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Publisher: New Society Publishers
Pub. Date: 2019-05-28
ISBN: 9780865719064
Format: Paperback - 104 pages
Size: 4.5" x 7.5" (w x h)
BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Skills

Democratic Rules of Order

Easy-to-Use Rules for Meetings of Any Size

The key to promoting true democracy in meetings is clear, easy-to-understand rules of order that support the right of each member to participate fully and equally, and the right of the majority to make decisions while respecting minority rights.

An alternative to Robert's Rules of Order and other complicated and unwieldy guides, Democratic Rules of Order is the guide for the rest of us. It lays out clear, concise, easy-to-use rules for governing meetings from clubs and non profits to formal meetings. Benefits include:

  • A complete set of laws for governing meetings
  • Can be read in an hour
  • Plain language, free of complex protocol and jargon to enable equal and efficient participation
  • Tested and honed through thousands of successful meetings
  • Adoptable as the official rules of order for meetings of any size
  • Allows informality, including decisions by consensus, but ensures formality when needed
  • A sample meeting that uses all the rules plus answers to 31 common questions.

Now in its tenth edition, and with over 20,000 copies sold, Democratic Rules of Order will produce fair, efficient, and harmonious decisions in meetings of any size or complexity.

About the Authors

Peg Francis, and her late husband Fred Francis, had decades of experience with meetings in school, college, business, church, and community organizations as members and as officers. Seeing the urgent need for stronger democracies, they brought their skills as former educators to bear to create a set of easy-to-use and widely applicable rules for governing democratic meetings. Peg lives in Victoria, Canada.

The late Fred Francis and his wife Peg Francis, had decades of experience with meetings in school, college, business, church, and community organizations as members and as officers. Seeing the urgent need for stronger democracies, they brought their skills as former educators to bear to create a set of easy-to-use and widely applicable rules for governing democratic meetings. He lived in Victoria, Canada.


"Stuck in Dysfunction-ville? Are your meetings inefficient, frustrating and possibly not legal? Democratic Rules of Order is a small, brilliant book that can make a world of difference. Buy everyone a copy — it will be one of the best investments you've ever made."
Bruce Batchelor, author, publisher, innovator, and no-longer-frustrated meeting attendee

"This is Robert's Rules, simplified, modernized, clarified and, most importantly, humanized."
Ric Getter, PCC Media Production/PCC-TV, Educational Advisory Council Membership chair, Portland Community College — Sylvania

"Many condominiums get tangled up with Robert's Rules of Order which is most often far too complex. That is why the Team and VISOA recommend the uncomplicated Democratic Rules of Order to all stratas."
David Grubb, board member and chair, Strata Support Team, Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association (VISOA)

"We highly recommend this book to any organization for its clear and simple directions."
Caroline Holm, clerk, First Church of Christ, Scientist, Victoria, Canada

"Easy-to-follow guidelines allowed us to get a handle on the tasks that needed doing, without regularly digressing into chaos. Kudos to the authors for keeping a rowdy bunch of us on track."
Pieter Vorster, Courtenay rugby team board member, and chief editor, TideChange.ca

"I bought a copy for each member of the board and we voted to make it the official procedure manual". It's: 1) easy to understand, 2) easy to learn, 3) user-friendly, 4) logical, and 5) efficient."
Edward E. Douglas, BA, MA, past vice-president of a library board of trustees

"Truly the guide for the rest of us...with elegant solutions to three challenges: how to run meetings with fairness, efficiency, and good order, how to do so with rules that everybody can understand, and how to foster true democracy in a world that needs it more than ever."
Jim Rietmulder, author, When Kids Rule the School, and co-founder, The Circle School

"A gem of a reference book, it is practical, well-structured and is detailed and informative about meeting terminology."
Gerry O'Sullivan, facilitator, mediator, and trainer, and author, The Mediator's Toolkit


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