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Asking a Board President to resign


Guest Sleepless In Seattle

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Guest Sleepless In Seattle

I am part of a group forming an organization and we are working on our by-laws. This is for a private social club.

 

We want to know if Robert's Rules covers certain sticky problems that could pop up should someone get out of line, after all there will be a bar at the club.

 

1. If a President has been asked to resign for cause, may that President remove a parlimintarian that the President previously appointed?

 

2. What happens if a majority of board members want a resignation but the officer refuses to resign. At that point do you have to go to impreachment and removal of office?

 

3. Are the powers of a president who has been asked to resigned in any way affected until their status is sorted out?

 

4. Who appoints the investigating committee that would oversee a President or other officer's removal?

 

We have a copy of Robert's Rules updated version as reference but do cannot seem to find specific answers to the above.

 

Thank you,

 

Sleepless In Seattle

 

 

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I am part of a group forming an organization and we are working on our by-laws. This is for a private social club.

 

We want to know if Robert's Rules covers certain sticky problems that could pop up should someone get out of line, after all there will be a bar at the club.

 

1. If a President has been asked to resign for cause, may that President remove a parlimintarian that the President previously appointed?

 

2. What happens if a majority of board members want a resignation but the officer refuses to resign. At that point do you have to go to impreachment and removal of office?

 

3. Are the powers of a president who has been asked to resigned in any way affected until their status is sorted out?

 

4. Who appoints the investigating committee that would oversee a President or other officer's removal?

 

We have a copy of Robert's Rules updated version as reference but do cannot seem to find specific answers to the above.

 

Thank you,

 

Sleepless In Seattle

 

1.  Yes, unless the bylaws say differently.

 

2.  A resignation is voluntary and the president is free to ignore the request.

 

3.  No.

 

4.  Unless the bylaws say otherwise, the body that elected the president would appoint that committee. 

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One of the best things you could do would be to become a member of this august (yet humble) forum. It's free. It's easy. And no salesman will call.

And it's MUCH easier to use the forum as a member.  Among the advantages:  No captchas to fool with, you can tell at a glance if there are new posts in a thread you are following and go straight to the new posts, you can use the private messaging that is available to members, and several other advantages.  Not having to fool with captchas (or remember what name you used when you posted as a guest) makes joining worthwhile even without the other advantages!

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I am part of a group forming an organization and we are working on our by-laws. This is for a private social club.

 

We want to know if Robert's Rules covers certain sticky problems that could pop up should someone get out of line, after all there will be a bar at the club.

 

1. If a President has been asked to resign for cause, may that President remove a parlimintarian that the President previously appointed?

 

2. What happens if a majority of board members want a resignation but the officer refuses to resign. At that point do you have to go to impreachment and removal of office?

 

3. Are the powers of a president who has been asked to resigned in any way affected until their status is sorted out?

 

4. Who appoints the investigating committee that would oversee a President or other officer's removal?

 

We have a copy of Robert's Rules updated version as reference but do cannot seem to find specific answers to the above.

 

I concur with the previous responses, but I would add that, depending on how the bylaws are worded, removing an officer may or may not require formal disciplinary procedures. See FAQ #20 for more information.

 

Since you are drafting bylaws for a new organization, I'd also note that recommended wording for each case is discussed in more detail in RONR, 11th ed., pg. 574.

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You can ask anyone to resign, but that does not mean they have to comply.  A member (in this case the President, or another Board member) can be asked to resign, and if they refuse can be removed from office following Chapter XX of RONR (or the organization's own rules for removal if they are found in the By-laws.)

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I have registered but have not had time to go through my log in.. The CCC Club will have members that have been in similar organizations. We want to make sure if we get a Nero in the mix we can nip it in the bud.

 

Robert's XX sights the whole formal trial of impeachmet and removal of office but I cannot seem to find who has the authority to organize the "confidential investigating committee". I have tried to find the language that gives details but it just sights examples of post committee reports. If there is no set protocol we wish to address it in our bylaws.

 

Thank you again, such a great group!

 

SIS

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I cannot seem to find who has the authority

to organize the "confidential investigating committee".

 

I have tried to find the language that gives details

but it just sights examples of post committee reports.

 

The organization itself, via an adopted motion, begins the whole process.

 

If you have a board which is empowered to do so, the board would be the body responsible for starting the process.

Else, the general membership is the first place to look for authority to act on behalf of the entire organization.

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This is a fantastic group you have here. I am going to get our members to join. I am reading and re-reading problem areas other groups encountered, that should have been addressed but sometimes it seems it says one thing here and contradicts in other places.

 

One more question, if you have members give notice (within the time required) to the general membership and executive board they wish to be put on the agenda to address legitimit problem a. at a scheduled meeting, can a board member or a minority on the board refuse that request spot on?

 

 

 

 

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Not unless your bylaws give the authority to do so to that board member or minority of board members.

 

In general an agenda (prepared ahead of time) is only a guide for the chairman; any formal adoption of an agenda is up the the association members at the start (commonly) of the meeting.

 

But "addressing a problem" is a rather nebulous item  --  the concerned member should come prepared with a motion, all written out, that states what the assembly or the association should actually DO about the problem.   He is free to describe the nature of the problem (and its severity) during debate on his motion.

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I wanted to thank you all again. We are editing now.

We have 2 founding members of our club that were in a larger club than this one. Their former haunt had a dark period caused by a handful of people, we wanted to addressed it up front, in case anyone thought about getting in and going on some power trip.

The group wants to set around discussing significant historical figures (choosing a biographyto coverevery quarter or so ). A little like drunk history.

I think Henry Martyn Robert's is going to have to be on our short list for 2015.

SIS

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This is a fantastic group you have here. I am going to get our members to join. I am reading and re-reading problem areas other groups encountered, that should have been addressed but sometimes it seems it says one thing here and contradicts in other places.

 

One more question, if you have members give notice (within the time required) to the general membership and executive board they wish to be put on the agenda to address legitimit problem a. at a scheduled meeting, can a board member or a minority on the board refuse that request spot on?

 

Meeting of what?

 

At a meeting of the board, a non-member (of the board) can neither compel nor block any action of the board.

 

At a meeting of the membership, the board is not in session, and the board members, if present, are not present as board members, but as members of the society in general.  They may be free to debate against some action, but have no more power than anyone else.

 

And in most societies, the general membership can countermand, instruct, or prohibit the board's actions, because the membership is a superior body to the board.

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One more question, if you have members give notice (within the time required) to the general membership and executive board they wish to be put on the agenda to address legitimit problem a. at a scheduled meeting, can a board member or a minority on the board refuse that request spot on?

Unless your organization has specialized rules, there is no need, per RONR, to be "put on the agenda".  Any member, absent a special rule to the contrary, should be free to bring up any new business in the way of making a motion during the "new business" portion of the agenda or order of business.  To bring something up "for discussion" is more problematic.  Normally, business is brought before the assembly by way of a motion to do something.  Some organizations have a category of business called "The Good of the Order" (or something similar) near the end of the agenda where some limited discussion and a question and answer period can take place without an actual motion being on the floor.

 

An agenda is only a guide for the benefit of the chair unless and until it is formally adopted by the assembly by a majority vote at the meeting in question.  Until it is adopted, it can be amended by majority vote just like any other motion can.  Once it is adopted, it can still be amended during the meeting by a two-thirds vote.  However, as I said earlier, unless you have a rule to the contrary, any member may bring new business before the assembly during new business regardless of whether his motion is on the agenda. 

 

No one officer has the power to "set" the agenda.  The assembly itself, by majority vote, does that.

 

Edited to add:  See Frequently Asked Question No 14 for more information on agendas:  http://www.robertsrules.com/faq.html#14

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