Non-voting members notified of bylaw change proposals?

[Guest Roberta]

We have a number of non-voting members who pay more dues for the privilege of not being required to work but can neither vote nor hold office nor sit on a standing committee.  An executive board member is requiring them all to be notified of the proposed bylaw changes because she has more support with them for the change.  She also insists that they be a part of the discussion at the meeting where this will be brought up.  Is this a good idea?  She has been bullying the members on this issue and this seems like one more bullying tactic to me.

[Richard Brown]

Look to your bylaws first.  What, if anything, do they say about the right of these "non-voting" members to attend meetings and to speak in debate?   If the only restriction in the bylaws is to their right to vote and the other restrictions that you mentioned, I would say that they do have the right to be notified of meetings and to attend meetings and participate in debate.   Perhaps your executive board member is hoping that they can be persuasive. 

 

Edited to change "president" to "executive board member" in the last sentence.