Robert’s Rules of Order lists the duties of the person who presides over a meeting. They include opening the meeting, announcing the order of business, recognizing members who wish to speak, stating each motion and putting it to a vote, announcing the result of every vote, keeping order and closing the meeting.
Many American clubs, parent-teacher associations and homeowners’ associations run their meetings by these rules. A training text sums up the job in three lines: “Keep order.” “Be fair and impartial.” “Protect the rights of all the members.”