Amendment to Bylaws

[Guest Char]

When amending just a few sections or paragraphs of the bylaws do you debate and vote on each proposed amendment separately with a majority vote needed, followed by an overall vote to accept the resulting amendments with the required 2/3 vote? OR do you debate and vote on each proposed amendment separately with 2/3 needed?

[Guest Zev]

(RONR, 12th ed., 57:3)

Isolated Changes.

If only an isolated change is to be made in the bylaws, it can be treated as any motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted (35), subject to the particular rules indicated immediately above. When a series of isolated changes to the bylaws are needed to achieve one end -- such as abolishing the office of "Historian" and eliminating all references to it -- the changes should be offered in a single motion. If the changes are related in such a way that all of the individual amendments must be made, if any one of them is made, in order for the bylaws to be coherent, then the motion cannot be divided (see 27:5).

Each change must be adopted by a two-thirds vote previous notice having been made. And don't forget, each modification becomes effective the instant it is adopted.

[Richard Brown]

Although guest Char is not entirely clear, I get the impression that these are a few isolated bylaw changes dealing primarily with different subjects. If that is the case, each proposed amendment is taken up and considered and voted on separately, with each amendment needing the required 2/3 vote (or whatever Vote the bylaws require).  There is not one final vote taken on the entire “package“, but rather each bylaw amendment is voted on separately.

[Guest Char]

Thank you

[Guest Char]

Are abstentions included in figuring the 2/3? Please provide a numerical example.

[Guest Char]

On 1/22/2021 at 1:58 AM, Guest Char said:

When amending just a few sections or paragraphs of the bylaws do you debate and vote on each proposed amendment separately with a majority vote needed, followed by an overall vote to accept the resulting amendments with the required 2/3 vote? OR do you debate and vote on each proposed amendment separately with 2/3 needed?

Are abstentions included in figuring the 2/3? Please provide a numerical example.

[Richard Brown]

7 minutes ago, Guest Char said:

Are abstentions included in figuring the 2/3? Please provide a numerical example.

No, not normally. See FAQ’s 4, 5 and 6 on the main website. https://robertsrules.com/frequently-asked-questions/#faqs

[Joshua Katz]

5 hours ago, Guest Char said:

Are abstentions included in figuring the 2/3? Please provide a numerical example.

The easiest way to do a numerical example is to count the number of yes votes and number of no votes, and to see if the number of yes votes is at least twice the number of no votes. For instance, suppose there are 5 no votes, and 9 yes votes. The motion fails. If there are 10 yes votes, the motion carries. 

It does not matter how many people were there. The above holds true if there were no abstentions, or if there were 50. 

[Shmuel Gerber]

On 1/22/2021 at 10:33 AM, Richard Brown said:

Although guest Char is not entirely clear, I get the impression that these are a few isolated bylaw changes dealing primarily with different subjects. If that is the case, each proposed amendment is taken up and considered and voted on separately, with each amendment needing the required 2/3 vote (or whatever Vote the bylaws require).  There is not one final vote taken on the entire “package“, but rather each bylaw amendment is voted on separately.

Even if the amendments deal with different subjects, they can be offered in one motion if no member objects. Once introduced as a package, it would be appropriate for them to be considered seriatim, meaning that they are open to debate and amendment one at a time, in sequence, but only one final vote is taken on adopting the entire series.

If any member suspects that some of the amendments would fail but others would pass if voted on separately, the member should demand separate votes at the outset, before the chair announces that the amendments will be considered seriatim.