Ask a Parliamentary Question

1. A motion on the form of voting is an incidental motion that can be made any time before the voting begins. "I move that the vote on this motion be taken by ballot". This motion requires a majority vote to adopt. 2. The chair should maintain a position of impartiality, and can vacate the chair while the motion is pending if the chair wishes to participate in the deliberations. The assembly can temporarily remove the chair of the meeting, even if the bylaws say something like "The President shall be the chair of the meetings". This is a motion to "Suspend the rules that prevent the assembly from electing a chair pro tem for the remainder of the meeting". However this requires a 2/3 vote, and maybe if you have a 2/3 vote for that you could already get your way on the motion that concerns you. It depends on how much of a stickler your members are about impartiality. You did not ask this but I should point out that someone can make a Point Of Order that the chair is not maintaining a position of impartiality and kindly request that the chair voluntarily vacate the chair for the deliberation of the motion.

Unless modified by your bylaws, a quorum must be present to act in the name of the organization. If people leave until you are below the quorum requirement you would then come under the same rules as if the quorum was not present at start the meeting. The rule is that the chair has a duty to observe if a quorum is lost (due to people leaving the meeting), and any person can raise a point of order that a quorum is not present which could trigger a count or other means to determine if a quorum is present. Any business conducted before the quorum is lost still stands, unless it can be absolutely proved exactly when the loss of quorum occurred. This generally is not possible. Usually someone will say "Point of order, I do not see a quorum here" and the chair will count or whatever and say "The point is well taken. There is not a quorum present. Are there any announcements before we adjourn". Or along these lines.

The fact that delegates (or members) are elected by some number of people has no impact on the interpretation of the bylaws. "Disenfranchise voters" means to deny them the opportunity to vote, and they have already voted. The principle of representation does not protect the elected members. It is the bylaws which rule the situation, not the electorate. I presume there is a method of replacing a removed member so the electorate can continue to be represented, but even if not, that has no affect on interpreting the bylaws regarding removal. Interpretation of bylaws is based on strict construction of the actual language - intent doesn't matter. There is no other factor that would bring about an interpretation other than “Any Member may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the County Committee at any meeting.” - unless your bylaws specifically provide such an exception.

When a body makes a decision it can generally only do so at a meeting with a quorum. The default vote is always a majority. So if a bylaw says that such and such can be done by the assembly, or by a vote of the assembly it always means a majority vote at a meeting with a quorum. If ever the "majority of the membership" is required, or some other percent of the membership is required, that must be specifically stated in the bylaw. So "2/3 of a vote of the County Committee" just means two thirds of those at the meeting. "At any meeting" is superfluous, unless your bylaws allow for actions to be taken without a meeting.

No you can't change the meeting without changing the bylaws, because that section in the bylaws serves as notice of the meeting. However if your bylaws provide for Special Meetings you can follow that process to call a meeting on a different day, such as before the religious holiday. At that meeting you can modify the bylaw to make it more flexible, such as by adding "or on the following Thursday if the first Wednesday is a legal holiday or Rash Hashana" (or name whatever religious holiday that would not already be a legal holiday)