Must the by-laws establish the use and application of RRO, or does any club, group or baord or committee just start making motions having votes, and keeping minutes?

[Guest John A. Chamberlain]

Our homeowners' association board of directors goes thru the motions of running a meeting with quorums, motions, seconds, votes, discussion, run by the Chair, keeps minutes, etc., but our by-laws and governing documents are silent, unlike many corporate by-laws, as to the specified use of RRO.  Apparently any rules of order are just assumed. 

I am new on the board and wish to help the chair clean up the meetings by limiting his allowing members of the association,  who do have the right to audit the meetings and are given a time on each agenda to bring problems or grievances to the attention of the board, but do not in my opinion, have the right to engage the board in a discussion, or to run on and on, and thereby drag our meetings out.  Our untrained and inexperienced chair and the other directors do not know any better.

Where do I start?  Before I invoke RRO's protections do we have to get them specifically into the by-laws?

[Richard Brown]

Although it is preferable that the parliamentary authority be named in the bylaws, it is not strictly necessary.  A special rule of order may be adodpted specifying RONR as the parliamentary authority.  The adoption of a special rule of order requires previous notice and a two thirds vote.  Here is the suggested language from page 588 of the 11th edition to use when adopting RONR as the parliamentary authority:

Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.

Edited May 6, 2020 at 09:26 PM by Richard Brown
Typographical correction

[J. J.]

Note that a parliamentary authority can be established by custom. 

[Guest guest]

9 hours ago, Richard Brown said:

Here is the suggested language from page 588 of the 11th edition to use when adopting RONR as the parliamentary authority:

Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.

Little mistakes when used as adopting RONR by "special rule of order"

there are no "these bylaws" just "the bylaws and any other special rules of order"

small but maybe important

[Richard Brown]

1 hour ago, Guest guest said:

Little mistakes when used as adopting RONR by "special rule of order"

there are no "these bylaws" just "the bylaws and any other special rules of order"

small but maybe important

I agree. I posted a copy and paste straight out of RONR, but when adopting it as a parliamentary authority by a special rule of order rather than in the bylaws, the language you suggested is better.

Instead of “these bylaws and any special rules of order”, use “the bylaws and any other special rules of order the Society may adopt”. 

[Richard Brown]

Mr. Chamberlain, you might find this information from the main website as to how to adopt RONR as your parliamentary authority helpful.  It contains suggested language for adoption in the bylaws and for adoption as a special rule of order:  https://robertsrules.com/authority.html