Blog Posts

4/2/2020

Fellow Parliamentarians

The Coronavirus and COVID-19 disease continue to spread, and your MSAP Board of Directors is concerned about your health and safety. So the Board of Directors has canceled the 2020 MSAP Convention (previously scheduled for April 25th at the the Hilton Hotel in Bloomington).

We will continue to monitor the situation, but at this time it appears that the next MSAP Convention will be held on April 24, 2021.

The two local group that meet monthly are also suspended until further notice. They are exploring on-line gatherings.

Please take good care of yourself and stay healthy.

Robert Vokes, President

4/1/2020

Celebrate Parliamentary Law All Month

NAP has once again proclaimed April as Parliamentary Law Month. This is a wonderful time to build awareness of the need for parliamentary procedure and the services of a parliamentarian. It’s also a great time to highlight NAP as a resource, as well as your local unit’s meetings and expertise.

Does your association or unit have events planned to celebrate and promote parliamentary procedure? If you need some ideas, here are some that members have come up with over the years:

Plan a free educational workshop in your community.
Create a display for your library that showcases its inventory of parliamentary resources. If they don’t have the 11th edition of RONR, your unit can donate one to it!
Give a presentation at a local service club.
Send a press release to your local paper that explains what parliamentary procedure is and how it can benefit organizations of all types. Remember to include information about your unit at the end of the story.
Plan a recruitment meet-and-greet at an upcoming meeting and invite leaders from local organizations, youth clubs, churches, school boards, and elected officials.
Contact your local government and ask them to pass a resolution acknowledging Parliamentary Law Month.
Have each member of your unit follow the NAP Twitter page.

9/9/2019

MSAP Fall Seminar Sat, Oct 5, 2019

THE MINNESOTA STATE ASSOCIATION OF PARLIAMENTARIANS cordially invite you to the annual MSAP Fall Seminar
Saturday, October 5, 2019

The Bring Back Motions

Registration Fee: $20 if postmarked by September 30th; $25 thereafter.

Send completed form and check (made out to MSAP) to

Treasurer Judy Twisk,
6629 Humboldt Ave. So,
Richfield MN 55423

7:30 am: Breakfast Buffet
8 am - 12 Noon: Motions That Bring a Question Again Before the
Assembly
NAP Convention Re-Cap

Presenters:
Ginny Altman
Darleen Harens
Michael Orr
Miriam Simmons
Robert Vokes

Hilton DoubleTree Hotel
Atrium Room II
7800 Normandale Blvd
Bloomington

7/14/2019

NAP 2019 Convention September 5-8, 2019

Parliamentary education will be king when NAP convenes in Las Vegas. Make sure you’re there for it all!

Join parliamentarians from around the globe at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino for this year’s NAP convention. With more than 45 workshops planned, there truly will be something for everyone, regardless of experience.

more than 45
workshops planned

Even NAP’s biennial business meetings, held during the convention, offer prime education.
Come see parliamentarians in action! more

6/22/2019

Passing of Lehrke, Elmer F.

Elmer Fred Lehrke was born April 15, 1926 in Hollywood Township of Carver County the son of Elmer and Alvina (Braun) Lehrke. He was baptized on May 2, 1926 at St. John Lutheran Church in Hollywood Township with Ernst Braun, Fritz Raether and Meta Braun as his sponsors.

Elmer was united in marriage with Phyllis Umland on January 21, 1961 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa. This union of 58 years was blessed with son Joel.

Elmer operated the family farm in Hollywood Township raising Holstein dairy cattle and crops. His love for farming never faded even as Phyllis and he have been residents of Westview Acres in Waconia for the past ten years. He was proud of his animals and providing for his family.

Elmer was an active member of St. John Lutheran Church in Hollywood Township where he had served as an Elder and sang in the church choir which his wife Phyllis directed for many years.. In earlier years he had played Baritone in a community band. Elmer enjoyed playing cards, especially Sheepshead. He cherished time with his grandchildren Nate and Natalie. Elmer will be remembered for his always positive and kind nature that saw the positive in everything.

Elmer is preceded in death by his parents Elmer and Alvina Lehrke; brother Raymond Lehrke; sisters and brothers-in-law Florence and Rueben Narr, Ethel and Earl Emich; brother-in-law and sister-in-law William and Christy Umland.
Elmer is survived by his loving family: wife Phyllis Lehrke of Waconia; son and daughter-in-law Joel and Heidi Lehrke of Chanhassen; grandchildren Nate Lehrke of Landstuhl, Germany, Natalie Lehrke of Chanhassen; nieces and nephews Duane (Arlene) Narr, Corrine Allen, Donald (Nancy) Narr, David Narr, Cheryl (David Gutzmann) Klemp, Judy (Bruce) Pease, John (Janet) Umland, Julie (Norman) Krause, Peter Umland, Mark (Shelly) Umland; many great nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.
Serving as casket bearers Nate Lehrke, Natalie Lehrke, Judy Pease, Bruce Pease, Donald Narr, David Narr, Peter Umland, Mark Umland.
Arrangements with the Johnson Funeral Home in Waconia. www.johnsonfh.com

6/11/2019

New Officers Installed at June Meeting

Darleen Harens led the installation ceremony of Richard Skimland and Michael Orr at today's monthly meeting:

President: Richard Skimland, RP
Vice President: David Staehlin
Secretary: Michael Orr
Treasurer: Judy Twisk

RP Registered Parliamentarian

6/1/2019

Does the Bible command we use RONR?

The May lesson at NLP posed that and surprising answers to other questions.

HOW DOES RONR DEFINE "POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE?

It Doesn't
Within RONR, there is no such thing as a "point of privilege"
The correct terminology is "question of privilege."

A "MAJORITY" IS THE SAME AS "50% PLUS ONE"

False
"Majority" means "more than half."

"50% + 1 (vote)," happens to be true for even-numbered vote totals, and false for odd-numbered vote totals (i.e., too high a threshold).

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS CANNOT VOTE.

False
Ex-officio members can vote because members can vote, and it makes no difference how one becomes a member of a given committee or board, whether it be by appointment, by election, or by holding another office.

A MEMBER CANNOT NOMINATE OR VOTE HIMSELF.

False
There is no "conflict of interest" in nominating oneself or voting for oneself, as far as RONR is concerned

A "member in "good standing" is current in their dues.

False
RONR does not define "good standing," even though RONR uses the term four times.

The term, as used in some organizations, may include such requirements as not being under any disciplinary action, or having participated in a minimum number of events or meetings, or being current in their dues.

Thus the phrase might mean different things to different organizations.

does The Bible commands us to us RONR?

Of course it does not, though Paul does instruct the early church at Corinth,
“let all things be done decently, and in order.”
1 Corinthians 14:40

5/5/2019

Scenes from the 2019 MSAP Annual Convention

The meeting took place on Saturday, May 4 at the Hilton Hotel in Bloomington, MN

4/2/2019

YOUTH AND JUDGING

January 15
Robert Vokes and Darleen Harens, PRP, served as judges for the BPA (Business Professionals of America) regional parliamentary competition on Friday, January 25 which was held at Wayzata High School, Plymouth, MN.
Three schools sent teams to this competition.

March 8
Darleen Harens, PRP, Michael Orr, RP, and Robert Vokes served as judges for the BPA state parliamentary competition on Friday, March 8 at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis.

Thank you to all the individuals who have consented to assist in judging these high school parliamentary teams.

Darleen Harens, PRP, Chairman
Youth and Judging

(L to R) Michael Orr, Darleen Harens, and Robert Vokes

4/2/2019

2018 Fall Seminar Recap

The theme was: It’s About Time!
Of the 11 who registered, 10 members and guests participated in the 2018 MSAP Fall Seminar.

President Josh Martin, PRP, spoke on the Timing of Motions. Limit and Extend Limits of Debate was the topic of PRP Darleen Harens’s presentation.

After the break, Robert Vokes spoke on Minutes and Pat Reymann, PRP, spoke about Tellers.

Attendees of all skill levels seemed to learn something new in each presentation, all of which were interactive and practical.

(L to R) Judy Twisk, Richard Skimland, Darleen Harens

(L to R) David Staehlin, Josh Martin

Thanks to Miriam Simmons for making the physical arrangements, Judy Twisk for being our AV coordinator, and all the speakers for their presentations.

Pat Reymann, PRP
Seminars Chairman

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