Next any amendments or changes to by laws must be voted on by the membership. It is their organization! Be sure your changes pass muster though - find that lawyer parent or para legal that has access to lawyers get them to read over your proposed changes pro bono!
As for signing off on them. Check your existing laws they ought to contain a process for this. Generally though your board will prepare a change. This document should be simple: A single document with the existing by law then below it the text of the proposed change.
Once the language is determined the board should vote on it (again check your by laws for your process I am speaking generally here) once approved within the prescribed time limit the membership should make an up or down vote on the proposed change. If they vote no, you do not include it in the by laws. If they vote yes, this document becomes an attachment to the existing by laws document. I should add that dates are important so be sure the change document is date stamped for each date, date prepared, date approved by board, date approved by membership.
Again check with this pro bono lawyer for applicable state laws. Some states permit you to alter the orginal document with the changes, some dont!
I am sure there are things I am missing here for you and I hope others will post to this to help you along.
We are in the process of updating our bylaws as well. In our old bylaws it states that to update them, you must bring them before the whole school for a vote at a school wide PTO meeting. It must get a vote of 2/3 yes to pass. Also, you must post them for a month prior to the meeting. I will let you know how this goes. Our meeting is November 6th.
My question is, what do you need to approve and make bylaws valid? I am almost finished with the bylaws and I want to make sure that when I am done they become valid.
Do we need anyone to sign and if so who? :confused:
