Listing Nominating Committee as Officers in Bylaws

[Guest Camellia Rose]

My organization is a new chapter of a National Organization. We had to submit our Bylaws to the National and Regional organization for approval. The National and Regional organization told us we should move the Nominating Committee to the Article and Section in the Bylaws defining/describing elected OFFICERS. A mentor assigned to us to advise new chapters advised us that the Nominating Committee (although ELECTED BY THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP) are NOT officers and should be removed from this section in our Bylaws. I can't find a recommendation in Roberts Rules to guide me. What is the correct answer? Please site Roberts.....In my organization, if it is not in Roberts, it is not correct.

[Shmuel Gerber]

My organization is a new chapter of a National Organization. We had to submit our Bylaws to the National and Regional organization for approval. The National and Regional organization told us we should move the Nominating Committee to the Article and Section in the Bylaws defining/describing elected OFFICERS. A mentor assigned to us to advise new chapters advised us that the Nominating Committee (although ELECTED BY THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP) are NOT officers and should be removed from this section in our Bylaws. I can't find a recommendation in Roberts Rules to guide me. What is the correct answer? Please site Roberts.....In my organization, if it is not in Roberts, it is not correct.

It would seem that your mentor is mistaken.

First, make sure you have the Right Book (RONR, 10th ed.), so you can look up the citations.

See http://www.robertsrules.com/book.html

Second, see RONR 10th ed., p. 560, lines 31-34 and p. 556, lines 11-21.

See also the sample bylaws, p. 567, lines 5-13.

The placement of provisions related to the Nominating Committee in the article on officers has nothing to do with whether the committee members are officers (which they normally would not be).

[alanh49]

The National and Regional organization told us we should move the Nominating Committee to the Article and Section in the Bylaws defining/describing elected OFFICERS

A mentor assigned to us to advise new chapters advised us that the Nominating Committee (although ELECTED BY THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP) are NOT officers and should be removed from this section in our Bylaws.

Ok which is it?

RONR 10th ed put the nominating committee in the Article on Officers P.567

It would seem that your mentor is mistaken.

And how is the Mentor mistaken?

[Josh Martin]

What is the correct answer?

The mentor is correct that the members of the nominating committee are not officers (unless your Bylaws define them as such, which I would not recommend), but he is incorrect that the nominating committee should be removed from the article on officers. Since the role of the nominating committee is tied in with the nominating and electing procedure for officers, that is a perfectly sensible place to put it and it is what RONR recommends. See RONR, 10th ed., pg. 556, lines 11-21; pg. 567, lines 5-13. The officers of a society are defined by a statement like the one found in RONR, 10th ed., pg. 566, line 33 - pg. 567, line 1, and it usually begins something like "The officers of the Society shall be..." The mere placement of the nominating committee in the article on officers does not make them officers.

And how is the Mentor mistaken?

The mentor is mistaken regarding the proper placement of the nominating committee in the Bylaws.