By: Trudy Waldroop
Bylaws & Resolutions Chair, NFBPWC 2022-2024 (Email: ILoveBPW@yahoo.com) Bylaws@NFBPWC.org 

B Y L A W S

Part 1

What are they?

Bylaws is a document that relates to the basic rules for an organization to its structure and manner of operation.  Bylaws are an organization’s highest authority and take precedence over the parliamentary authority whenever there is a conflict and which are always stated in the organization’s bylaws.  For the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs the parliamentary authority is Robert‘s Rules of Order Newly Revised (latest edition).  An organization may not have in their bylaws anything which conflicts with a law of a higher organization.  Bylaws can never be suspended! 

Why do we need them?

It tells the members of the organization their rights and responsibilities and how to conduct themselves at meetings.   Every person who joins an organization should be given right away a copy of that organization’s bylaws – along with any other rules that organization has adopted.

What’s in them?

At least the Name of the organization, their Object, Members, Officers, Meetings, Executive Committee, Board, Committees, Parliamentary Authority and Amendments.  An easy way to remember these is the mnemonics it’s NO MOM E CPA.  These are the minimum that shall be listed in bylaws, an organization may wish to add others/topics.  If your organization has a Board of Directors add an article to it after the article on Executive Board/Committee.

Briefly what each of the above items should contain:

• Name the full, exact name of the organization.
• Object of the organization expressed in a single sentence.
• Members who can join, classes of membership, dues, when due.
• Officers name of officers, term, how elected or appointed.
• Meetings when meet, the annual meeting special meetings, and the quorum of each. 
• Executive Committee bylaws should state what the Executive Committee consists of, its powers, duties, quorum, and other duties.  If a Board of Directors is desired a separate Article is listed.
• Board of Directors would also indicate who it consists of, its powers, duties, and quorum.
• Committees Standing Committees first, their name, composition, election and duties.  Special committees should be in a separate Article.
• Parliamentary Authoritywhat it is (name and author) and should be stated in one sentence.
• Amendment this Article would contain the procedures for amendment on how to change the current bylaws.