Committee decisions

[DRO0829]

When a standing committee meets and makes a decision validly, does this decision have to come to the Board or general membership to be approved?

[George Mervosh]

It has to come before whatever entity it's supposed to report to and recommend whatever action they've agreed to support....I can't tell you which one.

But unless the bylaws grant the committee the power to take final action (which doesn't happen all that often), it has to report to the superior body.

[Josh Martin]

When a standing committee meets and makes a decision validly, does this decision have to come to the Board or general membership to be approved?

Committees generally only have the power to make recommendations, so it usually would need to report to its parent assembly. I don't know whether that is the board or the general membership for this particular committee. If the committee has been authorized to act on its own by motion or by rule, no further approval is required.

[Rev Ed]

When a standing committee meets and makes a decision validly, does this decision have to come to the Board or general membership to be approved?

The Committee would have to go back to the group that it reports to.

[Gary Novosielski]

Committees generally only have the power to make recommendations, so it usually would need to report to its parent assembly. I don't know whether that is the board or the general membership for this particular committee. If the committee has been authorized to act on its own by motion or by rule, no further approval is required.

If the committee reports to the board, then it cannot be authorized to act on its own, except as authorized in the bylaws. If this standing committee is explicitly empowered in the bylaws to act with autonomy, then it can do so (but still must report its actions). If the bylaws do not expressly grant it that power, the board cannot delegate such power to the committee unless the bylaws expressly grant the board the authority to do so.

(RONR p. 467, l. 31 et seq.)

[Guest Roger]

Our "Legislative, Resolutions and By-laws" committee (7 members) was working on a resolution to recommend to our 8-member association board. One (maybe two) of the committee members was very opposed to this resolution and went to the associations President and threatened to quit the committee and the association if the committee did not drop the issue. The committee had just sent a second draft out when the President contacted me (Committee chair). She informed me about the committee member(s) who were upset and that the board was telling the committee to drop the issue (I am also a board member and there was no vote or discussion about it). Here are my questions:

1) Can the President speak for the board when a vote has not taken place?

2) Can the President (or Board) tell a committee to drop an issue? Our committee does not have autonomy and is their to make recommendations to the board.

3)The other committee members are upset that they were not allowed to vote on the resolution. Our by-laws say that the President appoints committee members and chairs, but does not mention the ability to remove anyone from a committee or as chairperson. If I call for a vote without "permission" from the President or the board, what actions can they take against me?

4) Does RONR list a disciplinary action for committee members who put themselves above the rest of the committee?

[David A Foulkes]

Roger - if you aren't member DRO, please post this in a new topic thread, if you would. Thanks.