Hello Cissy,
Congratulations for stepping up with your daughter on the School Council!
For starters, a lot of times the way the Council works and a desire to be a team player are the ‘systemic problems’ we hear so much about and some of the highest hurdles to overcome. I encourage you to learn the School Council’s approved‘Bylaws/Rules of Order’ inside and out if you want to be fair, win some debates, and create lasting changes in school policy.
With that being said,'Robert’s Rules of Order' is the most common parliamentary authority manual in America. It’s approved for most School Boards, City/County Commissions, and State level Councils. If approved, the Chair should always have a copy at the meeting for reference. If they’re not approved, it’s always considered very persuasive based on fairness. You can also request a'point of order' during the meeting.
You might want to start by locating the current edition (your library may have one) and please try to read it from cover to cover; it’s worth the extra effort!
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that sometimes you just have to roll up your sleeves and do some of the work [before] the other folks can see the picture in the puzzle or the puzzle in the picture, whichever the case may be.
I’ve seen way too many well intentioned people get silenced without getting a legitimate answer to their questions because there was no pending motion on the floor that has to be answered before moving on.
If you and your daughter are both voting members of the School Council, please consider getting your issues (questions) on the agenda. Then you both can alternate ‘making a motion’ and ‘seconding that motion’ so the entire Council will have to formally vote on the answer to your 'pending question’. The outcome of the vote will then have to be published in the meeting minutes.
"A good answer always starts with a good question".
Much like the U.S. House Resolution 443 that passed recently; preliminary debates have to be won first and then we can move on to what should be done next.
For some, "They will start to see the light, only when they begin to feel the heat."
Good Luck to you and your daughter on the School Council!!!
James Gallant, Marquette County Suicide Prevention Coalition