AUGD: Bylaws comment
AUGD: Bylaws comment
- Subject: AUGD: Bylaws comment
- From: Russ Conte <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2008 06:40:46 -0800
Hi,
Michael asked why have by-laws at all. Ours are written in part (in my understanding of them) to protect the group members in case any individual (or group of individuals) hijacks the group. If someone does that but has not broken any civil or criminal laws, then they can't be arrested or convicted. Our by-laws do not dictate much, but they do give wise guidance in case the situation if the group is going from bad to worse. The group can assert control and take the group back.
Could this be done without by-laws? I'm sure it can, but the by-laws provide a well recognized means to protect the membership in case anyone oversteps their duties. So the bulk of our by-laws are the jobs and duties, how to hold elections, and what to do in case things go wrong. Others may read them in some other way, but that's the bulk of what we have, as I remember it right now.
My very limited and humble understanding is that we have laws in society to protect us against bad people (among many other things). I read by-laws the same way for a group. While they may not be necessary, and many types of groups run well without them, I'm more comfortable having that level of guidance built into the group up front, so everyone knows what's expected, and the consequences if they violate the expectations. A group without by-laws is a group that has no organized method to respond to people when they violate the trust that the membership has placed in them. While it's possible to "Indiana Jones" through that and figure it out as you go along, I think of a society without any laws, and how that would work, and in my mind I translate that to a group, and for my money I'll take by-laws in a group for that purpose.
As always, any corrections or clarifications that others may have are most welcome.
Russ Conte
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