Work outside the bylaws

[Guest Brad]

Can an organization vote to suspend or work outside the bylaws? This has actually happened once years ago and may be attempted again at our next meeting.

[David A Foulkes]

Can an organization vote to suspend or work outside the bylaws?

As a whole, no. RONR does allow for bylaws which are in the nature of a rule of order to be "suspended" by use of adoption of a motion to Suspend The Rules. Also, any bylaws which allow for their suspension (as included in the bylaw language) could be suspended. It's a safer bet to assume you can't suspend the bylaws, in whole or part, and work from that.

[Guest Brad]

Thank you for the response. Maybe you can help with how to handle the following. If the bylaws state that the members are to vote on a specific agenda item each year (such as where to hold an event), can they vote to give that responsibility to, for instance, an officer or a committee. In the past a motion has been made to work outside the bylaws to allow this to happen, but is that working outside the bylasws? Is this action allowable?

[tctheatc]

Bylaws contain an organization's rules. So what is meant by the term "working outside the bylaws"? Is it working outside or against the rules? One might conclude it is a question that contains its own answer.

If you got pulled over by a police officer for speeding, would you simply tell him you were "driving outside the laws" and there's no problem?

Certainly it's possible not to follow the rules. But then, well, you're not following the rules!

[sMargaret]

Thank you for the response. Maybe you can help with how to handle the following. If the bylaws state that the members are to vote on a specific agenda item each year (such as where to hold an event), can they vote to give that responsibility to, for instance, an officer or a committee. In the past a motion has been made to work outside the bylaws to allow this to happen, but is that working outside the bylasws? Is this action allowable?

How specific are the bylaws about how the members are to vote about the particular item?

Can the members vote to send to committee, and then vote to approve the committee's recommendations, for example?

[Weldon Merritt]

How specific are the bylaws about how the members are to vote about the particular item?

Can the members vote to send to committee, and then vote to approve the committee's recommendations, for example?

I think ther answer to this question clearly is "yes." The assembly certainly has the right to approve, reject, or modify the committee's recommendation, so it is still the assembly that is making the (final) decision. It is less clear whether the assembly can delegate the decision-making authority to a committee or an oficer. I think that woudl depend on the wording of the byalws.