The Deliberative Assembly

Categories of Assemblies

• Local assembly of an organized society: Members of a local organization or the local branch of a larger organization. Participation is limited to those who are on the membership rolls as voting members.
• Legislative body: A constitutionally established lawmaking body of representatives (at the national, state, or local level) chosen by the electorate for a certain term of office.
• Board: An administrative or managerial body of appointed or elected people. It may be the organization’s supreme governing body or may be subordinate to the general membership.
• Mass meeting: A meeting of an unorganized group with a common interest in a particular purpose or problem. A series of mass meetings may be held to organize a permanent society. Everyone who attends the meeting and is in agreement with the common interest has the right to participate.
• Convention: An assembly of delegates chosen to represent constituent subdivisions for one session. Delegates who hold proper credentials are entitled to participate.

Meetings

Types of Meetings

• Regular: A periodic business meeting of a permanent society held at defined intervals
• Special: A separate business meeting held at a different time than regularly scheduled meetings, convening only for the specific purpose noticed in the call to the meeting
• Adjourned: A continuation of the immediately preceding regular or special meeting
• Annual: Either a once-annual meeting or a meeting designated to receive reports of officers and com­mittees, hold elections, or take other actions prescribed in the bylaws
• Executive session: Any meeting or portion of a meeting in which proceedings are secret

Rules of the Assembly

• Corporate charter: A state or federal legal instrument that is used to incorporate an organization. Or, a charter may be a certificate that a national or state organization issues to grant a group the right to form a local or subordinate organization. This form of charter is not an instrument of incorporation.
• Constitution: A document defining the primary char­acteristics of the organization. Currently, the trend is to have these rules contained in one document called the bylaws.
• Bylaws: A document that defines how an organization functions. It includes all the rules that, due to their importance, are more difficult to change. Bylaws are:
  • Adopted by majority vote
  • Amended by two-thirds vote with previous notice to the membership
  • Suspended only if they contain clauses for their own suspension or are in the nature of rules of order

Structure of Bylaws

1. Name: The organization’s full, exact name.
2. Object: The organization’s purpose, expressed in a single sentence, with phrases or lettered subparagraphs offset by semicolons.
3. Members: Those who have the right to participate fully in the assembly. This section should include classes of members (regular, affiliate, honorary, etc.), with rights and limitations defined; qualifications or eligibility for membership; required dues and fees, the schedule by which they should be paid, and stipulation about when membership will be terminated for nonpayment of dues and fees; and resignations.
4. Officers: The structure of the assembly’s officers, in order of rank (usually president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, etc.), duties, method of nom­ination/election, term of office, term limitations, and method for filling vacancies.
5. Meetings: Specifics about the assembly’s meetings, including the day on which to hold regular meetings (but not the time or location), designation of an annual meeting, procedures for calling special meetings and notification requirements, and a definition of quorum for all meetings.
6. Executive board: Specification of the executive board’s composition, powers, regular meetings, special meetings, and quorum.
7. Committees: Any subordinate groups of the assembly:
   1. Standing committees (those having continuing existence) should have a stipulated composition, a defined manner of selection, defined duties, and specific committee names (or a provision for establishment of additional standing committees).
   2. Special committees (established as need arises for a specific purpose) must have a specified manner of selection.
   3. Ex officio: A Latin phrase that means “by virtue of office.” The president may serve ex officio as a member of all committees except the nominating committee.
8. Parliamentary authority: The assembly’s choice of a parliamentary authority to follow (e.g., the current edition of RRONR).
9. Amendment: Procedures for amending the bylaws, including requirements for advance notice and requirements for vote to approve an amendment.

Rules of Order

• Adopted or amended by two-thirds vote with previous notice or majority vote of the entire membership
• Suspended by two-thirds vote, unless protecting a minority of less than one-third

Standing Rules

• Adopted by majority vote
• Amended either by two-thirds vote without previous notice or majority vote with previous notice
• Suspended by majority vote