A I P
C O M M U N I C AT O R AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS
SPRING
2023
President’s Message:
TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Message
1
New AIP Website
1
AIP Officers
3
Calendar of Events
4
Deadline Dates – Communicator
4
Presiding Practicum Recap
4
2023 West Coast Practicum Recap
5
AIP Past Presidents at WCP
5
Save The Date
6
Notice of Candidacy Request
7
Bylaws Proposal Request
7
AIPSC2 Update
7
New CPs
8
Preparing for the CPP Oral Exam – Part 3
9
AIP Youth Committee Update
10
A Study Plan for CP Test
11
Amazon Smile
12
New Members of AIP
12
THE NEW AIP WEBSITE IS NOW LIVE https://aipparl.org/
Spring 2023 | AIP Communicator
Free Speech versus Decorum!
The American Institute of Parliamentarians along with the National Association of Parliamentarians may be one of the last bastions of civility in the world! The meeting protocols of decorum in debate are just no longer present in a great majority of society. There are certainly no or very little rules when it comes to social media or any other method of pubic commentary. These keyboard warriors feel very safe hiding behind their Twitter or Facebook Profiles to “influence” the general public. I have very rarely observed this to be very effective but let’s analyze why the “parliamentarians” are the “watchkeepers” of civility. I have been rebutted many times in meetings when the presiding officer and I softly (at least at first) corrected a member for crossing the line of either
impugning the character or motives of another member or candidate. The scolded party always brings the argument that free speech allows them to say whatever they want, whenever they want. This is not true, even if you are not in a meeting! The U.S. Constitution guarantees that “Congress will make no law . . . . or abridging the freedom of speech.” This guarantees that it will never be against the law to disagree, openly and publicly, with the leaders of the government. The Canadian Charter of Rights contains similar provisions. I do not profess to be a Constitutional Law expert, but I know that there are exceptions to an absolute freedom of speech. The most common example is the prohibition against yelling “Fire” in a crowded theatre. I would also submit from a friend that talking about “The concert was the bomb!” will get you diverted at least temporarily from the TSA Pre-check lane. Both are good examples of the limitation of free speech but there are others. Libel and slander arise from the exercise of your free speech options to the point of damaging another individual’s reputation or business. While the fact that what you said happens to be the truth, is an absolute defense against these counterclaims, nobody wants Continued on following page Page 1