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]

Duplicate post.  I'm going to answer in the other one which was apparently posted first by a few seconds.

[TREBOR]

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.

 

The key word is "member". The  rules giving them the right of membership without the right to vote, hold office or to be a member of a standing committee does not prevent them from attending meetings, to make motions or to speak in debate.  As members they have the right to receive notice of bylaw amendments and for that matter any notices required to be sent to members in accordance with the rules of the organization.  RONR, page 3 defines members.  If the bylaws provide for the exclusions of some rights of these non-voting members they are saying that the non-voting members have all the other rights of membership.   RONR, page 89 requires notices to be sent to each member unless a different standard is specified by rule. See RONR. page 596 for giving notice of amendments to bylaws.