On September 1st, the 12th edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) was unveiled. Perhaps only a few of us found this to be a riveting moment – at least at my house. The changes are not substantial but definite improvements. The 11th edition was released about 10 years ago which is the average life in recent years. (bound book – available on-line or in stores, spiral bound book only available through NAP www.parliamentarians.org) ($18 vs $@22). Good time to invest in a copy if interested.
The physical features have changed. The book itself is larger and is the same size of RONR In Brief (which was also updated). The index now includes explanatory text and better cross references. The sections are divided into paragraphs and much easier to read and use. Someone mentioned it’s like reading the Bible!
One example of the changes is as follows. As in the past, Minutes are noted as Draft Minutes until they are approved. What is new is that if you send draft minutes out to the membership, the official minutes, those approved with or without changes, need to be re-sent to the membership after their approval.
Perhaps the biggest change is the section for electronic meetings. Sample rules for electronic meetings can be found in the appendix. The National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP) also list these rules on their website which can be accessed by anyone at www.parliamentarians.org.
All-in-all, there are 89 changes from the 11th edition to the 12th edition. The complete list of changes can be found at https://robertsrules.com or by clicking here.
Lucy Johnson, PRP
RONR 12th Edition