Does Robert's Rules define "Active Member?"

[Guest Roz]

Does Robert's Rules specify what an active member is? I am on the board for a high school band booster club. We are a 501c3. Our bylaws state that to run for a board position you must be an active member in good standing. The bylaws do not clarify what makes someone an active member other than paying dues. I have a parent of an incoming freshman that wants to run for president of the Board. Some of my board feels this is strange as their child will not be a student until August and our new term for BOD starts in June. This person did serve as the president of our board when her older child was a student. I feel if she pays her membership dues before the May election then that makes her "an active member in good standing" and she is allowed to run. Any thoughts?

[Gary Novosielski]

This question depends on your bylaws. 

RONR does not define active or inactive members.  It only defines members or non-members.  If your bylaws don't say what "active" means, then they should be amended to remove the ambiguity.  You say "other than paying dues"--do your bylaws actually say that you must pay your dues to be "active," or are you assuming that?  

Similarly, "in good standing" is defined in RONR as any member whose rights are not suspended due to discipline, or some automatic suspension for some reason outlined in your bylaws.   Dues do not figure into this unless your bylaws say they do.

What do your bylaws say about these things?

[Roz]

Thank you Gary for your response.Our bylaws state there are 2 classes: active and community. Any person dedicated to the purposes of the Corporation is eligible on approval by the Board and "timely payment of such dues and fees as the Board may fix from time to time."

In the "privileges" sections under membership it states " active members in good standing shall enjoy the privileges of voting and shall be eligible to become chairs of standing committees. Only a child of BVHS band whose parent or guardian is an active member will be considered for scholarships...." the rest of that paragraph continues to list the various types of band students( jazz, drum line concert, etc.)

Under voting memers it states that active members have the right to vote on election of Directors, disposition of assets, merger and dissolution of the Corporation as well as "all rights afforded members under the California Lonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law."

Under heading "Dues;Good Standing" it states "those members that have paid dues in accordance with this Section shall be members in good standing."

 

I can't find anything about needing to have a current student to be eligible for membership or being nominated to office.

[Gary Novosielski]

Well, it sounds like your interpretation is reasonable.

[Atul Kapur]

On 3/27/2024 at 5:08 PM, Roz said:

Our bylaws state there are 2 classes: active and community.

I don't understand how your bylaws can specify 2 classes without defining their criteria or how the classification is determined.

On 3/25/2024 at 8:09 PM, Guest Roz said:

The bylaws do not clarify what makes someone an active member other than paying dues.