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Amending Bylaws


Guest Julie

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My organization has sent out notice to all members of 40 (!)  proposed bylaw amendments for our upcoming conference.  Many of these have a rationale of "to conform to current procedure" or "clarification".  It is our practice when amending bylaws to: first-read the article as it currently exists, second-explain the proposed revision, third-read the article as it will read if amended, fourth-explain the rationale.  This will be extremely time consuming for these non-essential changes. 

 

Is it possible to present all of these proposed changes as a resolution (or one motion) and to dispense with our practice of the entire reading?  (i.e.  I move for the the adoption of the 4 proposed bylaw amendments for Article III-Membership as printed on page 2 of the newsletter, dispensing with the reading of proposed changes.  and "I move for the adoption of the 8 proposed bylaw amendments with a rationale of "conform to current procedure" which includes Article III, C-section 5, ARticle III C-section 6, article IX-section 1 (etc..) which can be found on pages 2-5 of the newsletter, dispensing with the reading of the proposed changes".

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Is it possible to present all of these proposed changes as a resolution (or one motion) and to dispense with our practice of the entire reading?  (i.e.  I move for the the adoption of the 4 proposed bylaw amendments for Article III-Membership as printed on page 2 of the newsletter, dispensing with the reading of proposed changes.  and "I move for the adoption of the 8 proposed bylaw amendments with a rationale of "conform to current procedure" which includes Article III, C-section 5, ARticle III C-section 6, article IX-section 1 (etc..) which can be found on pages 2-5 of the newsletter, dispensing with the reading of the proposed changes".

 

It is possible, but it requires unanimous consent.

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Thank you, Josh.  Another question...is it mandatory to follow our practice of reading bylaw, proposed change, how bylaw would be amended, then rationale for EACH proposed bylaw amendment if the proposed changes were mailed out to each member previously?  If not, would we need a motion to dispense with the reading process?

 

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Thank you, Josh.  Another question...is it mandatory to follow our practice of reading bylaw, proposed change, how bylaw would be amended, then rationale for EACH proposed bylaw amendment if the proposed changes were mailed out to each member previously?  If not, would we need a motion to dispense with the reading process?

To dispense with the reading process in its entirety would require unanimous consent. (Such consent is often readily granted if printed copies have been distributed.) I would note, however, that even if a member requests the motion to be read, it is not required to read the rationale - that is really debate, not part of the motion itself.

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The only part which should be actually part of the motion is whatever is required to make it crystal clear to everyone what change is being proposed in terms of the document's wording. The effects, current wording, proposed final wording, and the like, are not a part of the motion.

 

EDIT: But any member can request the current/proposed final wording be read out, too.

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