Bylaws

[Anawat47]

We have an executive committee amending the bylaws without making any approvals to keep the amendments. An election has taken place and a new body of executive members have been elected; Do they continue to work on the bylaw amendments and adhere to the current bylaws in place or do they approve the amendments while continuing to do business? Help please

[Josh Martin]

We have an executive committee amending the bylaws without making any approvals to keep the amendments.

I think we're going to need a more detailed explanation of what you mean by this in order to provide a meaningful answer. So far as RONR is concerned, once the Bylaws are amended, that's it. There is no need for a vote to "keep" the amendments. On the other hand, it would be unusual for the Executive Committee to be able to amend the Bylaws. Generally speaking, the Executive Committee would only be able to make recommendations, and the general membership would have the final say.

[David A Foulkes]

We have an executive committee amending the bylaws without making any approvals to keep the amendments. An election has taken place and a new body of executive members have been elected; Do they continue to work on the bylaw amendments and adhere to the current bylaws in place or do they approve the amendments while continuing to do business? Help please

If you haven't already, do take a look in the bylaws for an article on Amendment, probably near the end. That will tell you how the bylaws get amended, including any required notice, special voting threshold, and what body/people are authorized to amend them.

Reading between the lines, I took it to mean the exec committee was reviewing the bylaws for changes to be made, in order to present to (perhaps) the membership for a vote. But as Mr. Martin states, more details (just a few, enough, not the org's whole history, mind you) will help.

[Anawat47]

If you haven't already, do take a look in the bylaws for an article on Amendment, probably near the end. That will tell you how the bylaws get amended, including any required notice, special voting threshold, and what body/people are authorized to amend them.

Reading between the lines, I took it to mean the exec committee was reviewing the bylaws for changes to be made, in order to present to (perhaps) the membership for a vote. But as Mr. Martin states, more details (just a few, enough, not the org's whole history, mind you) will help.

Article V amendments: These‑by‑laws may be amended, updated or repealed and new by‑laws may be adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the voting members present at a regular or special meeting providing such a number of voting (members constitute a quorum as defined in section 2.10 of the by‑laws. Any amendments must be mailed at least five (5) days before the next meeting, if the amendments are to be approved at that meeting. Thanks for help

[Anawat47]

I think we're going to need a more detailed explanation of what you mean by this in order to provide a meaningful answer. So far as RONR is concerned, once the Bylaws are amended, that's it. There is no need for a vote to "keep" the amendments. On the other hand, it would be unusual for the Executive Committee to be able to amend the Bylaws. Generally speaking, the Executive Committee would only be able to make recommendations, and the general membership would have the final say.

Our bylaws does not stiputlate the executive members solely makjing amendments to the bylaws nor staff. We are a policy council for a HeadStart program and we've adopted rules consistent with RONR. However the staff has this issue continually trying to move our meeting along with only their agendas by misleading, misinforming and misinterpreting our bylaws. The full council needs to approve or have the final say regarding the bylaws? Thanks again for helping

[Bruce Lages]

It sounds like you need to figure out what body of "voting members" that bylaw article is referring to. Is there a general membership in addition to the executive committee? Or perhaps a board as well? I'd take another look at that article on amendments to see if it defines more specifically which body of voting members has the authority to amend. It would not be unreasonable to presume that, in the absence of more specfic language, the amending authority resides with the general membership, but your organization will have to make that determination.

[Tim Wynn]

It would not be unreasonable to presume that, in the absence of more specfic language, the amending authority resides with the general membership, but your organization will have to make that determination.

It would be unreasonable to presume otherwise.

[Josh Martin]

Our bylaws does not stiputlate the executive members solely makjing amendments to the bylaws nor staff. We are a policy council for a HeadStart program and we've adopted rules consistent with RONR. However the staff has this issue continually trying to move our meeting along with only their agendas by misleading, misinforming and misinterpreting our bylaws. The full council needs to approve or have the final say regarding the bylaws? Thanks again for helping

All right, I think we're on the same page now. It appears that the Executive Committee was working on some proposed amendments to the Bylaws which would eventually be brought forth to the full council for final adoption. Since there has been an election for the Executive Committee, anything the EC was working on "falls to the ground," so it will be up to the new members of the Executive Committee to determine what to do at this point. They could certainly take up the amendments again, or start working on their own, or forget the whole thing. In any event, everyone should continue to follow the current Bylaws unless and until the Bylaws are amended by the full council.