Mastering Council Meetings: A Guidebook for Elected Officials and Local Governments

Written in a light and easy-to-read style, Mastering Council Meetings will save time, give you confidence and empower your council for effective discussion and decision-making.

Elected officials of special districts, school boards, utility boards, city councils, county commissions, citizen advisory committees—any kind of civic body—will find Mastering Council Meetings to be an essential guidebook for running smooth and fair meetings.

This book explains the most commonly used motions, presents efficient meeting procedures and summarizes effective leadership principles. Key rules for discussion and debate are assembled into one easy-reference list; motions are clarified with diagrams for quick understanding.

Gritty examples of real-life meetings that did not go according to plan demonstrate how to respond to the unexpected, and how to establish systems and procedures to prevent disorder. The book provides specific phrases and language to use to keep things on track when folks are rude, crude or confused.

Mastering Council Meetings extracts the essence of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th edition, and explains the basics in clear, practical language. As a bonus, the book’s glossary provides easy-to-understand definitions of commonly used terms and the jargon of parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order. This unique, user-friendly book can be read through quickly and easily, and will remain an invaluable reference for effective, productive meetings.

Ann G. Macfarlane began her career as a diplomat with the U.S. Foreign Service in Lahore, Pakistan. Her life subsequently took her to Russia, to Africa and to Nepal before she settled in Seattle, Washington with her husband and three sons. As a leader of amateur choirs, diplomatic women’s groups and professional associations, she was fascinated by how people from different backgrounds can work together to achieve harmony and make a difference to the world.

In 2001 Ann created Jurassic Parliament as a way of showing colleagues how Robert’s Rules of Order can make meetings better. From that unlikely beginning she and Andrew Estep have developed a practice that improves the functioning of civic, nonprofit and professional organizations throughout the U.S. Their approach blends solid procedural understanding with psychological insight and openness to the unexpected side of human behavior.

Ann was the first graduate of the University of California Santa Cruz to receive a Marshall Scholarship, and earned a B.A./M.A. from Cambridge University. She served as President of the American Translators Association and Executive Director of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators. She is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian and a Certified Association Executive.

Andrew L. Estep enlisted in the U.S. Air Force out of high school. After earning a B.A. in mathematics and Asian studies from California State University Dominguez Hills, he worked in aerospace before moving into association management. This career move showed him first-hand how important effective meetings are to volunteer governance.

Working with colleagues in the design/build and human resources arenas, Andrew is committed to managing his clients’ business with systematic efficiency and the human touch. After a hard day processing emails, he often relaxes by playing videogames. Andrew is a Certified Association Executive. In 2012 the Washington Society of Association Executives named Andrew as Association Executive of the Year. Andrew brought Ann Macfarlane into his company in 2007. Together they envision transforming the volunteer world, one meeting at a time.