Guest Victoria Northrup Posted March 9, 2016 at 02:37 PM Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 at 02:37 PM Our non profit has a small limited set of bylaws. In it they state the Treasurer is "appointed" apparently by the chair/president. No where does it indicate that he can or cannot vote. Every board I have sat on, the Treasurer is part of the executive committee and full board and can vote. I cannot locate an answer in the RROO documents I've pulled up. Can someone assist with this question? I just joined this board and realize we need to change our bylaws but we're in a quandary at the moment and things are out of hand. Thanks to anyone who can help. Email is vnorthrup@cfl.rr.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Harrison Posted March 9, 2016 at 03:01 PM Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 at 03:01 PM I think it will ultimately boil down to whether the bylaws make the Treasurer a member of the body which is meeting. Members can vote (unless the bylaws disenfranchise them-which it doesn't sound like in your case) and nonmembers cannot vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted March 9, 2016 at 03:02 PM Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 at 03:02 PM The answer to your question will have to be found in your own bylaws. btw, I assume the treasurer is a member of your organization and can vote in membership meetings just like all other members. If not, we need to know that. As to voting on the board, if the treasurer is a member of the board, he votes unless your bylaws specify otherwise. Perhaps it would help if we knew exactly what your bylaws say with regard to how the treasurer is selected and whether he is considered an officer. If the treasurer is a "hired employee", much like an "executive director" or "executive secretary" that some organizations have, then he likely does not vote unless the bylaws give him that right. What do your bylaws say? If they are truly silent or ambiguous on this matter, it is up to your organization to interpret them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Goldsworthy Posted March 9, 2016 at 05:03 PM Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 at 05:03 PM 2 hours ago, Guest Victoria Northrup said: Our non profit has a small limited set of bylaws. In it they state the Treasurer is "appointed" apparently by the chair/president. No where does it indicate that he can or cannot vote. Every board I have sat on, the Treasurer is part of the executive committee and full board and can vote. I cannot locate an answer in the RROO documents I've pulled up. Can someone assist with this question? I just joined this board and realize we need to change our bylaws but we're in a quandary at the moment and things are out of hand. Thanks to anyone who can help. Email is vnorthrup@cfl.rr.com. Voting is a "members only" perq. Q. Do you know how many members your board has? -- Those people can vote when the board meets. Q. Do you know on what bodies (committees, board, etc.) your Treasurer sits on? -- The meetings of those bodies are the meetings where your Treasurer can vote. *** Wherever your Treasurer is a member, then, when that body meets, the Treasurer can vote. Contrariwise: If your Treasurer is not a member of a certain body, then, in those meetings, your Treasurer cannot vote. *** All this default "membership" and default "voting" is per Robert's Rules of Order. Your bylaws may very well likely specify otherwise. *** Q. Why do you have a question about the position of Treasurer voting, but you do not have a question about any other position (e.g., Secretary) voting? Why cherry pick on the Treasurer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest James Posted December 19, 2019 at 02:49 AM Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 at 02:49 AM I actually have the same question about a church board of Stewards does it only include Stewards or all required to be in attendance. We need to find the bylaws we are governed by. We are a church split but part of a denomination with a book of discipline and bylaws. I think the denominations bylaws are accepted as they are but need to be known. The church we split off from did things contrary to the General Book of Discipline so their bylaws should not be our guide. Technically we have no written bylaws for our own congregation but are willing to adopt the denomination bylaws and book of discipline which only the pastors have knowledge of. These bylaws should be kept by the Secretary/ historian along with meeting minutes. I understand the five stewards vote representing the church opinion to the pastor. But the question is do the two pastors, Secretary and Treasurer get the right to vote. The pastor objects to what he has seen and thinks the Secretary and Treasurer need to stop voting and maybe the pastors need to stop voting if the issues relate to them. Okay everyone seated is a voting member of the congregation in good standing and the only ones receiving a paycheck are the two pastors. Therefore everyone seated except those receiving a paycheck should be allowed to vote but the pastors will give their reports in the future in writing. At this time neither the Secretary or Treasurer are paid and since they are required to be at every meeting they should be allowed to vote. This may upset the head pastor but unless he can produce the bylaws or book of discipline as evidence for treasurer or secretary to not vote it should be allowed as it has already been done. In his defense a motion can be made at every single meeting to limit debate on issues being voted on. In my defense this denomination though related in doctrine is not nearly as organized as the former denomination I belonged to. And as mentioned the church we split from went rogue on bylaws and did not do things according to the church discipline of this denomination. We lost everything material in the split from property to cash and the denomination will have to update the book of discipline to cover multi campus ministries within the denomination. I am thinking without available bylaws we are operating like the church management we sought to break away from. And I noticed something cultural within my church concerning women's leadership roles that may be addressed in the bylaws or book of discipline-- who can women teach? Apparently not grown men which is both cultural and semi biblical. Yet we buy books for lessons written by women for instruction in a mixed sex adult class, are we hypocrites? Again we need to know and search our bylaws and discipline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted December 19, 2019 at 02:57 AM Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 at 02:57 AM Guest James, please post your question by posting it as a new topic rather than piggy-backing on a three year old thread. Then we will be happy to try to help you. We realize that in some forums it may be customary to tack on to an old thread, but in this forum we prefer the new questions be asked by starting a new topic/thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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