Names specifically put in bylaws or committee language

[Guest Pete]

We are an existing non profit. Our board wants to put the names of the people in our bylaws that are in charge of committees or founders of fundraisers.

Are their any roberts rules citations or bylaw guidelines that says you don't put names in your bylaws for these purposes.

Thank You.

 

 

[Hieu H. Huynh]

Your organization can put whatever it wants in its bylaws as long as the procedures for amending the bylaws are followed.

[Clurichan]

Guest Pete, a question if you don't mind:

What reason is given for doing this, why is it supposed to be a good idea?

[jstackpo]

But it probably is not a good idea to put specific names of committee chairs, &c. in the bylaws.  Bylaws are supposed to be semi-permanent in nature (RONR, p. 12ff.).  It could get cumbersome to have to keep amending the bylaws just to name new chairmen and the like whenever there was a turnover.

The minutes are the best location to document the appointment of chairmen and is entirely sufficient.

[Josh Martin]

8 hours ago, Guest Pete said:

We are an existing non profit. Our board wants to put the names of the people in our bylaws that are in charge of committees or founders of fundraisers.

Are their any roberts rules citations or bylaw guidelines that says you don't put names in your bylaws for these purposes.

Nothing in RONR says anything on this particular subject, but I concur with Dr. Stackpole that it's a bad idea. Do you really want to amend the bylaws every time you want to change committee chairs?

Founders wouldn't be as big a problem, I suppose, since that won't change. I've seen some organizations do that.

[Guest Pete]

 

This is what they want to put in the bylaws with the persons name....at some point the founder won't be involved but I always thought that putting names in wasn't a good idea..

B. Specific Name, founder, will appoint the board of the foundation.

 

3. Specific Name, founder, will advise all parties of any decisions made.

 

[jstackpo]

Well, as HHH noted, you are free to include whatever you like in the bylaws, even though it may be a bad idea.

I'll just reserve an "I told you so!" or two for future use.

[Joshua Katz]

Triple H posts here?

[jstackpo]

Second posting (first reply) above, all the way from Southern Florida (until global warming sets him afloat for locations TBD).

[Rev Ed]

1 hour ago, Guest Pete said:

 

This is what they want to put in the bylaws with the persons name....at some point the founder won't be involved but I always thought that putting names in wasn't a good idea..

B. Specific Name, founder, will appoint the board of the foundation.

 

3. Specific Name, founder, will advise all parties of any decisions made.

 

I see nothing wrong with this particularly - nor would RONR specifically.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

12 hours ago, Guest Pete said:

Our board wants to put the names of the people, in our bylaws,

that are in charge of committees or founders of fundraisers.

Death; resignation; medical coma; criminal arrest -- these are things which can happen to your "founders".

And if you need to scramble and appoint a living person (or un-imprisoned person, etc.), you would have to amend your bylaws to make such an adjustment.

Q. If the person whose name is embedded into your bylaws were to suddenly die, then do you want no one "in charge of committees" until you amend the bylaws?

Q. Wouldn't it be easier to give a generic title to said persons, and use the title in the bylaws? -- so that you don't have to amend your bylaws upon every death/resignation?

[Richard Brown]

I think it is just a bad idea. Possible?  Yes, sure.  Good idea?  No, definitely not.