Setting fees

[nowayjose]

 

Forgive me for such a simple question. 

My organization is trying to set the fee for an upcoming conference that our organization hosts.  Why this is problematic is that the organization's bylaws clearly state that meetings should be conducted in accordance with RRONR, but the Board has been extremely lax about adhering to this provision in the bylaws.  Most meetings and decisions in the past (10 or more years?) have been made by general discussion.  Very little recorded voting behavior exists in the previous minutes (I'm the Secretary with all the previous documents).   

While I have been pushing gently to create a better meeting decorum, we recently came to a standstill when we realized that the bylaws do not allow us to vote electronically (which we are fixing with an upcoming bylaw proposal but it is not as of yet approved) ---- and many decisions have traditionally been made by email discussion by this Board since it meets infrequently and officers live in multiple states.  The issue we were voting on prior is something that can easily be tabled until our next in person meeting.  But, there is concern that setting the fee for this upcoming conference is something that cannot wait until we meet again in person.   

Does setting this fee require a motion and vote of the Board to approve the fee if we're really following the rules? (I'm guessing YES!)  Is there any clear language I can point to in RRONR that supports this?

If not - is it because this is not an expenditure on our part? Or some other reason why this doesn't require a formal motion with an "informal" board?

 

Thanks!

 

[jstackpo]

A Board has only the powers delegated to it - page 482 - and any membership assessments (AKA "fees") have to be either spelled out in bylaws or the bylaws have to empower the membership, or the board (or the Executive Committee, &c.) to set them.  That would be found in an adopted budget, for example. See p. 572, line 2.

Big "however", however:  As a multi-state organization, you may be incorporated in some state and that state's incorporation laws may say something different as to who has authority to do what.  You will have to ask a lawyer about that.