Guest Donald Posted October 6, 2011 at 03:44 PM Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 at 03:44 PM When a set of bylaw's have multiple amendments, is it required to have a motion and vote for each individual amendment; or, can a single motion be made to amend the bylaw's with discussion for the various changes which can then be voted upon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted October 6, 2011 at 03:48 PM Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 at 03:48 PM The latter. The "all-in-one-vote" is called a "general revision". RONR p. [593/575]* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted October 19, 2011 at 03:50 PM Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 at 03:50 PM Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted October 19, 2011 at 03:54 PM Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 at 03:54 PM At what point during a formal meetings agenda (using parliamentary procedure) should bylaws be introduced and voted on? Special Orders? New Business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Hunt Posted October 19, 2011 at 04:55 PM Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 at 04:55 PM When a set of bylaw's have multiple amendments, is it required to have a motion and vote for each individual amendment; or, can a single motion be made to amend the bylaw's with discussion for the various changes which can then be voted upon?I feel that Mr. Stackpole's answer deserves a little elaboration. If you are rewriting your bylaws as a whole, then that is a general revision. If you are making a number of amendments to the current bylaws, but each of these is a small, independent amendment, then you should probably not consider this to be a general revision. The critical distinction is that when a general revision is brought forward, any amendment is in order; when individual amendments are brought forward, the only amendments that can be made to the bylaw amendment are those in keeping with the notice which was originally given.If you are bringing forward multiple small, independent amendments, then you can move them all as a single motion, which could be divided by a Division of the Question.At what point during a formal meetings agenda (using parliamentary procedure) should bylaws be introduced and voted on? Special Orders? New Business?If you're using the standard order of business from RONR, bylaw amendments are New Business unless they are coming are a committee report. Special Orders and Unfinished Business and General Orders are to be used only for business that specifically falls under one of those categories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted October 19, 2011 at 05:05 PM Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 at 05:05 PM This was very helpful. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Wynn Posted October 19, 2011 at 05:32 PM Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 at 05:32 PM If you're using the standard order of business from RONR, bylaw amendments are New Business unless they are coming are a committee report. Special Orders and Unfinished Business and General Orders are to be used only for business that specifically falls under one of those categories.Actually, if notice has been given of a bylaw amendment, it becomes a general order. See RONR (11th ed,), p. 596, ll. 25-27. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Hunt Posted October 19, 2011 at 06:16 PM Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 at 06:16 PM Actually, if notice has been given of a bylaw amendment, it becomes a general order. See RONR (11th ed,), p. 596, ll. 25-27.I sit corrected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Posted October 21, 2011 at 01:57 AM Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 at 01:57 AM Our club's bylaws state simply that these bylaws may be amended at any membership meeting provided notice was given of the proposed amendments at least 15 days prior to the meeting. We have one member who insists this means any amendments must first go through the bylaw committee and be approved, then go before the BOD and be approved and only then go to the membership during the meeting in question. To me, the vagueness of our current bylaw means any member who wants to amend the bylaws may do so by sending proper notice and then having the proposal go before the general membership without prior approval by anyone. Not ideal, but currently allowable. This is causing some very tense meetings. Any help would be very much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Hunt Posted October 21, 2011 at 02:43 AM Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 at 02:43 AM Our club's bylaws state simply that these bylaws may be amended at any membership meeting provided notice was given of the proposed amendments at least 15 days prior to the meeting. We have one member who insists this means any amendments must first go through the bylaw committee and be approved, then go before the BOD and be approved and only then go to the membership during the meeting in question. To me, the vagueness of our current bylaw means any member who wants to amend the bylaws may do so by sending proper notice and then having the proposal go before the general membership without prior approval by anyone. Not ideal, but currently allowable. This is causing some very tense meetings. Any help would be very much appreciated.Your bylaws contain a rule for their own amendment, so that's how it is. If the assembly doesn't want to vote on them straight away, they should Refer the motion to the bylaw committee for further study. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Wynn Posted October 21, 2011 at 02:47 AM Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 at 02:47 AM Our club's bylaws state simply that these bylaws may be amended at any membership meeting provided notice was given of the proposed amendments at least 15 days prior to the meeting. We have one member who insists this means any amendments must first go through the bylaw committee and be approved, then go before the BOD and be approved and only then go to the membership during the meeting in question. To me, the vagueness of our current bylaw means any member who wants to amend the bylaws may do so by sending proper notice and then having the proposal go before the general membership without prior approval by anyone. Not ideal, but currently allowable. This is causing some very tense meetings. Any help would be very much appreciated.See RONR (11th ed.), p. 121 ff. for the details of notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted October 21, 2011 at 02:50 AM Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 at 02:50 AM To me, the vagueness of our current bylaw means any member who wants to amend the bylaws may do so by sending proper notice and then having the proposal go before the general membership without prior approval by anyone. Not ideal, but currently allowable. This is causing some very tense meetings. Any help would be very much appreciated.They're not vague, that's actually what they say. But there's no need for tense meetings as a result. Even if the member brings an amendment to the assembly, there is nothing to prevent a member of the assembly from moving to Refer it to the bylaws committee. Once the committee thus has it under consideration, the same amendment may not be brought to the assembly.Moving to refer the motion is almost always going to be less tension-producing than arguing over whether or not it should have been sent there first, or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nancy N. Posted October 21, 2011 at 05:11 AM Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 at 05:11 AM I'm a member of a club that cannot amend its bylaws, because amending the bylaws means giving notice and giving notice means having the bylaws committee review the proposals and we don't have a bylaws committee to review the proposals because the members of the bylaws committee were referred to the crocodiles-feeding committee for review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted October 21, 2011 at 05:30 AM Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 at 05:30 AM I'm a member of a club that cannot amend its bylaws, because amending the bylaws means giving notice and giving notice means having the bylaws committee review the proposals and we don't have a bylaws committee to review the proposals because the members of the bylaws committee were referred to the crocodiles-feeding committee for review.Thank you for sharing.Now what is your question regarding Robert's Rules of Order? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Posted October 21, 2011 at 03:27 PM Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 at 03:27 PM I'm afraid my question may have been vague. In this particular case, the bylaw amendments were being presented during the bylaw committee report at the membership meeting and had come from the committee itself. The member in question, not liking any of the proposed amendments, rose and started an attack on the motives and methods used by the committee and insisted that the bylaw amendments not go to the floor for discussion. Thereby, the tension. I belong to a national chapter of this local club where the bylaws are very specific on the process for amendment. But any proposed amendments, having followed the process, are always allowed to go forward to the general membership. They cannot be killed in the bylaws committee or by the BOD. This is what I was used to and assumed it was the proper procedure. It allows for any member, even if in the minority, to at least have his idea heard and voted on. If it gets voted down, so be it. But surely the originator should have the opportunity to explain the rationale behind the proposal, let others add their perspective, and then have the membership vote.So my questions are:If not specifically addressed in the current bylaws, is there any requirement for a bylaws committee?If so, or if a bylaw committee already exists, does it have veto power over amendments submitted to it if not given that power in the bylaws?If not specifically addressed in the current bylaws, does the BOD have the power to veto the proposed amendments, and if so, when?I'm afraid this is going to be a continuing problem and it's really a shame. I don't think there's as much real disagreement on the actual issues as it appears, but we can never get to the point of havingThey're not vague, that's actually what they say. But there's no need for tense meetings as a result. Even if the member brings an amendment to the assembly, there is nothing to prevent a member of the assembly from moving to Refer it to the bylaws committee. Once the committee thus has it under consideration, the same amendment may not be brought to the assembly.Moving to refer the motion is almost always going to be less tension-producing than arguing over whether or not it should have been sent there first, or not.Your bylaws contain a rule for their own amendment, so that's how it is. If the assembly doesn't want to vote on them straight away, they should Refer the motion to the bylaw committee for further study.an intelligent discussion if these ideas are never allowed to get the floor for consideration. Oftentimes, once an amendment gets to the floor for discussion and gets picked apart, even the originator might decide it's a bad idea. Or, on the other hand, someone totally against the measure may hear something that changes their mind. Either way, we should be able have a civil, thorough discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Wynn Posted October 21, 2011 at 03:30 PM Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 at 03:30 PM Bill, The answer to all three of your questions is no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted October 24, 2011 at 12:22 AM Report Share Posted October 24, 2011 at 12:22 AM If your bylaws do not limit (or augment) the powers and duties of the Bylaws Committee beyond what RONR says, then they have only those powers and duties. They consider questions referred to them by the parent body, or any matters relating to specific classes of business which are automatically referred to them (again in the bylaws).They report their recommendations to the parent body, which is then free to forward their recommendations to the membership in cases such as this, where the membership has the final vote. The Bylaws Committee does not have the power to "veto" motions under its consideration that propose amendments to the bylaws, but it certainly has the power to recommend against their adoption. And, it may also recommend changes to the language of the proposal to turn it into a logical, grammatical, comprehensible proposition that is in keeping with the stated purposes of the organization. Specific procedures beyond those general powers common to any committee, would need to be found in your bylaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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