Guest JoeP Posted May 16, 2021 at 02:41 PM Report Share Posted May 16, 2021 at 02:41 PM I belong to a club that operates using only a set of bylaws. We have clear sections for membership, dues and expulsion. My basic question is: If the club I belonged to wanted to "limit or cap" membership to a specific number of people, would it be required to be within the clubs by-laws? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted May 16, 2021 at 03:08 PM Report Share Posted May 16, 2021 at 03:08 PM 21 minutes ago, Guest JoeP said: I belong to a club that operates using only a set of bylaws. We have clear sections for membership, dues and expulsion. My basic question is: If the club I belonged to wanted to "limit or cap" membership to a specific number of people, would it be required to be within the clubs by-laws? Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JoeP Posted May 16, 2021 at 03:19 PM Report Share Posted May 16, 2021 at 03:19 PM Is there anything with Roberts Rules or Parliamentary Procedure that says it is has to be? The reason I ask is that our club does not have a written set of rules, we just have bylaws. And the BOD is attempting to say it would be a "rules" change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weldon Merritt Posted May 16, 2021 at 03:40 PM Report Share Posted May 16, 2021 at 03:40 PM (edited) 21 minutes ago, Guest JoeP said: Is there anything with Roberts Rules or Parliamentary Procedure that says it is has to be? See RONR (12th ed.) 56:19. The membership article in the bylaws should contain "any limitation on their number" (i.e., a cap on the number of members. Of course, if you haven't adopted RONR (which seems to be the case), that provision is not necessarily binding; but it's certainly persuasive. 21 minutes ago, Guest JoeP said: The reason I ask is that our club does not have a written set of rules, we just have bylaws. And the BOD is attempting to say it would be a "rules" change. Bylaws are rules (specifically, the organization's "own basic rules relating principally to itself as an organization," RONR 2:8), so it is "a 'rules' change." But if the board is trying to say that it doesn't require a bylaws amendment because it is some other sort of rule (such as a standing rule), they are wrong. (I suppose a membership cap could be placed in a standing rule, but only if the bylaws provide that it may be placed in the standing rules.) Edited May 16, 2021 at 03:42 PM by Weldon Merritt Edited to correct a typo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted May 16, 2021 at 05:45 PM Report Share Posted May 16, 2021 at 05:45 PM 2 hours ago, Guest JoeP said: Is there anything with Roberts Rules or Parliamentary Procedure that says it is has to be? The reason I ask is that our club does not have a written set of rules, we just have bylaws. And the BOD is attempting to say it would be a "rules" change. I concur with Mr. Merritt and would add that lower-level rules may not conflict with the bylaws. If the bylaws contain a procedure for admitting members, then I am inclined to think that a rule which provides a limitation on the number of members would conflict with those rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted May 16, 2021 at 10:42 PM Report Share Posted May 16, 2021 at 10:42 PM 7 hours ago, Guest JoeP said: Is there anything with Roberts Rules or Parliamentary Procedure that says it is has to be? The reason I ask is that our club does not have a written set of rules, we just have bylaws. And the BOD is attempting to say it would be a "rules" change. The BOD is incorrect. It would be a bylaws change. And the bylaws are rules--usually the highest level rules of an organization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Puzzling Posted May 17, 2021 at 11:09 PM Report Share Posted May 17, 2021 at 11:09 PM On 5/16/2021 at 4:19 PM, Guest JoeP said: The reason I ask is that our club does not have a written set of rules, we just have bylaws I hope the bylaws are written down rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JoeP Posted May 19, 2021 at 08:02 PM Report Share Posted May 19, 2021 at 08:02 PM The ByLaws are written, but they were written 80+ years ago and were revised poorly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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