President's Letter
By Martin Brady, Executive Director, Schools Insurance Authority

This expression was used by the British during World War II to reassure the general public during the blitz bombing campaign on London. Although the historical reference is notable, thankfully we do not have to contend with such harsh circumstances today. 

Winston Churchill was prime minister of Britain at that time.  He was a charismatic figure and was known for his rather unique leadership style.  As an example, in response to a reporter's question, he responded by saying, "I'm an optimist.  It doesn't seem too much use being anything else."

The message of keeping calm and carrying on is helpful when one considers the California budget and managing public agencies, be they cities, counties, schools or other municipalities.  In addition, Churchill's statement of optimism is a timely reminder of the qualities that are needed to persevere during difficult times.

A spirit of optimism enables leaders to rise above their current challenges and be open to new ways of tackling old problems.  Optimists can inspire and motivate those around them to foster creativity and be solution-oriented.

Although the New Year will be filled with challenges for all of us, I am confident that we collectively will be bold in meeting the needs of our California public agencies.

CAJPA Fall Conference: The Future is Now

Join us as we look into the future of our organizations at the 2012 CAJPA Fall Conference and Training Seminar.

We will offer great educational sessions and networking opportunities that will keep you up-to-the-minute on the latest happenings with joint powers authorities.

Hotel reservations for  Embassy Suites, Harveys and Harrah's,  are now open. For more information and rates, please visit the CAJPA website.

Mark your calendars for 2012!
September 18-21, 2012
Embassy Suites, South Lake Tahoe

Master Your Meetings: Robert's Rules in Real Life
By Ann G. Macfarlane, Professional Registered Parliamentarian, Jurassic Parliament

Recently, an old-time myth about Robert's Rules of Order reared its ugly head in my email inbox. I didn't scream, but it reminded me of the urban legend about crocodiles living in the New York City sewer system. A colleague wrote, "Isn't it true that once a quorum has been established, if it is not called for again, it remains during the meeting and actions can be taken even if people leave?"

You CAJPA readers are savvy enough to spot the falsity in this proposition, but just for the record I'd like to state clearly here that the "quorum" is "the minimum number of voting members who must be present for business to take place." That's the whole story. It's not "voting members who were here once" or "a fictional number of voting members," it's actual living breathing people who must be in the room and talking about the issues and voting. Or on the conference call. But in any case, hearing each other's arguments and offering their own thoughts in return. This is the essence of deliberative democracy.

The reason for this requirement is to protect the rights of all members, especially the minority. If a few people can take the bit between their teeth and do what they like in the name of the organization, it isn't fair to the rest. If some members have slipped off to Starbucks or the bar, so that we are below our minimum, we need to get them back, or recruit others, before we move forward. To think "oh, if I don't mention this no one will notice and it won't matter" is to behave in a sleazy and slipshod fashion.

This is so, even if the actions we would like to take without a quorum are unexceptionable. We need to gain the consent of a suitable number of our fellow members before we can claim to act for the organization as a whole. It is the right, the honorable, and the legally correct thing to do.