bylaws changes

[vclark]

An officer of our non-profit educational organization wants to propose a bylaws change, but none of the current officers know how to do this. I'm a newly appointed chair of the by-laws committee and I've been asked to advise them. The only relevant procedural information in our bylaws is this: Section 5. AMENDMENTS. New By-Laws may be adopted or these By-Laws may be amended or repealed by a vote of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the membership of the Board, provided further that no new By-Laws may be adopted and no existing By-Laws may be amended or repealed at the meeting at which such adoption amendment or repeal is first proposed.

Another board member recalls that in the past, the Board voted twice on each proposed change, at two consecutive Board meetings.There is no bylaw or Standard Operating Procedure on record that says we have to vote twice. Am I correct in interpreting our bylaw as saying only that the proposed bylaw change cannot take place at the meeting at which the proposal is first presented? Based on Robert's Rules, my recommendation would be that at the next meeting, the proposer gives "previous notice" of his/her intent to make a motion to change the bylaw, and provides the text of the proposed change. The official motion, discussion and vote should take place not at that time, but at the following meeting of the Board.

Is this acceptable? And is there any justification for following previous President's practice of requiring two votes on each proposed bylaws change? Thanks so much!

[hmtcastle]

Am I correct in interpreting our bylaw as saying only that the proposed bylaw change cannot take place at the meeting at which the proposal is first presented?

Your bylaws can only be properly interpreted by reading them in their entirety, something that's beyond the scope of this forum. That said, your interpretation sounds about right.

And is there any justification for following previous President's practice of requiring two votes on each proposed bylaws change?

If it ain't in the rules, it's not a rule. And it's not proper to vote on the same motion twice, in two different meetings.

[Guest vclark]

Your bylaws can only be properly interpreted by reading them in their entirety, something that's beyond the scope of this forum. That said, your interpretation sounds about right.

If it ain't in the rules, it's not a rule. And it's not proper to vote on the same motion twice, in two different meetings.

Thank you for your help! I will clarify this with our new president.

[hmtcastle]

And it's not proper to vote on the same motion twice, in two different meetings.

Actually, that's not quite accurate. If a motion is defeated, the same exact motion can be made again (and again) at subsequent meetings.

But in the context of the original question, if a motion is adopted, it is improper to make that same motion at the next meeting.