and share their experiences. In addition, members who are not on the team should be asked to observe practices and competitions to recruit alternates and future team members.
- PREPARING FOR THE WRITTEN EXAM (some organizations do not require a written test):
- Obtain the following references, which are available on this web site:
- Robert`s Rules of Order Newly Revised
- Parliamentary Procedure Team Package
- Dunbar`s Manual of Parliamentary Procedure Test Questions (official reference for FFA, BPA, TSA, & SkillsUSA)
- Parliamentary Procedure Test Questions (computer program with 1500 multiple-choice questions and answers)
- Parliamentary Procedure Multiple-Choice Tests (70 tests and answer keys on a CD ready for printing)
- Parliamentary Procedure Skill Sheets for Handling Motions (CD)
- Administer a thirty minute, twenty-five question, multiple-choice test each time there is a practice.
- Track and post each team member's test scores. The computer disk of multiple-choice questions (Parliamentary Procedure Test Questions) can also be used to monitor student progress.
- Do not have the team study tests from previous events exclusively.
- Enter your team in the "Knowledge Contest" which is described under the Main Menu of this site.
- Have your team members take the test to become Accredited Parliamentarians (AP). The FREE program is describe on the Main Menu of the web site for the Society for Agricultural Education Parliamentarians (www.saep.us).
- PREPARING FOR THE TEAM PRESENTATION (all organizations require a presentation):
- Obtain the Parliamentary Procedure Team Competitive Event Timer and the Parliamentary Procedure Made Easy Video that are described on this web site.
- When practicing for the FFA event, always use 3 in. x 5 in. index cards with an original main motion and five other required motions.
- Click on "FFA CDE Main Motions" on the main menu of this web site for a FREE list of original main motions.
- Make sure every member (except the chair) debates at least four times for the FFA event.
- Emphasize the time limits for reviewing the motion cards (one minute for FFA) and making the presentation (ten minutes and thirty seconds for FFA).
- Invite another chapter that has successfully participated in the event to review the format and conduct a demonstration.
- Make presentations to groups such as your school board, your faculty, your city council, other classes, your student council, middle and junior high schools, and PTA.
- Video-tape presentations and have the team judge them using the official score sheet.
- Conduct an oral critique after each presentation using the official score sheet.
- PREPARING FOR THE ORAL QUESTIONS (some organizations do not require oral questioning):
- Obtain copies of the recommended manual of oral questions for FFA and BPA described on this web site (Parliamentary Procedure Oral Questions).
- Ask oral questions each time there is a practice.
- Start out by assigning two oral questions for each motion.
- Stress that learning the oral questions will help prepare team members for the written test.
- Do not have the team study oral questions from previous events exclusively.
- PREPARING FOR WRITING THE MINUTES (some organizations do not require writing minutes):
- The secretary should take minutes each time there is a practice, and then the secretary (the president is allowed to assist for FFA) should write the formal minutes for evaluation (a dictionary may be used and twenty minutes are allowed for FFA).
- The official score form should be used by the advisor to evaluate the minutes.
- Click "Writing Minutes" on the main menu of this web site for directions on writing minutes. The FFA format for writing minutes is different (click on "FFA CDE Minutes" on the main menu).
- The advisor and/or an English teacher should review the minutes for spelling and grammar.
SUMMARY
It is important to cover all phases of the parliamentary procedure competitive event during each practice whenever possible. Most advisors, however, focus on the presentation and oral questions (when required) during team practice sessions.
All phases should be evaluated using the official score forms, and a digital timer that shows elapsed time should be used that is in clear view of all team members.
Team alternates should be involved in all practices. This web site includes all of the references needed to prepare teams for parliamentary procedure competitive events.
GOOD LUCK! Contact dunbar@northwest.net if you have any questions or need advice on training a team.
Mr. Dunbar (MEd, PRP, PAP) is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian and a Professional Accredited Parliamentarian who has over 25 years experience in training parliamentary procedure teams and has served as judge for the National FFA Parliamentary Procedure CDE numerous times. His FFA teams placed third and first in national competition.
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