yearly update of bylaws

[Guest novice]

Our incoming officers have decided to update the bylaws..... the general membership will then have 30 days to review the updates prior to voting. After the vote the officers have stated that there can be no changes or revisions until the following year when new officers are elected.

This seems absurd to me.....situations will come up during the course of the year that will need to be addressed and it seems ridiculous that we can't update the bylaws to deal with them. Does RRO address this situation? Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this?

Thanks so much.

[Chris Harrison]

The Officers can't just come up with rules. They must follow whatever the bylaws say. What do the bylaws say regarding when they can be amended?

[Josh Martin]

Does RRO address this situation? Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this?

The officers have no authority to impose a moratorium on amending the Bylaws. They can be amended at any time, provided such amendments follow the amendment process in your Bylaws.

[hmtcastle]

Our incoming officers have decided to update the bylaws.....

You should nip these incoming officers' inflated senses of authority in the bud before they try to get away with even more.

A better idea would be to create a bylaws committee to look into whether the bylaws need any updating at all.

[Guest novice]

Our incoming officers have decided to update the bylaws..... the general membership will then have 30 days to review the updates prior to voting. After the vote the officers have stated that there can be no changes or revisions until the following year when new officers are elected.

This seems absurd to me.....situations will come up during the course of the year that will need to be addressed and it seems ridiculous that we can't update the bylaws to deal with them. Does RRO address this situation? Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this?

Thanks so much.

[Guest novice]

Our incoming officers have decided to update the bylaws..... the general membership will then have 30 days to review the updates prior to voting. After the vote the officers have stated that there can be no changes or revisions until the following year when new officers are elected.

This seems absurd to me.....situations will come up during the course of the year that will need to be addressed and it seems ridiculous that we can't update the bylaws to deal with them. Does RRO address this situation? Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this?

Thanks so much.

[Guest novice]

The bylaws do not state a particular time that amendments should take place. It only address the "how to".

[Rob Elsman]

Our incoming officers have decided to update the bylaws..... the general membership will then have 30 days to review the updates prior to voting. After the vote the officers have stated that there can be no changes or revisions until the following year when new officers are elected.

This seems absurd to me.....situations will come up during the course of the year that will need to be addressed and it seems ridiculous that we can't update the bylaws to deal with them. Does RRO address this situation? Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this?

Thanks so much.

Unless the bylaws prescribe otherwise, a motion to amend the bylaws is in order at any regular or special business meeting, observing all that is to be observed concerning previous notice of the introduction of such a motion. See RONR (10th ed.), pp. 116-118; p. 562, ll. 9-18.

No rule in RONR gives any officer the power to limit further amendments or revisions at any later meeting over any period of time, provided such an amendment or revision is introduced in accordance with the prescriptions of the bylaws and the applicable parliamentary law.

[Chris Harrison]

The bylaws do not state a particular time that amendments should take place. It only address the "how to".

Then they can be done at any Regular or Special Meeting (as long as any notice requirements are met). If these officers insist that the bylaws can only be amended at the next elections demand that they show you some rule backing up their claim. You also might want to point out the disciplinary provisions in the bylaws (if there is one) and RONR Chapter XX if they continue to try to exceed their authority.

[Guest kc crc]

Church membership has adopted the annual budget, in January, (properly called and notified meeting), all a done deal. Constitution states "there shall be one annual financial meeting (calendar year) to adopt the budget."

Now they have decided they "found" some money they withheld disclosure on and want to spend it on affiliating with a frivolous organization, and think by presenting that there IS afterall money we can use toward it, is proposing a special meeting to ask us to re-vote in April to "readopt" the budget, in order to spend this "found" money on something else. What about Annual meeting the powers that be don't understand is beyond my understanding; what can or should the membership say or do when this is presented?

[Guest Edgar]

What about Annual meeting the powers that be don't understand is beyond my understanding . . .

Asking an unrelated question on a thread that's nearly two years old is beyond my understanding.

Please post your question as a new topic.

[Guest Edgar]

. . . a thread that's nearly two years old . . .

Make that nearly three years old.