bylaw committee

[Guest radar]

in our organization we have chapters and an exexcutive board. In the executive board bylays it states that the president , of executive board appoints a bylaw committee to review any proposed changes that come from any chapters, what are the duties of this bylaw committee have, would like to know answer and where we would find this answer in RR's

[jstackpo]

This level of administrative detail -- telling a bylaws committee what to do and how much authority they may have -- is not in RONR; it is up to your association to decide how much or what the committee is to do.

If your bylaws say no more than "review", then that is all they can do. I suppose the committee can then report what they found in their review, but I (this is my opinion only) would think making recommendations would not be part of the review & report.

[Guest Cynthia]

When a committee, say bylaw committee, has been appointed by the President of a group, when does that committee cease to exist? Is it in effect for the term of the President or just until the bylaws have been passed, if nothing is stated as such in the bylaws?

[Gary Novosielski]

A special (as opposed to standing) committee such as this one, is appointed for a specific task. It ceases to exist once it completes its task, rises, and reports its recommendations back to the assembly that appointed it, or until it is discharged, whichever occurs first.

[Matt Schafer]

When a committee, say bylaw committee, has been appointed by the President of a group, when does that committee cease to exist? Is it in effect for the term of the President or just until the bylaws have been passed, if nothing is stated as such in the bylaws?

Was this committee created by the membership or at a membership meeting? Or was it created at a board meeting, instead?

[Sean Hunt]

A special (as opposed to standing) committee such as this one, is appointed for a specific task. It ceases to exist once it completes its task, rises, and reports its recommendations back to the assembly that appointed it, or until it is discharged, whichever occurs first.

Or, if the assembly that appointed it has regularly rotating membership (such as an elected board), when a rotation occurs.

[Bruce Lages]

Or, if the assembly that appointed it has regularly rotating membership (such as an elected board), when a rotation occurs.

I think RONR makes that stipulation only in the case of standing committees.

[Matt Schafer]

I think RONR makes that stipulation only in the case of standing committees.

It also applies to special committees that are appointed by a body whose members have terms that expire (unless the motion appointing the committee explicitly requires the committe to report after the change in membership). This rule was expanded in the 11th edition. See RONR, 11th ed., p. 502, l. 31 through p. 503, l. 2.

However, if the special committee is appointed by the full assembly, whose members do not have a term, the committee continues its work even if an annual meeting intervenes (p. 502, ll. 29-31).

[Bruce Lages]

Thanks, Matt. So, in answer to guest Cynthia's question: a bylaw committee appointed by the president would cease to exist after it submits its report to the president (or whoever it was directed to report to), whether or not any recommended bylaw changes are passed. If it reported to the president only and did not report beforehand, it would cease to exist when the president's term expires. If it reported to the general membership, as Matt noted, it would not expire until it presented its report or was discharged.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Bruce Lages