By J. Cherise Story, RP
It was amazing! On April 4, 2024, during Parliamentary Law Month, ten teams of high school students confidently walked into the competition room at the Galveston Island Convention Center with bright smiles, although you could feel the underlying anxiousness and energy. Each team was required to conduct a regular business meeting from the call to order to adjournment in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition. The meeting agenda and a variety of parliamentary motions were scripted and rehearsed in advance of each team’s arrival at the conference. They were further challenged fifteen minutes before their presentation time with four motions and a special scenario that had to be incorporated into their meeting.
The teams met the challenge! Presiding officers deftly handled their meetings as team members made motions, debated, and gave reports with rapid-fire precision. Each team’s presentation was over in 15 minutes. Watching them process motions like amend, limit or extend limits of debate, point of order, appeal, division, and object to consideration of a question was astounding. Evaluating the performance of the teams was challenging; however, my first experience judging a HOSA parliamentary procedures competition with experienced judge Lee Woodward, PRP, was incredible and rewarding.
