cdjames2 Posted January 12, 2024 at 05:55 PM Report Share Posted January 12, 2024 at 05:55 PM I did not see this listed anywhere in the forum so I am starting the conversation. What is the role of the Semicolon in understanding any particular amendment in an organization's bylaws? The semicolon is often read the same as a comma and changes the interpretation of bylaws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted January 12, 2024 at 06:04 PM Report Share Posted January 12, 2024 at 06:04 PM On 1/12/2024 at 11:55 AM, cdjames2 said: I did not see this listed anywhere in the forum so I am starting the conversation. What is the role of the Semicolon in understanding any particular amendment in an organization's bylaws? The semicolon is often read the same as a comma and changes the interpretation of bylaws. RONR does not address this subject. I imagine various style guides might be of more assistance in this matter. Do you have an example of language where this problem arises? It is difficult to imagine this in the abstract. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted January 12, 2024 at 06:04 PM Report Share Posted January 12, 2024 at 06:04 PM A semi-colon connects two independent clauses without a conjunction. How that impacts a bylaw will depend on the language at issue. Do you have an example at hand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Elsman Posted January 12, 2024 at 06:20 PM Report Share Posted January 12, 2024 at 06:20 PM On 1/12/2024 at 11:55 AM, cdjames2 said: The semicolon is often read the same as a comma and changes the interpretation of bylaws. There are, indeed, times when commas are "promoted" to semicolons for the sake of clarity and ease of reading, but such a promotion does not change the interpretation of the sentence as a whole. There are many good style manuals available that should be of assistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. J. Posted January 12, 2024 at 06:46 PM Report Share Posted January 12, 2024 at 06:46 PM Read something I wrote, just about anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmuel Gerber Posted January 12, 2024 at 07:15 PM Report Share Posted January 12, 2024 at 07:15 PM It's not listed in the index, but RONR does mention semicolons with regard to the Object article in the bylaws, in paragraph 56:18 of the 12th edition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmuel Gerber Posted January 12, 2024 at 07:15 PM Report Share Posted January 12, 2024 at 07:15 PM On 1/12/2024 at 1:04 PM, Joshua Katz said: A semi-colon connects two independent clauses without a conjunction. How that impacts a bylaw will depend on the language at issue. Do you have an example at hand? I think semi-colons are used only in by-laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Elsman Posted January 12, 2024 at 09:35 PM Report Share Posted January 12, 2024 at 09:35 PM "Semicolon", like "sergeant at arms", does not have a dash. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atul Kapur Posted January 13, 2024 at 12:18 AM Report Share Posted January 13, 2024 at 12:18 AM (edited) They are not alike. "Semicolon" does not have one dash. "Sergeant at arms" does not have two dashes. Edited January 13, 2024 at 12:19 AM by Atul Kapur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted January 13, 2024 at 12:30 AM Report Share Posted January 13, 2024 at 12:30 AM On 1/12/2024 at 2:15 PM, Shmuel Gerber said: I think semi-colons are used only in by-laws. I'm not sure that's true; I use them all the time. My advice on interpreting a semicolon is that the meaning would not change appreciably if the semicolon were replaced by a period, and the next word capitalized as a new sentence, unless they are truly being used like a comma in order to separate phrases that themselves contain commas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted January 13, 2024 at 01:14 AM Report Share Posted January 13, 2024 at 01:14 AM On 1/12/2024 at 2:15 PM, Shmuel Gerber said: I think semi-colons are used only in by-laws. On 1/12/2024 at 7:30 PM, Gary Novosielski said: I'm not sure that's true; I use them all the time. Perhaps you missed my colleagues rather dashing point. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted January 13, 2024 at 01:20 AM Report Share Posted January 13, 2024 at 01:20 AM On 1/12/2024 at 8:14 PM, Dan Honemann said: Perhaps you missed my colleagues rather dashing point. 🙂 I took it to be about hyphens, not dashes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted January 13, 2024 at 12:28 PM Report Share Posted January 13, 2024 at 12:28 PM On 1/12/2024 at 8:20 PM, Joshua Katz said: I took it to be about hyphens, not dashes. Here we go, quibbling over nomenclature again. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted January 13, 2024 at 10:44 PM Report Share Posted January 13, 2024 at 10:44 PM On 1/13/2024 at 7:28 AM, Dan Honemann said: Here we go, quibbling over nomenclature again. 🙂 Well, that nomenclature isn't going to quibble over itself, you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted January 13, 2024 at 11:49 PM Report Share Posted January 13, 2024 at 11:49 PM On 1/12/2024 at 2:15 PM, Shmuel Gerber said: I think semi-colons are used only in by-laws. On 1/12/2024 at 8:14 PM, Dan Honemann said: Perhaps you missed my colleagues rather dashing point. 🙂 With apologies to Crocodile Dundee, "Dash? - That's not a dash ⸻ that's a dash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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