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Motion to not change


Guest Shirley

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Can a motion be made to leave a by-law as it is and not change it?

This is the most redundant motion I've ever seen. Not only does it propose to do nothing, it proposes to do it twice.

I'm imagining the question being divided into two parts, the first, "That the bylaw be left as it is," and the second, "That the bylaw not be changed." :P

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How about this method to accomplish what, it seems anyway, is trying to be accomplished:

Make a motion to appoint a committee to review the bylaw in question and make recommendations for changes to the that bylaw.

If the motion fails, then the body has gone on record that no changes to the bylaws are desired.

If the motion passes, the committee may make a recommendation for no change, and that recommendation is on record as well. Or, the committee may make a recommendation for a change, and the body can defeat the recommendation and that is on record as well.

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How about this method to accomplish what, it seems anyway, is trying to be accomplished:

It's not at all clear what is trying to be accomplished. If you don't want to change a bylaw, don't change it. That always works.

Make a motion to appoint a committee to review the bylaw in question and make recommendations for changes to the that bylaw.

Or, make no motion whatsoever and the bylaw in question remains unchanged.

If the motion fails, then the body has gone on record that no changes to the bylaws are desired.

No, the body will have gone on record that no committee should be appointed at the moment to review the bylaws. It might still be strongly in favor of changing them.

If the motion passes, the committee may make a recommendation for no change, and that recommendation is on record as well. Or, the committee may make a recommendation for a change, and the body can defeat the recommendation and that is on record as well.

If they have enough votes to defeat a recommendation, they certainly have enough votes to defeat any actual amendment.

The body might simply wonder whether there aren't more important things to do with its time and resources than to obsess over how not to change something. The status quo can be adequately preserved in may instances by simply not acting.

What seems to be lost in the shuffle is the fact that if a majority of members are against changing a bylaw, it's not going to be changed. And if a sufficient number of members is in favor of changing that bylaw, there's nothing much you can do to stop them.

The body should probably find itself some volunteer work in the community to get its mind off trying to find new ways of doing nothing even less productively.

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How about this method to accomplish what, it seems anyway, is trying to be accomplished:

Using parliamentary forms to NOT CHANGE something is not an accomplishment.

Make a motion to appoint a committee to review the bylaw in question and make recommendations for changes to the that bylaw.

If the motion fails, then the body has gone on record that no changes to the bylaws are desired.

First, the motion to commit being lost does not indicate a position on the bylaw.

Second, there is no need to go on record as not wanting a change to the bylaw.

If the motion passes, the committee may make a recommendation for no change, and that recommendation is on record as well.

It's only a recommendation. The bylaw is still just as open to amendment.

Or, the committee may make a recommendation for a change, and the body can defeat the recommendation and that is on record as well.

The "record" has no magical power over the assembly. Record notwithstanding, the assembly can still amend the bylaws, in accordance with the amendment procedure.

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The "record" has no magical power over the assembly. Record notwithstanding, the assembly can still amend the bylaws, in accordance with the amendment procedure.

Yes, and that seems to be something the OP does not understand. If the desire is simply to create a "record" of the opinion of the members, you can adopt a resolution like:

"RESOLVED, That it is the the sense of the assembly that the bylaws are perfect as they stand, and that any future modification to them would be an occasion for great sadness, accompanied by widespread weeping and the gnashing of teeth."

If you get it passed, it's on the record.

Of course that won't prevent anyone from amending the bylaws in the future.

The most convincing "record" that the membership does not want the bylaws changed would be an unbroken series of minutes in which nobody even mentioned the bylaws.

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Yes, and that seems to be something the OP does not understand.

Well, it's something that someone in Shirley's organization doesn't understand. The fact that Shirley asked about a motion to not do something doesn't mean she's the one who wants to make the motion. She may be trying to nip another member's nonsense in the bud. :)

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