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Why a constitution AND bylaws ?
As was established in Issue 1 , the point of a constitution is to lay out an organization ’ s most important rules and principles .
But the NJCL has two main governing documents — the Constitution and the Bylaws — which begs an important question :
… why two ?
After all , both constitutions and bylaws set important rules , so what ’ s the need for two separate governing documents ?
In organizations with both , the defining characteristic of bylaws is that they ’ re easier to amend than a constitution . This is the case in the NJCL ; the Bylaws ’ exact amendment process is discussed later in this issue .
Since bylaws are easier to amend , they ’ re more fit for specific procedural details that are more subject to change than the governing principles of a constitution . Let ’ s look at an example :
Δ Membership requirements spell out who gets to be in an organization to begin with . A change in who can be a member reflects a change in who the organization serves or how it accomplishes its goals . Thus , the NJCL puts its membership requirements in the NJCL Constitution .
Δ Exact membership fees are a different story . Whether members each pay $ 10 or $ 12 annually isn ’ t a matter of an organization ’ s purpose , structure , or principles . Rather , it ’ s an operational detail that should typically be easier to change . Thus , the NJCL puts its fees in the NJCL Bylaws .
Should my JCL have two documents ?
The point of having a separated constitution and bylaws is to allow some things , mainly specific procedures , to be easier to amend . When drafting your governing documents , think about whether this is necessary in your JCL .
Δ State JCLs , being more complex , may benefit from a separate bylaws so that things like fees can be made easier to amend .
Δ Local JCL chapters likely won ’ t need a separate bylaws .