How to Suspend the Bylaws

Instructions

1

Research the provisions of your bylaws. You bylaws should set forth the criteria for either a temporary suspension of the bylaws and/or the procedure for amending the bylaws. This clause will describe the process by which the bylaws can be suspended or amended such as a requirement for an affirmative vote by a super-majority of eligible voters. If the bylaws do not have a clause enabling the suspension of the bylaws, then it will be necessary to first amend the bylaws to insert a suspension clause
2

Generate the necessary level of support for a bylaw change. Since this will likely require a super-majority of voters, it will be important to build support for the proposition. Suspending the bylaws may be seen as a controversial action, but carefully explaining the need for the suspension prior to the meeting will allay the fears of the members of your organization.
3

Enter a motion to suspend. The motion should define the purview of the suspension by stating the bylaw(s) that will be suspended. For instance, "I move to suspend the bylaw requiring us to elect officers today for the purpose of delaying the election of officers by one week." By clearly stating a purview, you ensure that other actions that would normally be prohibited from occurring do not take place during the bylaw suspension.
4

Vote on the motion to suspend.
5

Submit the desired motion for action. It can be easy to confuse a vote to suspend the bylaws with the vote on the actual action. As an example, in order to complete the above example for the election of officers, it would be important to vote on a separate motion to delay the election after winning approval to suspend the bylaws. This motion would not take a super-majority as only the motion to suspend the bylaws is a super-majority vote.