The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure

Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure

Cover of 2012 (5th) edition
Author American Institute of Parliamentarians, Alice Sturgis
Original title Sturgis' Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure
Subject Parliamentary Procedure
Publisher McGraw-Hill
Publication date

Original Edition: 1950

Current Edition: 2012
Pages 326
ISBN 978-0-07-177864-0
OCLC 18765432
060.42

The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (formerly the Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure by Alice Sturgis) is a book of rules of order. It is the second most popular parliamentary authority in the United States after Robert's Rules of Order.[1] It was first published in 1950. Following the death of the original author in 1988, the third (1988) and fourth (2001) editions of this work were revised by a committee of the American Institute of Parliamentarians. In April 2012, a new edition, entitled American Institute of Parliamentarians Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure was released.

The Standard Code (TSC) omits several of the motions and sometimes-confusing terminology used in Robert's Rules of Order (RONR). The cover quote of the 2001 edition states, "Anyone who has trouble with Robert's Rules of Order will welcome the simplicity of this streamlined guide to parliamentary procedure." The Standard Code devotes a chapter to the differences between the two works, along with suggestions for those familiar with the Standard Code when participating in organizations that use "Robert's Rules" as their parliamentary authority.

Robert's Rules of Order versus The Standard Code

Differences between RONR and TSC
Robert's Rules of Order The Standard Code
Motions in RONR
but not in TSC
Call for the orders of the day Use informal request or point of order
Fix the time to which to adjourn Instead amend the privileged motion to adjourn
Objection to the consideration of a question Accomplished by different motions depending on circumstances.[2]
Postpone indefinitely Use form of table (requiring a two-thirds vote)[3]
Motions with
different names
Previous question Close debate and vote immediately (or other variations)
Concepts in RONR but not TSC Committee of the Whole and quasi-committee of the whole Use informal consideration
Terminology differences "Adjourned meeting"
resumption of a meeting following an adjournment
"Continued meeting"
Other differences major differences in the treatment of the motions to reconsider and table;

References

  1. Slaughter, Jim (2000). Parliamentary Journal (AIP) -- A survey of Certified Professional Parliamentarians showed 8% of their clients used TSC
  2. Sturgis, Alice (2001). The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, 4th ed., p. 233–234 (TSC)
  3. TSC, pp. 234-234

Further reading