SGVeep Posted January 24, 2020 at 04:20 PM Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 at 04:20 PM Our organization just approved by majority vote a change to a specific part of our current bylaws. The language regarding amendments as described in our Constitution are below: Section 3. An amendment to the Faculty Constitution is adopted when it is approved by a two-thirds vote of the ballots cast by the Faculty Association and by the President. A change to the Bylaws of the Faculty Constitution is adopted when the Faculty Association, with a two-thirds vote of the ballots cast, approves it. However, there is no specific language about the procedure for updating portions of the bylaws once the amendments have been approved. Does this require an immediate retyping of the entire bylaws to reflect this change? If so, does this need to be signed and dated, or is the endorsement reserved for adoptions of fully revised bylaws? If not, how are the changes documented? Thanks so much! This forum has been a godsend for our shared governance group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted January 24, 2020 at 06:04 PM Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 at 06:04 PM (edited) Taking things in reverse order, the minutes of the meeting at which this amendment was adopted must reflect the change in its entirety and will be memorialized that way, but if you don't update the bylaws document itself to incorporate the change, as a practical matter that's a bad idea. No rule requires any document other than the minutes be signed (by the Secretary), and if you're updating the bylaws document to incorporate the change it's a good idea to put January 2020, or some such reference to show the last update (but that's not a rule in RONR that I've ever seen). Edited January 24, 2020 at 06:04 PM by George Mervosh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGVeep Posted January 24, 2020 at 07:57 PM Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 at 07:57 PM Thanks so much! I updated the document and added the original adoption date and the amendment date on the first page and footers! Glad to know I was on the right track! It's better to be overprepared than the latter! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atul Kapur Posted January 25, 2020 at 01:31 AM Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 at 01:31 AM 9 hours ago, SGVeep said: Our organization just approved by majority vote a change to a specific part of our current bylaws but you tell us that bylaw amendments (same as changes) require a 2/3 vote by ballot. 9 hours ago, SGVeep said: The language regarding amendments as described in our Constitution are below: Section 3. An amendment to the Faculty Constitution is adopted when it is approved by a two-thirds vote of the ballots cast by the Faculty Association and by the President. A change to the Bylaws of the Faculty Constitution is adopted when the Faculty Association, with a two-thirds vote of the ballots cast, approves it. So did you actually properly adopt a bylaws amendment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted January 25, 2020 at 06:20 PM Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 at 06:20 PM (edited) 16 hours ago, Atul Kapur said: but you tell us that bylaw amendments (same as changes) require a 2/3 vote by ballot. So did you actually properly adopt a bylaws amendment? I had exactly the same question concern when I read in the first sentence of the question that the bylaws were amended by a majority vote. The bylaws clearly require a 2/3 vote for amendment. Edited January 25, 2020 at 06:23 PM by Richard Brown Edited as indicated by a strikethrough and underline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted January 25, 2020 at 07:17 PM Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 at 07:17 PM 55 minutes ago, Richard Brown said: I had exactly the same question concern when I read in the first sentence of the question that the bylaws were amended by a majority vote. The bylaws clearly require a 2/3 vote for amendment. Yes, but a timely point of order would be required, so I'm not so concerned and neither is SGVeep, it seems, and it doesn't really have anything to do with his question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atul Kapur Posted January 25, 2020 at 08:35 PM Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 at 08:35 PM (edited) For the sake of argument, it may still be timely to demand a recount of the ballots. Edited January 25, 2020 at 08:39 PM by Atul Kapur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted January 25, 2020 at 08:37 PM Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 at 08:37 PM Just now, Atul Kapur said: For the sake of argument, it may still be timely to demand a recount of the ballots. Sure. The purpose of the recount is to determine of the first count was accurate. If it was, it's still too late to raise a point of order. A recount doesn't take you back in time to when a point of order would be timely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGVeep Posted January 27, 2020 at 04:13 PM Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 at 04:13 PM Thanks so much for the inquiry! In my haste to post, I made an error in my description of the election results. It was, in fact, approved properly, by a vote that exceeded 2/3 of the ballots cast (57 votes, 46 approved and 11 not approved). This information was also reflected in the formal report submitted by our Elections Committee --- the details of which were not available at the time that I posted. Thanks again! This has been quite reassuring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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