Who Receives Previous Notice

[Guest Gretchen]

My organization has adopted RONR and the bylaws require two weeks previous notice and a 2/3 vote to adopt bylaw amendments (i.e., a written notice is not a requirement). Yesterday, previous notice of a bylaw amendment was given orally at our October meeting with approximately 60% of the membership absent. My question to you is, “do the absentees from the October meeting have to receive the notice of the bylaw amendment before we can vote on the amendment at the next meeting?” Please indicate to me the citation in RONR (if any) that clarifies this situation.

[Rob Elsman]

The valid giving of previous notice at a meeting requires that there be a quorum.  If previous notice has been given validly given at a meeting, then the absentees cannot later successfully raise a Point of Order that previous notice was not given.

However, having said that, when it is practical for the secretary to do so, the notice should be sent to each member, including the absentees, with a call of the next meeting.

There are several relevant citations. Rather than copy them all out here, I would refer you to the entry in the book's index, "previous notice (of motions)". There are several subentries, and you can go from there to what interests you.

[Atul Kapur]

On 10/15/2023 at 3:29 PM, Guest Gretchen said:

previous notice of a bylaw amendment was given orally at our October meeting

When is your next meeting, which is where the proposed amendment will be moved and considered? If it occurs before January 31, then the oral notice is sufficient if there was quorum at the October meeting.

See 10:44-51, particularly 10:44 and 10:47-50 regarding how to give notice orally.

How do your governing documents define quorum for your membership meetings?

Edited October 15, 2023 at 09:45 PM by Atul Kapur