If you’re in the process of revamping your chamber bylaws, you’re probably interested in making all the necessary changes at once. After all, who wants to go in and make changes to the bylaws every couple of months? Not only can the process be painful by arranging the vote but it can also make the leadership appear scattered as you keep adding and subtracting periodically, instead of doing it in one big change.
A chamber leader asked the Chamber Professionals Group on Facebook what they would change if they were redoing their chamber bylaws and here’s what they shared:
Must-have Updates for Your Chamber Bylaws
Allowing for Board Changes
One of the most efficient changes you can make if you currently require membership voting is to allow the board to vote on changes to the chamber bylaws instead suggests Jeff Meredith. This is a lot easier than mailing out ballots to the membership and reminding them to send them in.
Using Technology
Janice Schwanbeck suggested instituting electronic voting instead of mail ballots. You’ll save on postage and most of the reminders and sends can be scheduled automatically with less staff work. But before you implement this time-saving step, check with your state regulations. There are some states that forbid electronic voting for certain types of organizations.
Give It a Range
Don’t stipulate a set number of board members. Instead, Janet Davis suggested providing a range like 15-20. That way in those years when you have many eager volunteers you can make space and when you don’t have a good pool to choose from, you can operate with a leaner board. You may also want to entertain the idea of term limits according to Julie Martin.
Todd Deluca suggested the following tips:
- The president or ED should be a voting ex officio board member
- Institute auto termination for board members who miss x meetings without an excuse
- Implement email and electronic unanimous consent
- Use budget fallback if not approved
What would you add to this list? Join the conversation here.
