If a local branch exists under the governing documents of the parent organization, those documents have higher authority than the local rules.

• A. Local bylaws
• B. Governing documents of the parent organization
• C. Articles of incorporation
• D. Charter of the parent organization

Answer: (B)

In a system of organization, authority flows from the top down. When a local branch exists under a parent organization, the parent’s governing documents provide the binding framework for everyone in the group. Local rules and bylaws must conform to those parent documents, and they cannot override them. If there’s a conflict, the parent organization’s governing documents prevail, guiding how the local branch operates and can amend its own rules.

That’s why the governing documents of the parent organization are the highest authority in this context. Local bylaws are subordinate to them, and while articles of incorporation or a charter are important foundational documents, the question points to the overarching governing documents as the controlling set for the local branch.