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Roberts Rules /Limits of Authority


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During a committee debate, an argument was made that Roberts Rules grants authority to our Representative Assembly, as a "governing body" to decide an issue in lieu of an general vote.

Can someone direct me to where Roberts Rules establishes such hierarchy of authority?

Thank You,

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During a committee debate, an argument was made that Roberts Rules grants authority to our Representative Assembly, as a "governing body" to decide an issue in lieu of an general vote.

Can someone direct me to where Roberts Rules establishes such hierarchy of authority?

Thank You,

You need to consult your society's governing documents, not RONR.

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... an argument was made that Roberts Rules grants authority to our Representative Assembly, as a "governing body" to decide an issue in lieu of an general vote.

Can someone direct me to where Roberts Rules establishes such hierarchy of authority?

Impossible, since there is no such term as "Representative Assembly" within the 700+ pages of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR 10th ed.).

And, I don't know what you mean by "general vote". - That term is not a term found in RONR, either.

By default, there is only one body: the general membership.

By default, here is no board. Certainly, there is no "Representative Assembly", whatever that is.

By default, decisions are made officially only by the membership.

If you have a constitution, or a set of bylaws, or a charter, or other document of governance, then consult that document for those defined bodies above and beyond the default assumptions of RONR.

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Impossible, since there is no such term as "Representative Assembly" within the 700+ pages of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR 10th ed.).

And, I don't know what you mean by "general vote". - That term is not a term found in RONR, either.

By default, there is only one body: the general membership.

By default, here is no board. Certainly, there is no "Representative Assembly", whatever that is.

By default, decisions are made officially only by the membership.

If you have a constitution, or a set of bylaws, or a charter, or other document of governance, then consult that document for those defined bodies above and beyond the default assumptions of RONR.

I think I understood that the Representative Assembly is in the nature of a convention of delegates, RONR (10th ed.), §58, pp. 581. As noted on p. 582, the bylaws should define the body's powers and duties.

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During a committee debate, an argument was made that Roberts Rules grants authority to our Representative Assembly, as a "governing body" to decide an issue in lieu of an general vote.

Can someone direct me to where Roberts Rules establishes such hierarchy of authority?

Thank You,

I'd think that if "someone" could, it would be the person who made that argument in the first place. It sounds to me like they just made it up. People do that all the time. You'd be amazed at the goofy things that people claim "Robert's Rules says"--with a straight face.

In fact, RONR's default hierarchy of authority is that the general membership is the highest authority; other, smaller bodies, boards, delegations, or committees, have only such powers as are delegated to them explicitly by the membership in the bylaws..

Now it may be that your bylaws do give some special powers to your "Rep Assembly", or not, but it certainly isn't in RONR.

Did you have any money riding on it? :)

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Thank you all for your remarks.

We are a small, 500 member union being told by our leadership that Roberts Rules grants a committee we call the "Representative Assembly", the authority to decide an important issue in committee without a general membership vote. I do not know Roberts Rules well,but I am arguing that Roberts Rules is strickly a procedureal framework and does NOT convey authority to any committee to deny membership voting priviledges on important issues.

Am I wrong?

Thanks very much for your replies

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Thank you all for your remarks.

We are a small, 500 member union being told by our leadership that Roberts Rules grants a committee we call the "Representative Assembly", the authority to decide an important issue in committee without a general membership vote. I do not know Roberts Rules well,but I am arguing that Roberts Rules is strickly a procedureal framework and does NOT convey authority to any committee to deny membership voting priviledges on important issues.

Am I wrong?

Thanks very much for your replies

You're quite right that RONR does not. But you might be wrong in saying that nothing does.

The Constitution/Bylaws of the union may well give the Representative Assembly broad powers to decide certain issues, a few select issues, or all issues. This isn't something you'd expect to find in RONR, but it would have to be in the bylaws, if the power really does exist.

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Kim: I've searched your citation using various search engines to no avail. Could you save me some time and direct me to a source for RONR 10 edition?

I very much appreciate your help.

Lawrence

I think I understood that the Representative Assembly is in the nature of a convention of delegates, RONR (10th ed., §58, pp. 581. As noted on p. 582, the bylaws should define the body's powers and duties.

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Could you save me some time and direct me to a source for RONR 10 edition?

I think I understood that the Representative Assembly is in the nature of a convention of delegates, RONR (10th ed., §58, pp. 581. As noted on p. 582, the bylaws should define the body's powers and duties.

(excerpt, RONR page 465)

A society has no executive board, nor can its officers act as a board,

except as the bylaws may provide;

and when so established, the board has only such power as is delegated to it

by the bylaws or by vote of the society’s assembly referring individual matters to it.

The amount of regular power delegated to an executive board under the bylaws varies considerably

from one organization to another.

"...the Representative Assembly is in the nature of a convention of delegates ..."

If you do not have 'delegates' defined in your bylaws, then you have none.

All members are "delegates" then, as there is no difference, no distinction, at one's annual meeting or at one's convention.

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Kim: I've searched your citation using various search engines to no avail. Could you save me some time and direct me to a source for RONR 10 edition>

The 10th Edition of RONR is not available online. The most recent version online is the 4th which was written in 1915. Shoot, they practically had just emerged from the horse and buggy back then. :D

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