# Standing Rules vs Bylaws for Booster Clubs: When to Use Each

> The difference between standing rules and bylaws for a booster club: what belongs in each, how standing rules are adopted and changed, and sample rules.

- URL: https://boosterclub.org/bylaws/standing-rules/
- Section: Bylaws
- Updated: 2026-10-08

Standing rules are a booster club's administrative rules, adopted by an ordinary vote and changed the same way: dues amounts, reimbursement deadlines, meeting times, event procedures, and other details that shift from year to year. Bylaws hold the fundamental rules that should change rarely and only with notice to every voter. The secretary keeps the standing rules as a numbered, dated list next to the bylaws; the board or the members adopt them, as the bylaws provide.

Separating the two keeps the bylaws stable and short. A club that writes dollar amounts and procedures into its bylaws must hold a formal amendment vote every time a detail changes, so in practice it stops following its own bylaws. A club with no standing rules at all relies on memory, and memory leaves with each outgoing board.

## How Standing Rules Differ From Bylaws

Under Robert's Rules of Order, standing rules relate to the details of administration rather than to parliamentary procedure, while bylaws are the fundamental rules that define the organization and can be changed only by the procedure they set. Board policies are a third category: governance rules the board adopts by resolution.

| | Bylaws | Standing rules | Board policies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Purpose, membership, officers, meetings, finance controls, amendments, dissolution | Administrative details and procedures | Conflict of interest, whistleblower, document retention, expenses |
| Adopted by | The procedure in the amendment article, usually two-thirds with notice | Majority vote, like any main motion | Board resolution |
| Changed by | Same as adoption | Majority vote with previous notice; without notice, two-thirds or a majority of the entire membership | Board resolution |
| Can be suspended | No, by any vote | A rule governing meeting procedure can be suspended by majority vote for that meeting | As the policy provides |
| Reported to the IRS when changed | Significant changes, on Form 990-EZ or Form 990 | No | Not as a governing-document change |

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990 instructions say not to report changes to a policy adopted by board resolution outside the bylaws as a change to governing documents. Form 990 separately asks, in Part VI, whether the organization has a written conflict of interest policy, whistleblower policy, and document retention policy. Keeping those policies outside the bylaws lets the board update them without a membership vote. See [Policies Every Booster Club Should Adopt](https://boosterclub.org/governance/policies/).

## What Belongs Where

A practical test: if changing a rule should require notice to every voter and a two-thirds vote, it belongs in the bylaws. If the board should be able to adjust it at the next meeting, it belongs in standing rules or a policy.

**Bylaws:**
- Name, purpose, and the IRS limitation and dissolution clauses
- Who the members are and who votes
- Officer positions, terms, term limits, vacancies, and removal
- Meeting requirements, notice, quorum, and electronic meetings
- Fiscal year, two-person payment approval, and annual financial review
- Amendment procedure and parliamentary authority

**Standing rules:**
- Dues amounts and giving levels
- Meeting day, time, and place
- Reimbursement deadlines and forms
- Spending thresholds that trigger board approval
- Cash counting and deposit procedures at events
- Committee list and duties
- Social media posting rights and photo rules

**Board policies:**
- Conflict of interest, whistleblower, and document retention
- Expense and reimbursement policy
- Gift acceptance

## Standing Rules Cannot Override the Bylaws

A standing rule that conflicts with the bylaws has no effect. If the bylaws require two people to approve every payment, a standing rule letting the treasurer pay bills under $100 alone is invalid, and a treasurer who relies on it is acting outside the bylaws. The reverse works well: the bylaws say spending above a threshold "set in the standing rules" needs board approval, and the standing rule sets the number.

## How to Adopt Standing Rules

1. **Confirm who adopts them.** The bylaws should say whether the board, the members, or both adopt standing rules. A common split is that the board adopts administrative rules and the members adopt rules for general meetings.
2. **Draft a numbered list.** One rule per number, each a single sentence where possible.
3. **Present them as a motion.** "I move that the club adopt the standing rules as distributed." The body may amend individual rules before voting.
4. **Vote.** A majority vote adopts them.
5. **Record and compile.** The secretary records the vote in the minutes and keeps a single standing-rules document showing each rule's adoption and amendment dates.
6. **Distribute.** The standing rules go to every board member with the bylaws.
7. **Change them with notice when possible.** Giving notice at the previous meeting or in the meeting call lets a majority vote change a rule; without notice, a change needs two-thirds or a majority of the entire membership.

Standing rules stay in force from year to year until amended or rescinded. They do not expire when the board changes.

## Sample Standing Rules

```text
STANDING RULES OF [CLUB NAME]
Adopted [date]. Amended [dates].

1. Voluntary giving levels are Supporter $[25], Patron $[50], and Sponsor
   $[100]. No giving level carries additional votes or rights.
2. The Board meets on the [second Tuesday] of each month, [September through
   May], at [7:00 p.m.] at [location] or by video conference.
3. Reimbursement requests, with itemized receipts, are submitted within [30]
   days of purchase. Requests older than [60] days require Board approval.
4. Spending that exceeds an approved budget line by more than $[250] or
   [10] percent, whichever is less, requires Board approval.
5. Purchases over $[1,000] require two written quotes.
6. Cash collected at events is counted by two volunteers, recorded on a
   count sheet both sign, and deposited within [two] business days.
7. Only the President and the Communications Chair post to the Club's social
   media accounts. Student photos follow the school's media release list.
```

## Common Mistakes

- **Writing procedures into the bylaws.** Founders want every rule in one place. Each procedural change then needs a formal amendment, and the club drifts out of compliance with its own bylaws.
- **Standing rules that contradict the bylaws.** A board adopts a convenient shortcut by majority vote. The rule is void, and officers who follow it act without authority.
- **No compiled list.** Standing rules adopted in scattered motions live only in old minutes. New officers never find them.
- **Treating standing rules as annual.** Some boards assume rules lapse each year. They remain in force until changed, and an "expired" rule a board ignores is still binding.
- **Using standing rules to make giving mandatory.** A rule requiring payment or volunteer hours for a student to participate converts support into a fee. See [Fundraising Rules for Booster Clubs](https://boosterclub.org/fundraising/rules/).

## Checklist

- [ ] Search past minutes for every adopted standing rule (secretary)
- [ ] Compile the rules into one numbered document with adoption dates
- [ ] Compare each rule against the bylaws and remove any that conflict
- [ ] Move dollar amounts and procedures out of the bylaws into standing rules at the next bylaws amendment
- [ ] Confirm the bylaws say who adopts standing rules
- [ ] Adopt or update the standing rules by majority vote, with notice where possible
- [ ] Adopt conflict of interest, whistleblower, and document retention policies by board resolution
- [ ] Distribute the bylaws, standing rules, and policies together to every board member
- [ ] Review the standing rules during the annual bylaws review

## Related Pages

- [Booster Club Bylaws Article by Article](https://boosterclub.org/bylaws/article-by-article/) shows which provisions belong in the bylaws
- [How to Amend Booster Club Bylaws](https://boosterclub.org/bylaws/amending-bylaws/) covers the procedure when the bylaws themselves must change
- [Policies Every Booster Club Should Adopt](https://boosterclub.org/governance/policies/) covers the board policies that sit beside standing rules
- [How Motions Work in a Booster Club Meeting](https://boosterclub.org/meetings/motions/) explains adopting, amending, and rescinding motions
- [Booster Club Reimbursements and Expense Policy](https://boosterclub.org/finance/reimbursements/) covers one of the most common standing rules

---

*This page is general information for volunteer-run booster clubs. It is not legal,
tax, or accounting advice, and BoosterClub.org is not a law firm, accounting firm, or
government agency. Rules change and vary by state and district. Confirm current
requirements with the IRS, the relevant state agency, the school district, and a
qualified professional before acting. If a fact on this page is out of date, we want
to know.*

## Sources

1. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i990
2. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i990ez