what is a 'returning' member vs. new member?

[Guest Jen W]

HELP! We have some disgruntled 'members' who took out their membership in 2010 and then have not been apart of our society for this whole year 2011 (we perform at rodeos). Now, in Sept. 2011 after all performances are complete, they took out a membership and have come to two meetings and want status as members in Good Standing and therefore want to vote.

The executive and other members are agruing that they are not new members and are returning ones so therefore have not done 75% of the year's activities.

Please help clarify our bylaws below. Thanks.

Section 2. Requirements of Active Riding Member in Good Standing and Active Member in Good Standing (non riding):

Active Riding Member In Good Standing must attend a minimum of seventy-five percent (75%) of each of the scheduled riding functions as well as, seventy-five percent (75%) of each of the other scheduled functions during the current calendar year. New members who join throughout the calendar year will be pro-rated. Seventy-five percent (75%) will commence as of their start date. Active Member In Good Standing (non-riding) must attend a minimum of seventy-five percent (75%) of each of the non riding scheduled functions during the current calendar year. New members who join throughout the calendar year will be pro-rated. Seventy-five percent (75%) will commence as of their start date. Scheduled functions are as described in Section 3. Failure to fulfill the required attendance and participation schedule shall result in the forfeiture of that member's privileges as an Active Riding Member in Good Standing or Active Member in Good Standing.

[Gary Novosielski]

They're your bylaws. You will have to be the ones to clarify them for us. RONR makes no distinction between "new" and "returning" members at all.

In RONR, members are members only while they are members, and are non-members at all other times. The conditions of membership must be contained in your bylaws

If your bylaws call for prorating some duty of membership, there is no rule in RONR that would distinguish a period of non-membership that took place strictly before ever joining from one that took place between two periods of membership. If there are such rules in your bylaws that draw that distinction, follow those rules instead. If there aren't, then try not to make them up where they do not exist. If you are not sure how your bylaws define membership, figure it out as a group.

If there are prorating rules in your bylaws, follow them. if you are not sure what those rules mean, figure it out as a group.

We can't answer questions about what your bylaws mean, since we have not (and will not) read them in their entirety--and that is what it would require. Ultimately it is your assembly, by majority vote, who will decide the meaning of your bylaws.

[J. J.]

I would guess that if you only had two events (if meetings are events) since the (re)joined, and they attended both, they have attended 100% of the events. That's not parliamentary procedure; it is math.