[EM] Why Robert's Rules is relevant to this list

[James Gilmour]

Ralph Suter explained:
> I should have clarified the meaning of "parliamentarian." In 
> the US it doesn't refer to a member of parliament, since US 
> doesn't have a parliament. Rather, it refers to people who 
> are experts in meeting procedures (usually Robert's Rules of 
> Order) and who serve as neutral advisors during meetings of 
> different kinds. There are a number of national and regional 
> associations of such people. I imagine there are such people 
> in the UK but who use a different word to describe themselves. 

I was aware that the US does not have a parliament, but I had not appreciated the special US meaning of the word
"parliamentarian" as explained above.  In most of the world, including the World Bank, the term "parliamentarian" is
used to describe a member of a national legislature without regard to the actual legal structure.
So far as I am aware, we do not have any equivalent in the UK to the US parliamentarians.  I now understand a little
better why Robert's Rules of Order have such a special place in US affairs.
James Gilmour