President Issues

[Guest Victoria]

I have a few questions maybe someone can help me with this.   I at recent meeting new Officers was elected for a new term in office.  At the time there was no bylaws available to check anything.  Once the election was over a few weeks later our bylaws came to light.  It states to be a member in good standing you have to attend 5 meetings a year unless you otherwise put in an excuse by calling the vice president and let them know the reason.  ok saying that we had election where the current President stepped down after several years of service and the Vice President was ready to step up to take the Presidents Office.  A "new" member who has only attended 2 meeting before "volunteered" themselves saying the other members would like them to run.  So there was a vote taken with the member who has only attended 2 meeting winning the vote but with several "new members" voting that was their first meeting.  The Vice President at the time had to be excused due to an emergency phone call, came back to the meeting to be told that this had happened.  There is a lot of tradition, helpfulness, and usually a very good report with all members.  Now this New President is trying to change everything that is tradition and the members that have been there for a number of years some into 30 years or more will not even come to meetings putting in excuses and want nothing to do with the new President.   

Ok now saying all that is there a way to "impeach" the President or make the President resign the position due to the bylaws of how membership is or will we loose all of our traditions to this new President and I feel that we will loose many of our members.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

See FAQ #20 on removing officers. Also see Official Interpretation 2006-2 "Suspend the rules to remove president" - This may be applicable as a temporary measure for a meeting.

 

In addition, does the President have to be a "member in good standing" as defined by your "attend 5 meetings a year" rule? If the President does not meet the qualifications for office as established in your bylaws, the election could be ruled null and void.

[Richard Brown]

I agree with Hieu, but I'm also concerned about the voting by members who have not yet attended five meetings.  Is that a requirement for voting contained in the bylaws?  If so, and if it can be determined that the votes by those members not entitled to vote could have affected the outcome, that fact could be grounds for overturning the election.

[Gary Novosielski]

Based on a paraphrase of your bylaws it's not possible to answer.  It sounds like the bylaws are dealing with unexcused absences, not with new members who, conceivably were never absent, although they have not yet attended five meetings. Are the rights of members who are "not in good standing" abridged in some way, elsewhere in the bylaws?  Are their rights to vote or to hold office restricted, or is this "good standing" thing just a bragging-rights type of status?

 

The rule, if the paraphrase is accurate, seems badly thought out, but nevertheless it's your rule, and your society will have to figure out what it means and how it applies.  If you believe it is being applied incorrectly, raise a Point of Order, and be prepared to Appeal it if the decision goes against you.

[Edgar Guest]

 . . . if the paraphrase is accurate . . .  

 

It might not be too much of a stretch to say that, especially when it comes to bylaws, paraphrases are never accurate.

[Richard Brown]

It might not be too much of a stretch to say that, especially when it comes to bylaws, paraphrases are never accurate.

Tell me it's not so!!!!!!