"Mason's Manual", originally written by constitutional scholar and former California Senate staff member Paul Mason in 1935, and since his death revised and published by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), governs legislative procedures in instances where the state constitution, state statutes, and the chamber's rules are silent. According to the NCSL, one of the many reasons that most state legislatures use "Mason's Manual" instead of "Robert's Rules of Order" is because "Robert's Rules" applies best to private organizations and civic groups that do not meet in daily public sessions. "Mason's Manual", however, is geared specifically toward state legislative bodies.