Event Procedure

• The room(s) will be pre-set with a lectern, tables, chairs, station markers, and a timer prior to the event.

• Participants will have one minute immediately before their demonstration to read their card silently. Team members may not mark or write on the cards and may not confer or signal each other during the one minute time period or during the demonstration, except when seeking recognition from the chair.

• The student advisor will participate during the opening ceremonies for the advisor’s part and then will take on the role of a member to participate in debate and may be assigned a motion.

• Every participant will receive a card (See sample below) with the main motion and the four required motions from the list of permissible motions. No other motions may be used. However, a point of order and parliamentary inquiry may be used if it is not listed on the motion card. Points will not be awarded if it is not on the motion card, and an appeal may not be made on the president’s ruling. Included in the four required motions, will be a minimum of one debatable subsidiary motion.

• an assigned motion will receive full points for technical correctness if it is permissible when made and stated in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised by the member. If a motion is not brought before the assembly by the assigned member, no points can be earned by the chair or the assembly.

• Handling of the motion by the chair and disposal of the motion by the assembly are scored separately on the scorecard.
  

  Example:
  MAIN MOTION:
  I move that our chapter organize an area novice parliamentary procedure event.
  
REQUIRED MOTIONS:
  Raise a Question of Privilege
  Previous Question
  Amend
  Point of Order
  * Highlighted and Bolded motion is required motion.

• Required motion must be demonstrated by the officer that the motion is assigned to for points to be scored. If the assigned motion is used by another officer it must be properly renewed again if allowed by the assigned officer to score points.

• Judges will score all member debates, but only the top three permissible debates per team member will impact final team score. No points will be awarded for debates on motions that are out of order, for more than two debates on a motion, or for undebatable motions.

• If the privileged motion recess is adopted, members must stay at their officer stations and may not talk or signal each other.

• Four of the six participants on the floor will be assigned a required motion. The motion will be marked in bold print and underlined on their cards to indicate the motion assigned.

• Members will be recognized by the chair using their officer titles, not their names. The chair will be penalized for not recognizing officers by their titles.

• The demonstration including the opening and closing ceremonies will not exceed 13 minutes. (Penalties will be assessed starting at 13:01)

• A time clock will be provided so that the team can see. The clock will count up from zero minutes starting with opening ceremonies (signaled to begin by two taps of the gavel by the president) and stop when closing ceremonies are completed. If a time clock is not used, the timekeeper will signal the team with large cards at the elapsed times of nine and 11 minutes.

• Judges will ask one oral question (Which may contain one or two parts) per participant. Oral questions will be predetermined and related to the permissible motions, general purpose of parliamentary procedure or officer duties and responsibilities. The same set of questions will be used for each team in each flight of the event.

• Main Motion – There is no predetermined list of main motions. Main motions are determined annually by the event superintendent and must be developed for any of the three divisions of the chapter program of activities, which includes grow leaders, build communities, and strengthen agriculture. In addition, any amendments that may be brought before the delegate body at the State FFA Convention, may be used.

• Official dress is required

• Order of Business

1. The order of business will begin at the conclusion of opening ceremonies and will begin with the consideration of new business (other items normally on the order of business are not to be considered). After opening ceremonies are completed, a member on the floor will gain recognition and state the main motion which will not be assigned to any particular officer.

2. The motion to adjourn is not allowed. Closing ceremonies must be performed.

3. A rubric will be used to score teams.

4. Division of assembly, point of order and parliamentary inquiry may be used with no point deduction, if not listed on the motion card when used appropriately. Use of other motions not listed on the motion card have no point value and will result in a point reduction of 50 points per instance.

Tiebreakers

1. Presentation – Debate

2. Written exam – Team total

Guidelines for Scoring Discussion
(60 Points per Member)

• It is essential that each judge observes and maintains consistent criteria in scoring debate for the duration of the event.

• Judges must overlook personal opinions and beliefs and score debates in an unbiased manner. All debates should be scored at the time they are delivered.

• Each time a participant in the presentation discusses a debatable motion, which is in order at the time of the debate, they may earn a score. However, only the top three debates per member will be tabulated in the presentation score. Only the first two debates per member per motion will be tabulated.

Characteristics of Effective Debate

• Characteristics of effective debate include the member’s ability to state his or her position, provide reason(s) supporting his or her position and tell or encourage the delegation how to vote. The delivery of the debate will include:

• Completeness of thought.

• Logical reasoning.

• Clear statement of the speaker’s position.

• Conviction of delivery.

• Concise and effective statement of debate.

Good Debate (15–20 points)

• A good debate would be characterized by a presentation that includes the components of a good debate as well as the quality of delivery in which the debate is delivered. Those components are

  • States position.

  • Provides more than one reason supporting the position.

  • Tells delegation how to vote.

Average Debate (8–14 points)

• An average debate would be characterized by a presentation that includes only one supporting reason or lacks in the quality of delivery. However, the following basic components of a debate will still be included:

  • States position.

  • Provides one reason supporting the position.

  • Tells delegation how to vote.

Poor Debate (0–7 points)

• A poor debate would be characterized by a lack of effective delivery, poor grammar, reasoning, and substance, as well as the omission of one or more components of an effective debate.

Guidelines for Scoring the Chair

• The chair is evaluated by his or her ability to preside and his or her leadership.

Processing of Motions (20 points/ea.)

• The processing of motions includes the ability of the chair to process a motion as presented by the membership in harmony with the form and examples presented in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order: Newly Revised. Motions and statements by the chair should follow the language as closely as possible, as stated in RONR.

Ability to preside (30 points)

• The ability to preside includes the use of voice and inflection to aid in the handling of business, following rules of debate, keeping members informed, putting motions to a vote, announcing results of votes, using the gavel, and maintaining awareness of business on the floor. A suggested grading scale is as follows:

Excellent: 26–30 points.

Good: 20–25 points.

Poor: 0–19 points.

GUIDELINES FOR SCORING TEAM EFFECT
(40 POINTS)

Conclusions reached by the team (20 points):

• The main motion was well analyzed, which may include answering who, what, when, where, why and how, as well as the disposal of the main motion (passing, failing, or committing).

Team voice, poise, and expression (20 points):

• The degree to which debate was convincing, logical, realistic, orderly, efficient, and free from repetition. This includes voice, poise, expression, grammar, gestures, and professionalism.

Guidelines for Scoring Technical Correctness

Technical Correctness—Maker of the Motion (30 points/motion)

• Was the motion made using the verbiage as presented in Roberts Rules of Order: Newly Revised (RONR)? Did the maker of the motion make the motion when it was permissible? Please note that personal preferences should be avoided; please refer to RONR’s Form and Example sections for each permissible motion’s correct verbiage. Full points should be awarded if the motion follows RONR and is permissible when made. Deductions should only be made in this section for technical errors in verbiage or permissibility made by the member in their making of the motion.

Specialty Awards

• A medal for the top chairman performance

• A medal for the top member score

• A medal for the top written test score

• National FFA Competition

The state winning Conduct of Chapter Meeting team will be eligible to represent Oklahoma in the National Conduct of Chapter Meetings Leadership Development Event finals at the National FFA Convention.

References

• Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 12th Edition. Henry M. Robert III, William J. Evans, Daniel H. Honemann, Thomas J. Balch. www.robertsrules.com

• National FFA Website, LDE Contests, Conduct of Meetings, www.ffa.org

• Parliamentary Procedure Basics, CIMC. AG430317.

• Official FFA Manual, National FFA Organization, Latest Version, 2017

• Powerpoint in Resources of www.okffa.org/CDE website.