Committee Charters

[cjsmom]

One existing BOD committee charter is being revised and several other new charters have been created. Is the correct course of action to have each committee review its charter, reflect in the committee minutes the committee's 'motion to approve,' and then have the full BOD 'accept' or 'adopt' each? If not, what is the correct action? I've been given conflicting info.

[Rob Elsman]

One existing BOD committee charter is being revised and several other new charters have been created. Is the correct course of action to have each committee review its charter, reflect in the committee minutes the committee's 'motion to approve,' and then have the full BOD 'accept' or 'adopt' each? If not, what is the correct action? I've been given conflicting info.

In most ordinary societies, the fundamentals of the executive board and standing committees are included in the society's bylaws, and changes to these fundamentals are accomplished by amending the bylaws. For example, see RONR (10th ed.), pp, 568, 569.

[Chris Harrison]

RONR doesn't address "committee charters". If the committee hasn't been given power to act for the Board the proper procedure is to make its recommendations to the Board and the Board will consider the recommendation.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

One existing BOD committee charter is being revised and several other new charters have been created.

Is the correct course of action to have each committee review its charter, reflect in the committee minutes the committee's 'motion to approve,' and then have the full BOD 'accept' or 'adopt' each?

If not, what is the correct action? I've been given conflicting info.

You are using a term in a non-Robertian way. -- There is no reference in RONR between the two concepts: (a.) charter; (b.) committee.

(The term "charter" is a document from a superior body outside the organization, not a document generated within a body.)

So you might be asking an un-answerable question as far as Robert's Rules of Order goes.

In general, committees are not allowed to adopt their own rules or their procedures.

It follows from this that committees are not allowed to adopt charters.

It is the superior body, the creator and populater of the committee, to do 100% of the "charging" (i.e., instructing).

Committees do not tell the board, "This is what we'll do."

That would be the tail wagging the dog.