Changes to the Blue Book and NCS Chairs
National Governance 6 Comments 
2023 NCS, blue book, national delegate, roberts rules
A new Blue Book of Basic Documents has been released, and in it is a change to the Bylaws enacted by the National Board at its last meeting. Wait – can the National Board amend the Bylaws without National Council approval? Yes, they can. But not the Constitution. The GSUSA Constitution and the Bylaws are two different documents, and the National Board has authority to amend the Bylaws of its own accord (see Article XVI/Bylaws in the GSUSA Constitution – pg. 13).
So there’s a little addition in the Bylaws/Article II/Officers/President (pg. 14) section in the latest edition. The following text in red was added:
ii. preside at all meetings of the National Council, the National Board, and the Executive Committee, except at such meetings for which the duty of presiding is delegated to the First Vice President, the Second Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, any member-at-large of the National Board of Directors, or, for any session of the National Council, the parliamentarian or any girl delegate in furtherance of the Girl Scout mission to educate girls to be tomorrow’s leaders;
Parliamentarians and girl delegates serving as chairs during a National Council business session? I have an issue with this (surprise!).
I’m not a certified parliamentarian or an attorney, so this is just my very unqualified opinion, but I don’t think a parliamentarian should be chairing a meeting. They’re only supposed to be there as a consultant and should remain impartial according to Robert’s Rules (RONR):
“The parliamentarian’s role during a meeting is purely an advisory and consultative one – since parliamentary law gives to the chair alone the power to rule on questions of order or to answer parliamentary inquiries.” (47:46)
“During a meeting the work of the parliamentarian should be limited to giving advice to the chair, and, when requested, to any other member.” (47:50)
“Only on the most involved matters should the parliamentarian actually be called upon to speak to the assembly; and the practice should be avoided if at all possible.” (47:52)
Additionally, a chair, who normally doesn’t participate in voting, CAN and DOES vote if a tie breaker is necessary. This would invalidate the neutrality of a parliamentarian. It’s unlikely to happen, but it’s still possible.
Frankly, I find it bizarre. The President and all National Board members could run a session. That’s twenty-five people to choose from. Why add another adult?
I also don’t believe girls should chair meetings. National Council Sessions can and do get very chaotic (Proposal 3 in 2017, anyone?), and adults struggle with keeping up. Tensions get high. I think doing this puts girls in a very awkward and bad position if things get out of control while she’s chairing. Will National Delegates be less willing to appeal the decision of the chair if a girl is running the show? I can see where this might be the case because they don’t want to receive criticism from those who think it would make the girl look bad to override her. Also I just wonder if this is being done for show.
I’m sure a good handful of you will disagree with me and say that I’m not giving girls enough credit. A FFA Parliamentary Procedure World Champion might be capable of it, maybe, but even still, I don’t think it’s a good idea, and it gives me a bad feeling. I’m just being honest based on what I’ve witnessed at the 2017 and 2020 National Council Sessions.
But GSUSA is gonna do what GSUSA is gonna do, so y’all let me know how that plays out in Orlando.
I have no problem with girl member presiding over some parts of the meeting, but like you, I believe that it takes some very special skills to preside over debate and voting. I’ve been to all NCS sessions but one since 1996 and have been delegate it alternate 4 or 5 times, and I’ve observed many a board officer struggle with presiding over debate. I’m even more opposed to asking a parliamentarian to chair, for the reasons you state. Also, the NCS elects the board and, ultimately, the board is responsible to the membership. We want our elected leaders to actually lead. The parliamentarian is not responsible to us; he or she is responsible only to whoever asks them (and likely pays them) to chair.
Agreed, parliamentarian absolutely should NOT ever chair any part of a National Council Meeting. Totally inappropriate. Regarding Girl Delegates, I thought we just had Delegates. Girl Delegates are not different in their delegate duties in any way. This entire change is awkward, confusing, and not well thought out. Maybe the Board should not be entrusted with making Bylaw changes!
Agree 100% because:
1) Having been a member of 3 national organizations and have attended their national and state meetings (conventions/councils), the board president was always the presiding chair and it requires that person to have a strong understanding of parliamentary procedure, the support of the organization, and the ability to read the room. We already had in place the ability for any board member to be the chair so are they thinking that if we have a parliamentarian in charge, the members will not question the amendments? That to me is concerning as it says we don’t want to be under scrutiny because we don’t know the answers.
2) National delegates could vote for the “removal of presiding officer from chair for all or part of a session” how would that look if it had to be done while a girl was presiding? This usually happens when the delegate body appeals the decision of the chair, which is their right and the chair continues to act against the wishes of the delegation.
I will be writing the board members with my concerns.
I don’t see the point of the parliamentarian running a session either. What’s their reasoning for it? I can’t help but wonder if that’s a ploy.
I can only think that having the parliamentarian running the session is that they know the delegation will question or be against the amendment being proposed. The board wants someone who they feel can shut down the opposition, not a good way to show leadership.
And I think it makes National Board members look bad. Are they not capable of running the meeting?