When you vote to have bylaws for the first time, you are approving them with only a majority vote. When you vote to change them (amend them) you need a 2/3 affirmative vote to pass them.
You need to vote to have some sort of parliamentary authority as the one you will follow when your bylaws are silent about something. I suggest using the most current edition of Robert's Rules of Order. That way, when you have questions about something that your bylaws don't cover, you have a place to go to find answers.
Your bylaws become binding to your organization the minute you vote to approve them unless you vote to have them go into effect at a certain date in the future.
I have 2 bylaw question which are causing much debate within our organization.
First we are writing our bylaws at the moment so we don't have any. We took a set of proposed bylaws which had a couple of alternate rules which needed voted on. The alternate rules were voted on with a simple majority of greater than 50% of counted votes to pass and be entered in the proposed bylaws. The final bylaws would be accepted if they get a 2/3rds majority. So I know under Roberts Rules I need a 2/3rds majority to change the bylaws however we don't have bylaws they are only proposed so what vote do I need to have items accepted into the proposed bylaws? Also can we accept the bylaws on a simple majority or does that need to also be 2/3rds under Roberts Rules?
Second when do proposed bylaws become real bylaws? Is it after they are voted on and accepted or are they considered bylaws now? I think they are NOT bylaws and are merely proposed bylaws because the membership has not voted on them, is this assumption on my behalf correct?
