Amendment to Bylaws

[Guest Toby]

Our Bylaws refer to an organization from which we are disengaging. The Bylaws refer to that organization in two or three places, and also contains several references to a term that is copyrighted by that organization. Is it acceptable to modify our Bylaws by deleting references to that organization and by modifying the copyrighted term without presenting the Bylaws to our organization for approval?

[David A Foulkes]

Is it acceptable to modify our Bylaws..... without presenting the Bylaws to our organization for approval?

My guess would be no, but the answer should be found in your bylaws, in the article on amending the bylaws. If it's there, you would follow the procedure detailed there. If not:

"The bylaws should always prescribe the procedure for their amendment, and such provision should always require at least that advance notice be given in a specified manner, and that the amendment be approved by a two thirds vote. If the bylaws contain no provision for their amendment, they can be amended by a two-thirds vote if previous notice (in the sense defined on page 121) has been given, or they can be amended by the vote of a majority of the entire membership." (RONR 11th Ed, p. 580 ll. 25 - p. 581 l. 7)