Consent Agenda

[Vsinclair]

My sorority bylaws do not address a consent agenda. However we will be doing a revision of bylaws in June and would like to list item on a consent agenda to save time.

1. How do I word this to adopt for this meeting?

2. If we would like to incorporate using a consent agenda at our monthly meetings however again we do not address it in our bylaws how would I address it at each meeting as our bylaws are only amended yearly (June with 30 day notice to body)?

Valerie

[George Mervosh]

8 hours ago, Vsinclair said:

My sorority bylaws do not address a consent agenda. However we will be doing a revision of bylaws in June and would like to list item on a consent agenda to save time.

1. How do I word this to adopt for this meeting?

2. If we would like to incorporate using a consent agenda at our monthly meetings however again we do not address it in our bylaws how would I address it at each meeting as our bylaws are only amended yearly (June with 30 day notice to body)?

Valerie

An adopted special rule of order (RONR, pp. 15-17) is sufficient for the assembly to use a consent agenda (or as RONR calls it, a consent calendar) at each of its meetings.

RONR says this:

" Legislatures, city, town, or county councils, or other assemblies which have a heavy work load including a large number of routine or noncontroversial matters may find a consent calendar a useful tool for disposing of such items of business. Commonly, when such a matter has been introduced or reported by a committee for consideration in the assembly, its sponsor, or, sometimes, an administrator, may seek to have it placed on the consent calendar. This calendar is called over periodically at a point established in the agenda by special rule of order, at least preceding standing committee reports. The matters listed on it are taken up in order, unless objected to, in which case they are restored to the ordinary process by which they are placed in line for consideration on the regular agenda. The special rule of order establishing a consent calendar may provide that, when the matters on the calendar are called up, they may be considered in gross or without debate or amendment. Otherwise, they are considered under the rules just as any other business, in which case the "consent" relates only to permitting the matter to be on the calendar for consideration without conforming to the usual, more onerous, rules for reaching measures in the body. "  RONR (11th ed.), p. 361

[Rob Elsman]

I agree with Mr. Mervosh.

It remains to be seen how much time the sorority will save by establishing a consent calendar (the preferred term in lieu of "consent agenda"), given that any one of the sisters can demand that an item of business be taken off the calendar to be considered in the regular way.

All in all, if the sorority is set on establishing a consent calendar, I would recommend the sorority not put a special rule of order in the bylaws; rather, that the special rule of order be adopted by resolution outside the context of the bylaws.  Inevitably, placing special rules of order in the bylaws causes more problems than it solves.