manAscending Posted January 10, 2015 at 09:54 PM Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 at 09:54 PM An organization's bylaws trump its parliamentary authority, correct? The reason I ask is because my organization's bylaws state that the current version of RONR will be the official authority for conducting all meetings, but the bylaws are missing a blurb which clarifies how the rules in RONR govern only in cases "in which they are not inconsistent with [the] bylaws and any special rules of order the [organization] may adopt" (taken from here). Without the specificity of that missing phrase, can it still be assumed that our bylaws trump the parliamentary authority where the two are inconsistent? We are in the process of amending our bylaws to remedy that lack of clarity. I'd still like to hear the pros weigh in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted January 10, 2015 at 10:00 PM Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 at 10:00 PM An organization's bylaws trump its parliamentary authority, correct? Yes. The reason I ask is because my organization's bylaws state that the current version of RONR will be the official authority for conducting all meetings, but the bylaws are missing a blurb which clarifies how the rules in RONR govern only in cases "in which they are not inconsistent with [the] bylaws and any special rules of order the [organization] may adopt" (taken from here). Without the specificity of that missing phrase, can it still be assumed that our bylaws trump the parliamentary authority where the two are inconsistent? Yes. "When a society or an assembly has adopted a particular parliamentary manual—such as this book—as its authority, the rules contained in that manual are binding upon it in all cases where they are not inconsistent with the bylaws (or constitution) of the body, any of its special rules of order, or any provisions of local, state, or national law applying to the particular type of organization." (RONR, 11th ed., pg. 16) It would still be advisable to clarify your bylaws so that there is no question on the subject, but you're still covered in the meantime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manAscending Posted January 10, 2015 at 10:09 PM Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 at 10:09 PM Fantastic. Thanks for your quick reply, Josh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.