Established membership catagory

[Guest Carol]

In our by-laws we have a membership category Community Associate Membership Committee (a fundraising group of citizens). However they are no longer interested in being a committee. Do we have to write a proposal to disband this group and have it read at two meetings for a change to a by-law? Have it voted on? What is the right way of handling ? Thank you.  

[Richard Brown]

Guest Carol, it  might help if you could tell us a bit more.  I'm assuming that you are referring to a standing committee established in the bylaws of your organization.  i'm a bit confused, though, by your statement that it is a "membership category".  Is it a class of membership or a committee?

If this is a committee established in the bylaws, and if it desired to "disband" the committee, the bylaws should be amended using whatever procedure your bylaws call for to remove this committee from the bylaws as a standing committee.  There is no requirement in RONR to read a proposed bylaw change at two meetings, but perhaps your bylaws do require such a procedure.  If your bylaws are truly silent about how to amend them, then you may fall back on the default provisions in RONR.  Those provisions do require previous notice of proposed bylaw changes, but not a reading at two meetings. 

[jstackpo]

Couple of options:

The members of the CAMC all resign and you are left with an "empty" committee.  Nothing wrong with that and it does leave open the possibility of easily reactivating the fundraising if enthusiastic people come along.

You amend the bylaws to eliminate that category of membership, following the amendment rules found in your bylaws  --  which may or may not require "two readings".  RONR has no such requirement.

A "Committee" as a membership category is a tad unusual.  How does the committee exercise its membership rights?  Perhaps you meant that the members of the CMAC are automatically ("ex officio"?) members of the association.

[Guest Carol]

It is both a membership classification and it is called a committee. They do not answer emergency calls, only raise funds for the squad.   

[Guest Carol]

I had to read the definition of ex officio and no they are not. They have all the privileges of all the other members except voting (because they are not a member that has ridden/answer calls) Same application process because they are handling money. I am getting the drift it should not be considered a membership classification. If so can the President just dissolve the committee?  

[jstackpo]

23 minutes ago, Guest Carol said:

If so can the President just dissolve the committee?  

No, not if the committee/category is defined in the bylaws. 

While you are at it read those bylaws carefully, particularly the sections that define how someone becomes a "member" of the squad (VFD?) and what qualifications someone must have to be a member in the first place.  You might have two (at least) categories of members with differing rights and privileges. 

[Guest Carol]

We do have two categories with differing rights & privileges. Thanks for the info

[jstackpo]

What do the bylaws exactly (quote them) say is the relationship between the CAMC and the relevant category of membership?

 

[Rev Ed]

From the sounds of what the original poster has stated, this is a unique membership category (one that has its own Committee).  As such, it would be up to the organization to interrupt its own By-laws.  However, if I were a member of this organization, I would argue to remove the class of membership and its own Committee.  Or I would suggest that the Committee removed from the By-laws, but add a Board member position specifically to represent the class of membership (I have seen this in other organizations where some classes do not have 'full' membership - they are allowed to elect one person to the Board as a representative.)

[Joshua Katz]

In my experience, this is how volunteer emergency services organizations tend to treat their "auxiliary" or similar - that is, strangely.