I belong to a club that is incorporated in CA and also a registered non-profit. The board decided almost two years ago NOT to publish the monthly general membership meeting minutes, nor to read them at the monthly general membership club meeting. However it was said that general membership meeting minutes were available for viewing on the secretary's electronic notebook before the meeting. Previous administrations published general membership meeting minutes in the monthly newsletter, but did not read them at the following general membership club meeting. However, the opportunity to amend the minutes was available because the club members were at least provided them in the newsletter to review. Our bylaws DO NOT establish that general membership meeting minutes be published in the newsletter. The only reference to publishing general membership meeting minutes or the content of the newsletter appears in the duties of the Editor. It reads:
1. The editor shall send a monthly newsletter via email or hardcopy to all members in good standing outlining past, current, and future club events.
On page li (RONR 11th ed.) it talks about the 'rules of parliamentary law... be constructed upon a careful balance of the rights of persons or subgroups within an organization's or an assembly's total membership'. It continues saying 'these rules are based on a regard for the rights:
of the majority
of the minority
of individual members
of absentees, and
of all these together'
At most the general membership meeting consists of 20% of the total club membership. The 'absentees' are totally left out of the club's business and they constitute the greatest portion all groups (majority, minority, absentees). When you consider 'individual members' and grouping 'all these together' the rights of absentee club members are severely limited and restricted. To quote RONR on p. lii, 'Fundamentally, under the rules of parliamentary law, a deliberative body is a free agent - fee to do what it wants to do with the greatest measure of protection to itself and of consideration for the rights of its members.'
My point is that when all club members are not given the general membership meeting minutes in the newsletter their rights to be informed of club business are not observed.
I've checked RONR but maybe I missed something. But I am looking for either a state or federal law/regulation/requirement that says general membership meeting minutes must be distributed to the organization's membership. Any supporting documentation would be appreciated. The best thing to do is to obviously change the bylaws to add 'club meeting minutes' somewhere within.
