Guest Peggy L Posted December 18, 2017 at 08:30 PM Report Share Posted December 18, 2017 at 08:30 PM We're in the process of revising our Society bylaws. A question has arisen about the language used regarding the word "shall." Like the sample bylaws in RONR, we use the word "shall" throughout the document. For example, "Meetings shall be held on the first Saturday of March, April, May....." One of the committee members said the bylaws should read "Meetings are held on the first Saturday of March, April, May...." rather than "shall be held" because this is a revision of long-standing bylaws; that we are not setting up a new Society saying what shall be but rather what "is." Is there some standard or best practice in this regard? I haven't found anything in the book indicating one so thought I'd ask here. Thank you. Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted December 18, 2017 at 08:48 PM Report Share Posted December 18, 2017 at 08:48 PM I would stick to your current wording..... and the wording suggested in the sample bylaws in RONR. That language is tried and tested and has withstood the test of time. I would not mess with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Goodwiller, PRP Posted December 18, 2017 at 08:54 PM Report Share Posted December 18, 2017 at 08:54 PM The main reason to use "shall" is to indicate that a particular practice or action is mandatory - as opposed to words like "should" or "may," that leave room for some alternative practice or action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peggy L Posted December 18, 2017 at 09:27 PM Report Share Posted December 18, 2017 at 09:27 PM Thanks for your help! Then I'm sticking with "shall be" like it shows in the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted December 19, 2017 at 06:13 AM Report Share Posted December 19, 2017 at 06:13 AM 9 hours ago, Guest Peggy L said: One of the committee members said the bylaws should read "Meetings are held on the first Saturday of March, April, May...." rather than "shall be held" because this is a revision of long-standing bylaws; that we are not setting up a new Society saying what shall be but rather what "is." Tell the committee member that if he wishes to be pedantic, he should first be right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Student Posted December 20, 2017 at 03:57 PM Report Share Posted December 20, 2017 at 03:57 PM To answer this from another perspective, the bylaws are not descriptive but proscriptive. Yes, your meeting schedule is what it currently is. But the bylaws aren't there to describe what is, they are your authority telling you Why this is the way it is. If they were just descriptive, then your society could just change anything in the bylaws just by, for example, not holding a meeting in April. Instead, it that's what your society wants to do, it has to change the bylaws to allow that. Putting that out there in the hopes that it may convince your committee member if the other answers don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmuel Gerber Posted December 24, 2017 at 02:12 AM Report Share Posted December 24, 2017 at 02:12 AM On 12/20/2017 at 10:57 AM, Guest Student said: To answer this from another perspective, the bylaws are not descriptive but proscriptive. Yes, your meeting schedule is what it currently is. But the bylaws aren't there to describe what is, they are your authority telling you Why this is the way it is. If they were just descriptive, then your society could just change anything in the bylaws just by, for example, not holding a meeting in April. Instead, it that's what your society wants to do, it has to change the bylaws to allow that. Putting that out there in the hopes that it may convince your committee member if the other answers don't. Prescriptive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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