Guest Bill Posted February 14, 2011 at 08:19 PM Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 at 08:19 PM Our church is meeting in regular conference to receive proposals from our Constitution and By-laws committee. Our current by-laws state in order to change the by-laws, a proposal must be presented at a regular conference and discussion and vote will be held at the next regular scheduled conference. However, our current by-laws authorizes the moderator to call for a Called Conference, at his discretion, to discuss a particular item. The by-laws committee is going to request the moderator call a Called Conference to discuss the new proposed by-laws, as it is their feeling discussing such in a regular conference will be too time consuming. Doesn't the moderator have the authority to call a Called Conference in this situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Harrison Posted February 14, 2011 at 08:28 PM Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 at 08:28 PM Our church is meeting in regular conference to receive proposals from our Constitution and By-laws committee. Our current by-laws state in order to change the by-laws, a proposal must be presented at a regular conference and discussion and vote will be held at the next regular scheduled conference. However, our current by-laws authorizes the moderator to call for a Called Conference, at his discretion, to discuss a particular item. The by-laws committee is going to request the moderator call a Called Conference to discuss the new proposed by-laws, as it is their feeling discussing such in a regular conference will be too time consuming. Doesn't the moderator have the authority to call a Called Conference in this situation?He can but it would likely do little to no good. Since the bylaws say that the introduction of the proposal must be done in a regular conference and the discussion and vote must take place at the next regular conference doing it in a called conference (which would be considered a Special Meeting) will not suffice. I suppose if you want to have a called conference just to have discussion you can do that but anyone who wishes to discuss it again at the regular conference would be free to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted February 14, 2011 at 08:31 PM Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 at 08:31 PM Our church is meeting in regular conference to receive proposals from our Constitution and By-laws committee. Our current by-laws state in order to change the by-laws, a proposal must be presented at a regular conference and discussion and vote will be held at the next regular scheduled conference. However, our current by-laws authorizes the moderator to call for a Called Conference, at his discretion, to discuss a particular item. The by-laws committee is going to request the moderator call a Called Conference to discuss the new proposed by-laws, as it is their feeling discussing such in a regular conference will be too time consuming. Doesn't the moderator have the authority to call a Called Conference in this situation?Sure, but according to your paraphrase of your bylaws, both the presentation/discussion, and the vote must take place at successive regular conferences. So holding a Called conference isn't going to help you at all. "Called" or "special" meetings are not "regular" meetings. These words have definite meanings in parliamentary contexts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Elsman Posted February 14, 2011 at 08:32 PM Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 at 08:32 PM Our church is meeting in regular conference to receive proposals from our Constitution and By-laws committee. Our current by-laws state in order to change the by-laws, a proposal must be presented at a regular conference and discussion and vote will be held at the next regular scheduled conference. However, our current by-laws authorizes the moderator to call for a Called Conference, at his discretion, to discuss a particular item. The by-laws committee is going to request the moderator call a Called Conference to discuss the new proposed by-laws, as it is their feeling discussing such in a regular conference will be too time consuming. Doesn't the moderator have the authority to call a Called Conference in this situation?I cannot give an opinion about bylaws that I have never seen, but you might want to take a look at RONR (10th ed.), p. 571, ll. 24-35, to see if the principle of interpretation discussed there would apply to your situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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