Every organization has a document, or a set of documents, establishing its basic structure and manner of operation. This document could be called the by-laws, the constitution, the constitution and by-laws, the charter, or something else similar. Such documents are generically referred to as “by-laws”.

A professional parliamentarian from Raplyn Consulting can help organizations that wish to amend their by-laws in a number of different ways, depending on the specific need.

If the members of the association (or its board or by-laws committee) know roughly what changes they would like to make, the parliamentarian can draft a formal by-law amendment motion that will accomplish their goals in the most effective manner. If the members aren’t sure what exactly needs to be changed, he or she can review the existing by-laws, and consult with the board, by-laws committee, or staff on recommendations for improvement. On the other hand, if the association has already drafted an amendment, he or she can review it for accuracy and spot hidden problems that the untrained eye might not notice.

For incorporated associations, the parliamentarian can work with the corporate lawyer to ensure that both legal and parliamentary concerns are addressed. In many cases, neither a lawyer nor a parliamentarian on his or her own can be aware of all the subtleties that might arise when doing certain kinds of by-law amendments.

If an association is in the habit of hiring specialized professionals, such as lawyers, accountants, and human resource consultants, when needed, it would be well advised to hire a professional parliamentarian whenever considering an amendment to its by-laws.

For more information about these services, or to hire a professional parliamentarian to serve your organization, please contact Raplyn Consulting.