jtc0601 Posted November 30, 2014 at 01:47 PM Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 at 01:47 PM How can an organization refuse someone membership? In a recent discussion with our Region One President she said there is nothing in our Bylaws that state we can't refuse membership from someone. If they will be a detrimental member we are within our rights to refuse them. The problem is requirements to join our membership is very limited and we really don't know in the beginning if they should be refused membership. So it would be after the fact should they need to be removed. Should a proposal be made to change to our Bylaws to include a "Code of Ethics Behavior" and who would decide that Code? Our Bylaws state we can suspend someone that is arrested, but only expel them if they are convicted of a criminal offense other than a traffic violation. But that also brings up who will be the one to decide the Ethics of each case? It seems impossible to get the negativity out of the organization once they are in member. Any suggestions? It feels like a catch 20/20 situation.... Our Bylaws cite: Article IV: MembersSection 1. Membership"The Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational corporation. Members with full privileges are not commissioned officers of any law enforcement agency nor are they to represent themselves as such (unless coincidental). Membership in this Association shall be extended to those persons who are:(a) graduated of the --- ---- Academy; or ( granted Honorary Membership as defined in Section 2; or © Ex-officio Members as defined in Section 3. Article IV: MembersSection 4. Inclusion policy No person shall be denied Membership in the Association because of age, race, religion or gender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted November 30, 2014 at 01:59 PM Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 at 01:59 PM Most organizations have specific eligibility requirements for members. But: you need to follow what is in your bylaws currently until you can change them. RONR (11th ed.), p. 584 contains a sample bylaws article for membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted November 30, 2014 at 02:38 PM Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 at 02:38 PM Any suggestions? It feels like a catch 20/20 situation.... Or maybe a Catch-22 situation? In any case, your organization is free to establish whatever membership requirements it wants. It's also free to establish its own rules for expulsion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hieu H. Huynh Posted November 30, 2014 at 02:55 PM Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 at 02:55 PM ... Should a proposal be made to change to our Bylaws to include a "Code of Ethics Behavior" and who would decide that Code? ... who will be the one to decide the Ethics of each case? ... Any suggestions? It is ultimately up to your organization to decide on "ethics". How about forming an ethics committee? Such a committee could make recommendations to the membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtc0601 Posted November 30, 2014 at 04:16 PM Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 at 04:16 PM Yeah I got the Catch-22 wrong. What do you expect at 4:30am? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted November 30, 2014 at 04:24 PM Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 at 04:24 PM How can an organization refuse someone membership? .............................Our Bylaws cite: Article IV: MembersSection 4. Inclusion policy No person shall be denied Membership in the Association because of age, race, religion or gender.Using the principles of interpretation in RONR, it seems to me that your organization is already free to deny membership to anyone on any basis other than age, race, religion or gender. As others have said, you can amend your bylaws to establish whatever criteria you want for membership and for approving/disapproving membership applications. You can also have a committee of whatever you want to call it (ethics, complaints, investigations, judicial, etc) to investigate allegations of misconduct and to make recommendations to the membership. You can establish procedures, if you don't already have them, for disciplining, suspending and expelling members. In the absence of such procedures in your bylaws, RONR devotes 26 pages to disciplinary matters in chapter XX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted November 30, 2014 at 04:25 PM Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 at 04:25 PM How can an organization refuse someone membership? In a recent discussion with our Region One President she said there is nothing in our Bylaws that state we can't refuse membership from someone. If they will be a detrimental member we are within our rights to refuse them. The problem is requirements to join our membership is very limited and we really don't know in the beginning if they should be refused membership. So it would be after the fact should they need to be removed. Should a proposal be made to change to our Bylaws to include a "Code of Ethics Behavior" and who would decide that Code? Our Bylaws state we can suspend someone that is arrested, but only expel them if they are convicted of a criminal offense other than a traffic violation. But that also brings up who will be the one to decide the Ethics of each case? It seems impossible to get the negativity out of the organization once they are in member. Any suggestions? It feels like a catch 20/20 situation.... Our Bylaws cite: Article IV: MembersSection 1. Membership"The Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational corporation. Members with full privileges are not commissioned officers of any law enforcement agency nor are they to represent themselves as such (unless coincidental). Membership in this Association shall be extended to those persons who are:(a) graduated of the --- ---- Academy; or ( granted Honorary Membership as defined in Section 2; or © Ex-officio Members as defined in Section 3. Article IV: MembersSection 4. Inclusion policy No person shall be denied Membership in the Association because of age, race, religion or gender. Your membership policy is contained in your bylaws, which only your organization can interpret, or amend. And you'll need to read them in their entirety, because the part you quoted says nothing about how membership is extended, whether a vote is required to approve membership, what grounds there are for denying membership, what grounds there are for terminating membership (although RONR chapter XX may help) and other questions that may have a bearing on your situation. All RONR says is that you set your membership requirements, and then you follow them unless and until they're amended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Goldsworthy Posted November 30, 2014 at 08:43 PM Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 at 08:43 PM Q. How can an organization refuse someone membership? . . . President . . . said there is nothing in our Bylaws that state we can't refuse membership from someone. If they will be a detrimental member we are within our rights to refuse them. The problem is requirements to join our membership is very limited and we really don't know in the beginning if they should be refused membership. So it would be after the fact should they need to be removed. Q. Should a proposal be made to change to our Bylaws to include a "Code of Ethics Behavior" and who would decide that Code? Our Bylaws state we can suspend someone that is arrested, but only expel them if they are convicted of a criminal offense other than a traffic violation. Q. But that also brings up who will be the one to decide the Ethics of each case? It seems impossible to get the negativity out of the organization once they are in member. Any suggestions? *** IV.1Membership in this Association shall be extended to those persons who are:(a) graduated of the --- ---- Academy; or(b.) granted Honorary Membership as defined in Section 2; or(c.) Ex-officio Members as defined in Section 3.IV.4No person shall be denied Membership in the Association because of age, race, religion or gender. *** There is missing information. Q. Are "extensions" #a, #b, #c, the ONLY methods by which a person can become a member? IF "YES":then Rule IV.4 is meaningless.Since the three methods (#a, #b, #c) are absolute, then there will never be an opportunity to trigger Rule IV.4.That is, since Rule IV.1 does not discriminate by those categories in its #a, #b, #c, then to utter "We do not discriminate by categories X, Y, Z," is redundant.As a sentence, it contributes nothing. Q. Are "extensions" #a, #b, #c, INSTANT and AUTOMATIC? IF "YES",Then likewise, same comments. IF(a.) there is a fourth way to become a member,OR(b.) the three categories (#a, #b, #c) are NOT instant and automatic,THENThe answer is simple:"Just go ahead and 'discriminate' on a category other than age, race, religion, or gender." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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