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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Regarding Amendments to International Documents and Resolutions by the Study and Research Committee of International Chapter
P.E.O.’s governing documents and ceremonies have evolved over the years based on the proposals of sisters, local chapters, committees, state, provincial and district (s/p/d) chapters and the leadership team of International Chapter. As an organization we use a set of standard practices that align with the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order to ensure a fair process that allows sisters with differing views to be heard as we consider changes to our documents through amendments. You are encouraged to participate in the amendment process. It is your right and it is your responsibility. Your involvement in the process can allow you to feel a greater sense of ownership of our Sisterhood. The following frequently asked questions (FAQs) are intended to help answer key questions about the amendment process.
QUESTION: Who can propose amendments to International documents and propose resolutions? ANSWER: Any active member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood has the right to submit proposals using the appropriate procedures. This article will help you better understand those procedures.
QUESTION: What is a resolution and when would a resolution be proposed? ANSWER: A resolution is used to make a motion such as a proposal for a change that involves actions, not a change to wording in an International document. For example, a resolution could be made to establish a committee to conduct a study and provide a report on its findings.
QUESTION: What does a local chapter member need to do to propose an amendment to an International document or a resolution? ANSWER: First, the member must receive the support of her local chapter. She submits the proposal in writing at her local chapter meeting and at the next chapter meeting a counted vote is taken. The proposal must receive a 2/3 favorable vote to proceed. If the vote is favorable, it becomes a proposal of and “belongs to” the local chapter.
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QUESTION: Which International documents can be changed with amendments? ANSWER: The Constitution, Bylaws and Standing Rules of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and the Procedure for P.E.O. Chapter Meeting, including the Opening Ode, Objects and Aims, the Ceremony of Initiation and the Ceremony of Installation, all can be changed via the amendment process. (The portions of the Procedure for P.E.O. Chapter Meeting, Ceremony of Initiation and Ceremony of Installation that are in italics are instructions from the Executive Board of International Chapter and are not amendable. The Appendices are supplementary materials to the Procedure for P.E.O. Chapter Meeting and are not amendable.)
QUESTION: Who decides if an amendment/resolution will be proposed? ANSWER: A member who feels strongly about an issue may propose a change. It is up to the member’s
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QUESTION: Once a local chapter votes favorably to propose an amendment to an International document or a resolution, what are the next steps and how involved is the local chapter in those steps? ANSWER: Immediately following the favorable vote, the proposal is sent by the local chapter to the s/p/d president and Amendments & Recommendations (A&R) chair. Include the date the vote was taken and the number of pro votes and the number of con votes. The A&R chair submits the proposal to the Study & Research (S&R) chair immediately, but no later than January 1.
local chapter if they want the amendment/resolution to be
submitted to the s/p/d. If the vote is favorable at the local chapter, it is then up to all local chapters of the s/p/d to vote on whether or not the amendment/resolution should be considered at the s/p/d convention. If that vote is favorable, it is then considered at the s/p/d convention and is up to the voting members of the s/p/d convention if the amendment/resolution should be considered at CIC. If that vote is favorable, the amendment/resolution will be considered at CIC.
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THE P.E.O. RECORD | September–October 2022
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