Bylaws specify Robert's Rules for Membership Meeting, but not Board

[g40]

I have recently noticed that two different organizations, with which I have involvement on one sort or another, both have Bylaws that specify Robert's Rules as the parliamentary authority for membership meetings - but are silent about Board meetings. Is there any reason that the Bylaws' Parliamentary authority should not (or could not) apply to both Board meetings and membership meetings?

[Gary Novosielski]

If the proper language* for adoption is used, the rules in the parliamentary authority would certainly be applicable to board meetings.  I can think of no good reason why it should not.  Consequently I can think of no reason to use different language, except inexperience in writing good bylaws.

 

__________

* “The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.”

[Edgar Guest]

Is there any reason that the Bylaws' Parliamentary authority should not (or could not) apply to both Board meetings and membership meetings?

 

I think we sometimes use the term "membership meeting" too often (or too loosely) here (and, apparently, in bylaws as well). All meetings are "membership" meetings. Board meetings are meetings of the membership of the board. 

 

In this particular instance I'd want to see both the exact text of the bylaws regarding the designated parliamentary authority and its placement within the bylaws.

[Josh Martin]

Is there any reason that the Bylaws' Parliamentary authority should not (or could not) apply to both Board meetings and membership meetings?

 

Generally speaking, no, I don't think so. I'm very skeptical of any argument that a parliamentary authority has been adopted to apply only in certain cases, unless this is quite clearly the case, since there is no logical reason to do this. Alternate wording usually just means that the drafters of the bylaws didn't know what they were doing.

 

In the long run, of course, the wording should be amended to read as RONR advises, so that there is no question on the subject.