bylaw amendments

[Guest Dolores Castle]

In this day and age we've used email to send our state auxiliary information out to include convention notices, daily updates, newsletters instead of mailings to save funds for our organization.  We've previously sent notices of pending bylaw amendments that were included with a complete package of impending annual business meeting information; These notices were also sent out via our monthly/quarterly newsletters since about 2008; which were sent via email, too. Our bylaws don't reflect how to address bylaw amendment.  There were no complaints at those times that it was illegal to use email as Roberts Rules said they had to be mailed. Now we have a complaint saying that we didn't post the notices legally according to Robert's Rules. This member only objects that we emailed the notices to the presidents' of our auxiliaries on their own, but she doesn't object that the notices were also sent via email contained in our newsletters. What's the difference, whether in the emailed newsletter or standing alone in an email. Did we not establish a precedence and is not the internet system considered an established form of communication?  We have four officers in agreement on this and our president is trying to bully us into her decision becasue she's trying to mani[pulate the bylaws to get something done her way.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

[Dan Honemann]

In this day and age we've used email to send our state auxiliary information out to include convention notices, daily updates, newsletters instead of mailings to save funds for our organization.  We've previously sent notices of pending bylaw amendments that were included with a complete package of impending annual business meeting information; These notices were also sent out via our monthly/quarterly newsletters since about 2008; which were sent via email, too. Our bylaws don't reflect how to address bylaw amendment.  There were no complaints at those times that it was illegal to use email as Roberts Rules said they had to be mailed. Now we have a complaint saying that we didn't post the notices legally according to Robert's Rules. This member only objects that we emailed the notices to the presidents' of our auxiliaries on their own, but she doesn't object that the notices were also sent via email contained in our newsletters. What's the difference, whether in the emailed newsletter or standing alone in an email. Did we not establish a precedence and is not the internet system considered an established form of communication?  We have four officers in agreement on this and our president is trying to bully us into her decision becasue she's trying to mani[pulate the bylaws to get something done her way.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

 

What, exactly, do your bylaws require in order to amend them?

[Edgar Guest]

Our bylaws don't reflect how to address bylaw amendment.

 

Nothing at all? (Look near the end.)

[rugratd]

What, exactly, do your bylaws require in order to amend them?

See Section 4 below:

This is all our bylaws say re: bylaws...RR's said mailed out , but question is in this day and age can email be considered RR's MAIL? There are several like-minded opionions because she doesn't dispute the notice being in a newsletter sent by email! she's splitting hairs.

Section 4

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the Auxiliary in all cases where the rules are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the State Auxiliary may adopt. No individual Auxiliary bylaws may supersede the Colorado State Ladies Auxiliary’s bylaws.  These bylaws may be amended by approval of two-thirds of the delegates present at the Annual Business Meeting.

[Edgar Guest]

These bylaws may be amended by approval of two-thirds of the delegates present at the Annual Business Meeting.

 

Then that's the rule you must obey (and that rule supersedes the RONR default).

 

But your State bylaws might have something to say about it.

[rugratd]

 

Then that's the rule you must obey (and that rule supersedes the RONR default).

 

But your State bylaws might have something to say about it

We are the state and we weren't trying to amend outside of the annual business meeting.  We only delivered the proposed amendment notice to the membership  via a notification in our newsletter which is sent to them by email and the other notices were also sent by email, but not in a newsletter. May I re-state that we've been using email communications for most of the auxiliary's business going back to 2006. 

Maybe I've put this question wrong? Sending notification of a bylaw amendment proposal...Snail mail or email - can both be acceptable?

[Edgar Guest]

Maybe I've put this question wrong? Sending notification of a bylaw amendment proposal...Snail mail or email - can both be acceptable?

 

From what you've posted it looks like no notice of any kind is required.

[rugratd]

From what you've posted it looks like no notice of any kind is required.

Thank you for your time and talent. Very sorry to have confused the issue.

[Bruce Lages]

For future reference, should you decide that providing notice is a good idea, consider what RONR does say:

 

"When notice is required to be sent, unless a different standard is specified that requirement is met if written notice is sent to each member either:

 

a)  by postal mail to the member's last known address, or

 by a form of electronic communication, such as e-mail or fax, by which the member has agreed to receive notice."

 

RONR, 11th ed. p.89,ll.16-22 (my emphasis added)