MEETINGS, AGENDAS, ABBREVIATED ROBERT'S RULES - ONLINE AND OPEN

We working stiffs need a different structure to meetings, agendas, proposals (new business items) and Robert's Rules. Structures and processes from legislative bodies who are paid and who work full time at legislating don't work for people who participate on a part time basis.

I.A.) Proposals need to be posted to the internet 1 week before the monthly meeting, and they'll be debated ONLY for 10 mins., at the end of of the meeting in order of submission by timestamp. 
B.) These newly posted proposals can NOT be voted on until the next meeting. 
C.) After all newly posted proposals have had their 10 mins. the floor is ... open?
 
II.) Proposals which were debated at the last monthly meeting will be voted on at the start of business at the next meeting. 3 for, 3 against, 2 mins. each. NO amendments blah blah blah. Vote yes, no, or abstain. 

III.) We need an abbreviated Robert's Rules ... like 2 index cards.

+++++MY ACERBIC COMMENTARY+++++

I've participated as a fly on the wall lowly grunt for decades in scores of campaigns. 

In the last few years I've figured out that the current methods of meeting & proposing are kind of stuck in the 30's, when lots of us didn't live too far from work and meeting before or after work wasn't that hard. When our methods aren't stuck in the 1930's, our processes are stuck in the 1950's, when millions of Americans had family wage jobs and the 40 hour work week meant something. 

Meetings for us busy peee-ons take too much time, have too many last minute shoved-down-our-throats proposals, and are too frequently sidelined by Robert's Rules of Shenanigans. Robert's Rules are for legislatures, where people are paid to piddle around and ... do cruddy things to each other with the rules.

In the last 2 years, I've suffered through meetings of the Seattle Education Association, Washington Education Association, the 46th Legislative District Democrats, the 36th L.D., some Socialist Alternative thing a few weeks ago over $15 Now. I experience the same stuff, over and over and over: Last minute agendas + last minute proposals + last minute editing and last minute amending + last minute procedural shenanigans = fewer and fewer people participating.