Guest New to RONR Posted July 29, 2015 at 06:27 PM Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 at 06:27 PM Our organization does not have a board of directors, executive committee, or other such group. We simply have General Membership and an Executive Council in addition to various committees defined in our bylaws that generally serve to organize events. Our bylaws state that "the Executive Council shall make decisions about the organization for the good of the organization". Bylaws also state "bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the organization by a 2/3 vote provided notice of such an amendment is given in advance to members through the newsletter". Bylaws do not specifically address what an Executive Council vote needs to pass (i.e. it does not state if a majority or a 2/3 vote is needed to pass a motion in an Executive Council vote). The Executive Council has traditionally operated under the assumption that a majority vote is needed to pass a motion in an Executive Council vote. Since bylaws do not specifically outline this, what determines how an Executive Council vote passes? Bylaws do address the 2/3 vote to amend bylaws, so should this requirement of a 2/3 vote be applied to Executive Council decisions as well? Or is it appropriate to assume a majority vote is sufficient? Thank you for your assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted July 29, 2015 at 06:36 PM Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 at 06:36 PM Since bylaws do not specifically outline this, what determines how an Executive Council vote passes? Bylaws do address the 2/3 vote to amend bylaws, so should this requirement of a 2/3 vote be applied to Executive Council decisions as well? Or is it appropriate to assume a majority vote is sufficient? Most "ordinary" motions require a majority vote (regardless of which body is meeting). Some motions (e.g. motions to amend something previously adopted) have a higher vote threshold. So it's more about the nature of the particular motion and less about who is doing the voting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest New to RONR Posted July 29, 2015 at 06:47 PM Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 at 06:47 PM I see. I am not terribly familiar with the rules of order or terminology, but I believe this would fall under a motion to "amend something previously adopted". The Executive Council would be voting to present an amendment to the bylaws that redefines who can join the organization by expanding the definition to be more inclusive. In this instance, which vote (majority or 2/3) would you consider most appropriate? I have been searching Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition for justification. Is there a specific section that I could reference for guidance? This is helpful. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted July 29, 2015 at 06:53 PM Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 at 06:53 PM I see. I am not terribly familiar with the rules of order or terminology, but I believe this would fall under a motion to "amend something previously adopted". The Executive Council would be voting to present an amendment to the bylaws that redefines who can join the organization by expanding the definition to be more inclusive. In this instance, which vote (majority or 2/3) would you consider most appropriate? The Executive Council isn't making a motion to amend the bylaws (since the Council can't amend the bylaws), they're it's only making a recommendation. A majority vote is sufficient. (That's not to say that a unanimous vote might not be more persuasive.) RONR's 700+ pages can be daunting. You might want to pick up a copy of RONR In Brief. But stay tuned. I'm sure one our parliamentarians will stop by to quote chapter and verse. I suspect they're out on their yachts at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted July 30, 2015 at 07:31 AM Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 at 07:31 AM Our organization does not have a board of directors, executive committee, or other such group. We simply have General Membership and an Executive Council in addition to various committees defined in our bylaws that generally serve to organize events. Our bylaws state that "the Executive Council shall make decisions about the organization for the good of the organization".It sounds to me like your organization most certainly does have a board of directors "or such other group". It is what you call your "Executive Council". It is your board. It is the function that determines what it is, not the name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nancy N. Posted July 30, 2015 at 09:33 AM Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 at 09:33 AM It sounds to me like your organization most certainly does have a board of directors "or such other group". It is what you call your "Executive Council". It is your board. It is the function that determines what it is, not the name. Me too. Good catch, Richard: it was bothering me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Oh, and Guest New... : Mind that advice to pick up your RONR - IB. Do not delay on this: do it at once. Go to your bookstore and wait a few hours for it to open. Then, having bought your copy, step aside from the checkout, to courteously allow the other customers to buy their own copies, and read it there. Right there, as you loiter aimlessly; it should take maybe an hour or two (your first reading, mind you), unless you're a college graduate, in which case you might need to pull up a chair. By tomorrow night, we can expect your questions to this, the world's premiere parliamentary Internet forum, to be better focussed and grounded. Maybe better dressed too, or is that too much to hope for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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