The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, 4th Edition

Good book for an introduction into parliamentary procedure. It's not as detailed or as widely accepted as Robert's Rules of Order, but it's thorough enough to be used in an official capacity for professional committee meetings or student organizations. Alice Sturgis gives good examples and lays things out in a way that seems more easily digestible by those who are new to parliamentary procedure. And the book arrived exactly as expected, its a new soft cover copy of the book.

As I've learned through hard experience, parliamentary law and procedure is the law of assemblies such as civic groups, professional organizations, city councils, county boards, state legislatures, and the Congress itself. As such, mastery of parliamentary law and procedure is essential to understanding democratic processes and procedures, and keeping the meetings of such organizations running smoothly and efficiently. Properly implemented, parliamentary procedure ensures that proposals for action are properly worded for presentation to the assembly, everyone's opinion is heard and weighed, and a majority of the assembly makes the decision in due course after full and fair discussion and debate by proponents and opponents. Its essence is buy-in by everyone in the assembly into a democratic process for making important decisions.Alice Sturgis first undertook to simplify parliamentary law and procedure back in the 1950s, a daunting task. Roberts Rules had long dominated the field as the parliamentary authority, but was bloated, poorly organized, internally contradictory, difficult to read, understand, and apply, and confusing. Sturgis cut through the confusion, resulting in a simple, elegant book that explains parliamentary law and procedure in a way that an ordinary reader can understand. A breath of fresh air on a subject fraught with technicalities, manipulation, and distortion. And make no mistake: the incentive to manipulation and distort democratic processes exists where important decisions are being made collectively in assemblies. That why understanding and applying parliamentary law and procedure, and Stugis's approach, are important to members of assemblies.

So I don't really love the book, however it was exactly what I needed. Our By-Laws use this version when items are not listed in them. Since, there were many "parts" missing the book was necessary. It is well written and mostly easy to understand.

A simpler way to understand how to conduct meaningful meetings at every level

If you run meetings as a chair of a non-profit or public agency and you want a clear, easy-to-use desk reference for the rules of Parliamentary Procedure, this is it. I examined several similar titles before I finally wound up purchasing this and I'm glad I did. Unlike others that seem like mini-encyclopedias that are cumbersome and frustrating when you need a quick answer, you get to the answer you're seeking with this one typically in under a minute.

Book is good.

Very helpful and quite useful for anyone, especially those new to the world of Parliamentary Procedure. This book is everything That was expected and more.

Brilliant if you have to go a few rounds regarding Robert's Rules. Read it before you have your meeting.