change in voting rights of prospective members

[deb22]

My club has, in the past, allowed prospective members to vote at general and annual meetings for the election of officers.  The definition of prospective member in our by laws does not address voting rights.  (Prospective members pay the membership fee and sign the membership application) The only mention of voting in our by laws is that the "officers shall be elected by majority vote by ballot of the memnbers in good standing present at the annual meeting."  Members in good standing is never defined.  The current board made an executive mandate recently, without consulting the members or changing any by laws, that prospective members cannot vote in any matter. 

 

Can the board in effect change the interpretation of our by laws without consulting the membership or  amending the bylaws?  Prospective members have been voting for the past 20 years I have been a member.

 

Thanks

Deb

[Timothy]

Just because you've been following a custom for twenty years doesn't mean that it is in line with your rules. If you want to let prospective members vote, you should amend your bylaws accordingly.

[Edgar Guest]

Can the board in effect change the interpretation of our by laws without consulting the membership or  amending the bylaws?

 

In effect? Yes. But the proper procedure is for a member to raise a Point of Order (a claim that a rule is being violated). The chair (of the meeting) will rule on the point of order. The chair's ruling can be appealed (by a member who disagrees with it). In the end, it's the assembly (the members present) that will determine who's "right". And, in the end, it's not the board's responsibility to see that the rules are being obeyed, it's the responsibility of every member of the organization.