Are Special Rules Permanent?

[Abby Normal]

Once your organization creates a special  rules are they permanent?

Do they last until they are modified or rescinded?

If the Bylaws are changed do the special rules survive the bylaws change?

Are standing rules similar?

Thanks for any help!

Abby

 

[Joshua Katz]

Special rules of order last until amended or rescinded. If the bylaws are changed in a manner which conflicts with the special rule, then the special rule might remain "on the books" but is superseded by the higher-ranked rule. If the bylaws are changed in a manner which does not conflict with the special rule, the special rule remains in effect. The same is true for standing rules (except that they may also be rendered inoperable by a change to the special rules).

[Abby Normal]

Thank you!

Am I correct in assuming that Special rules and standing rules are two separate and independent documents from each other and the bylaws?

The exist due to the existence of the bylaws and the a reference in the bylaws that has RONR as the the parliamentary authority of the organization?

 

 

 

[Joshua Katz]

2 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

Am I correct in assuming that Special rules and standing rules are two separate and independent documents from each other and the bylaws?

 

The documents should be kept together, but they are separate documents, yes. They are adopted differently (by different vote thresholds) and special rules outrank standing rules. They also differ in their ability to be suspended - standing rules having application outside the meeting context may not be suspended, while special rules may be suspended, and bylaws may only be suspended if they provide for their own suspension or are clearly in the nature of rules of order. A standing rule is simply adopted as a main motion, and any main motion which continues in force is a standing rule.

3 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

 The exist due to the existence of the bylaws and the a reference in the bylaws that has RONR as the the parliamentary authority of the organization?

 

I do not understand the question here.

[Abby Normal]

4 minutes ago, Joshua Katz said:

The documents should be kept together, but they are separate documents, yes. They are adopted differently (by different vote thresholds) and special rules outrank standing rules. They also differ in their ability to be suspended - standing rules having application outside the meeting context may not be suspended, while special rules may be suspended, and bylaws may only be suspended if they provide for their own suspension or are clearly in the nature of rules of order. A standing rule is simply adopted as a main motion, and any main motion which continues in force is a standing rule.

I do not understand the question here.

I am try to understand the "tree" of documents if you will....

The Bylaws make RONR the parliamentary authority.

RONR allows the creation of Special rules and Standing rules.

Am I making sense?

[Abby Normal]

7 minutes ago, Joshua Katz said:

standing rules having application outside the meeting context may not be suspended,

Can you expand on this?

Thanks for all your help.

[Joshua Katz]

7 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

13 minutes ago, Joshua Katz said:

 

I am try to understand the "tree" of documents if you will....

The Bylaws make RONR the parliamentary authority.

RONR allows the creation of Special rules and Standing rules.

Am I making sense?

When the bylaws adopt RONR as the parliamentary authority, RONR becomes the rules of order. Yes, RONR provide that the rules of order are superseded by the special rules of order, and themselves supersede the standing rules. If RONR were not the parliamentary authority, though, you could still have special rules of order (these would be your only rules of order if you had no parliamentary authority) and standing rules.

8 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

Can you expand on this?

 

I'm not sure how much more there is to say about it. Some standing rules relate to what goes on at meetings, some do not (no smoking in the clubhouse, for instance). It is out of order to suspend rules of the second type - it is out of order to move to suspend the rules to permit a cigar event in the clubhouse, for instance. To achieve that end, you'd need to amend the standing rules (i.e. amend something previously adopted).

[Abby Normal]

Standing rules that are applicable to meetings can be suspended.

Standing rules regarding things outside of meeting can NOT be suspended.

 

Thank you. This is REALLY helpful.

[Alexis Hunt]

It's also worth noting that standing orders and special rules of order are "duck principle" type things. If it looks like a standing rule and behaves like a standing rule, then it is a standing rule, regardless of what the assembly chooses to call them or how they are organized. Likewise for special rules of order. It is usually convenient to separate them out into separate documents for organizational purposes, but if an organization doesn't do this, it doesn't change the rules around them. Most importantly, a motion does not need to explicitly enact a rule in order to do so---the motion itself becomes a rule, once it's adopted.