Nonvoting members

[kdjsd]

Our standing rules state that a nonvoting member may not vote, hold office or serve as a committee chairman. If they are on a committee can they vote is our question. We have not been able to locate any information in Robert's Rules that deals with this matter or we just simply aren't understanding the wording. Your help in locating this information would be greatly appreciated.

[jstackpo]

Although defining what the full consequences of being a "non-voting member" might be is up to your bylaws, I would argue that your NVMs can vote in committees to which they are assigned or are members.

This is because even a (completely) non-member of an association can vote in an association committee (RONR, p. 492, 174-175) under one condition: the non-member must be approved by the assembly.

So, if your association (not just the appointing authority, unless that authority is the assembly) grants permission for the NVM to vote in committee meetings, I'd give it a go.