Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, by George Demeter

George Demeter

George Demeter is the author of Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure. The second Wednesday in April has been designated as George Demeter Day in Massachusetts.-Works:*Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, 2nd edition, 1949...

, is a parliamentary authority

Parliamentary authority

A parliamentary authority is a manual on parliamentary law, containing rules of order for the transaction of business in deliberative assemblies...

 manual. It is included in the bank of study materials used in preparing for the Certified Parliamentarian (CP) designation offered by the American Institute of Parliamentarians

American Institute of Parliamentarians

The American Institute of Parliamentarians is a not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1958 for the advancement of parliamentary procedure. From a first-year membership of only 48 members, AlP has grown into a progressive association with active chapters and regions...

. Similar to Robert's Rules of Order

Robert's Rules of Order

Robert's Rules of Order is the short title of a book containing rules of order intended to be adopted as a parliamentary authority for use by a deliberative assembly written by Brig. Gen...

, Demeter's manual notes, "Without rules, there would be injustice and confusion. Hence, it is as necessary to follow the rules of parliamentary law as it is to follow the rules of a ball game or a card game." The book attempts to include everything a presiding officer might need to know, including public courtesies and ceremonies; sample prayers for opening a meeting; organizing a new lodge, chapter or post; times of fraction and discord; acquisition of new members; installation of officers; and adjournment. Chapter 16 contains an "entire meeting in drill form," designed to illustrate a range of parliamentary motions and situations and how a chairman would handle them. Demeter also devotes space to discussing strategic use of parliamentary procedure. The book concludes with "The Greatest Convention Ever Held," an account of the Creation

Creation according to Genesis

The Genesis creation narrative describes the divine creation of the world including the first man and woman...

, in parliamentary terms.

Editions

• Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, 2nd edition, 1949
• Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, 3rd revised edition, 1950, Bostonia Press.
• Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, Universal edition, 1953, Bostonia Press.
• Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, Universal Revised, 1961, Bostonia Press.
• Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, Blue Book edition, 1969, Little, Brown and Company.