Page:Robert's Parliamentary Practice.djvu/25



Experience has shown that there must be rules to govern an assembly, and that some one must be selected to act as presiding officer to enforce these rules, in order that after suitable deliberation the will of the majority may prevail. It has also been found necessary that some one should be selected to keep a record of what has actually been done by the assembly. The first person is usually called the chairman or president, and the second, the secretary.

When a number of people wish to take action on a certain matter, one of the number should take a prominent position and attract attention, if necessary, by striking the table and should say, "The meeting will come to order." It is then the duty of all present to be seated and to be attentive. The member who called the meeting to order says, "I nominate Mr. Jones for chairman." Some one in the audience, Rh