Veterans affairs commission adopts new rules to restore order and respect

In the military, the acronym ROE stands for “rules of engagement” and they are guidelines that soldiers use to determine when and how they can use force in a combat situation, but in a Jasper County Veterans Affairs Commission meeting it is the values and regulations board members adhere to retain order.

Commissioners on Oct. 9 unanimously approved the proposed rules and will work them into future meetings. The idea to add rules of engagement — or “rules of etiquette” as it was sometimes referred — was first presented by commission secretary Fred Chabot after recent meetings got heated and sparked backlash.

These new rules state board members shall practice being on time, being prepared, actively listen, not speak over others, limit side conversations, follow the agenda, stay on topic, respect colleagues and guests, turn off cellphones and allow public comment at the end of the meeting unless required prior.

Before the matter was approved by the commission, Chabot stated that perhaps “rules of engagement” was not the correct term to use and that a more accurate phrase would be “core values.” Either way, Chabot and his fellow commissioners were in agreement that the rules be applied to the meeting from now on.

When Chabot first pitched the idea, he likened the ground rules to the mission, vision, goals, commitments and core values that the Newton school board had established back when he was first elected to governing body in the 1990s. This practice is still in use today and is recited before every board meeting.

“I think ground rules are a good guide for this group to have in terms of how we behave, how our staff behaves at these meetings and I think it would be appropriate to add a bullet point or two in regard to what our expectations are of attendees from the general public,” Chabot said at the September meeting.

At the October meeting, commissioner Katherine Thompson presented the rules that would eventually be adopted by her fellow commissioners.