Non Voting Member

[Guest Bill Mears]

We have a non-voting member who has a specific responsibility for training was allowed to make a presentation that he and the Board President discussed prior to the meeting that had nothing to do with training. The President has also allowed this person to participate as a regular member other than voting. Is this allowed?

[Edgar Guest]

If the only thing this non-voting member can't do is vote, why would you think he couldn't do everything else that a member can do?

[Josh Martin]

We have a non-voting member who has a specific responsibility for training was allowed to make a presentation that he and the Board President discussed prior to the meeting that had nothing to do with training. The President has also allowed this person to participate as a regular member other than voting. Is this allowed?

 

Making a presentation when no motion is pending requires the assembly's permission, by majority vote or unanimous consent. This rule is the same whether the person making the presentation is a member or not, so the fact that this person is a "non-voting member" doesn't make any difference for that particular issue.

 

Generally speaking, it will be up to the organization itself to interpret its rules and interpret what rights a "non-voting member" has. So far as RONR is concerned, someone is either a member or he isn't, so things will get complicated if you create someone who is somewhere in between. RONR contains some Principles of Interpretation for bylaws on pgs. 588-591. Principles of Interpretation #6 and #8 should be especially helpful in addressing this question.