Honor Among Scholars

It may be of dubious value to gather 300 lawyers in a room, and equally so to gather 300 parliamentarians in a room. Last week, I discovered that there is merit in gathering 300 scholars in a room. I had the great pleasure to serve as parliamentarian for the triennial council of Phi Beta Kappa here in Austin.

I have often believed that if one spends time with people of character, after awhile, a little of that character might just rub off. Just the same, if one spends time with intelligent people, some of it might rub off. Whether I am any smarter for it, I certainly feel that way after working with numerous professors, Phds, and generally bright people. Oh, and a little character rubbed off too. I am always in need of such personal augmentation.

So what did I learn?  Well, at least three things.  First, I learned that the word snarky is a useful one for parliamentarians.  Second, I learned that logical paradoxes by Lewis Caroll are worth contemplating on a rainy afternoon (see What the Tortoise Said to Achilles).  Third, I learned that playing the saxophone will make you a better writer.

In between the meetings, many of the delegates conversed with me about parliamentary procedure. In most cases, it turned out the delegate had served as a faculty senate parliamentarian. I have no idea how many of the 300 delegates had so served, but I would not be surprised if the number was large. Thus, I had many kindred spirits throughout the assembly. This is not necessarily a good thing, since parliamentary procedure can be used in a manipulative and dilatory way. I saw nothing of the sort. In general, the knowledge of procedure was good and any dilatory actions were accidental.

I was very impressed with the decorum that I witnessed. The level of politeness and orderliness was unsurpassed of any organization I have served or observed. I think there is a good reason for this. Liberal Arts scholars are masters of language. More than any other group, they understand the meaning and power of words. They know how dangerous words can be, and so they were very judicious and careful in their choice of words.

Decorum reduces confusion and eliminates rancorous emotions. Decorum enhances order. Many individuals fail to recognize this. They risk the slippery slope of accusation and personal attack, which always incites disorder and deters organizational progress. There are very good reasons why proper form is best for making motions. Clarity and integrity result. Decorum in debate is even more important in this regard. In form and in debate, the choice of words matters.

Phi Beta Kappa is an important American organization and I was able to vicariously become a part of it for three days. In a small way, I was able to help them with their business and enable them to continue the fine work that this honor society has done for 233 years. That is really what being a parliamentarian is all about.