Board rules of order
All Directors on a board have equal votes and powers.
The proceeding of a board are usually public. A board may call a closed session by a 2/3s vote.
A board is governed by the 4th edition of Sturgis's Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure; except for the following additions and changes:
- the functions of officers of the deliberative body (chairman, secretary, etc) are fulfilled by the Parliamentarians, who cannot vote. Note that although these bylaws include an office called Chair, the Chairs do NOT in general take on the role of a chairman according to Sturgis; rather, the Parliamentarians do this (except in groups without Parliamentarians, in which case the Chairs fill in). Note that the Chairs and Parliamentarians cannot vote, even when Sturgis says they can.
- the rules of order are considered to be incorporated by reference into these bylaws, and cannot be amended except by amending the bylaws.
However, since the board doesn't consist of very many people, is it suggested that meetings be initially conducted informally by general consent, and to switch to formal parliamentary procedure only when requested by one or more Directors, or when dealing with particularly weighty and controversial issues.