On the floor!

I was on the floor twice today, although I wish the circumstances were better. Harriet McCabe tripped and got a bloody nose during a recess, so they needed a reserve delegate on the fly, and also later at night since she needed to get some rest. She seemed to be doing well, just tired from all the commotion. I'm sure she will be fine tomorrow, which is good - Harriet is amazing, and I have really enjoyed our time together this last 10 months on the delegation.

I got up the nerve to speak twice tonight on the floor on two pieces of legislation: one that supported a study of Native American ministries, and one that would study the creation of a new United Methodist Hymnal. I was a little nervous, but I thought my points were OK. On the hymnal issue, three of the four speakers were my age or younger, which was great. Not that I am keeping score, but both of the petitions I supported with speeches passed. :)

Overall, my impression is that people like to offer amendments frivolously, and that Roberts Rules are far too forgiving for amendments, especially in a body of this side. It takes forever for someone to be recognized, walk to a microphone, state their name twice, offer an amendment, ask for a second, explain their amendment, ask for debate, hear two speeches for and against, unlimited questions, finally a vote, then the amendment passes and we still have to vote on the original thing.

Tomorrow, I may be on the floor again; one of our delegates had to go to a committee meeting that began after the 11:30 adjournment of the plenary. Lord have mercy.