Guest SJ Posted February 11, 2015 at 06:12 AM Report Share Posted February 11, 2015 at 06:12 AM A member of our group sent a letter to the president of our group and all of the board members. However, the president of the group did not receive the letter, by email, but the rest of the board members did. A fellow board member sent the letter to the president a day or two later upon finding he did not receive the original letter. Upon receiving the letter, he addressed the resignation from the member and accepted her resignation. Some members of the board feel he acted out of order and believes that RRONR says he should have conducted a meeting with the board to address the resignation. Did the president act "out of order"? While several members contacted the resigning member and asked her to reconsider, the president did not. Was anything done incorrectly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted February 11, 2015 at 01:42 PM Report Share Posted February 11, 2015 at 01:42 PM There's no way to tell without reading your bylaws in their entirety, which we here are not prepared to do. Do your bylaws say that the president alone can accept resignations? Do they say anything about resignations at all? It's not clear from your question what this person resigned from. The board? The entire society? Some other position? The rules in RONR say that the body that elects/appoints the person is the body that accepts resignations--assuming your bylaws don't have some other rule. If it turns out that your president did not have the authority to accept the resignation, then the person may still withdraw the resignation, as it was not properly accepted. Once accepted, the resignation cannot be withdrawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SJ Posted February 13, 2015 at 12:12 PM Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 at 12:12 PM The member resigned from the organization. There is nothing in the bylaws that states who has the authority to accept the resignation. The board did vote on whether to accept this person into the group; which was unanimous at the time she requested membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hieu H. Huynh Posted February 13, 2015 at 12:22 PM Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 at 12:22 PM If the board has the power to accept this person into the group, then the board has the authority to accept the resignation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted February 13, 2015 at 01:48 PM Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 at 01:48 PM Of all the things to worry about, mis-handling a "resignation" from membership (as opposed to resigning from an office) must be near the bottom of the list. In most cases it's enough to simply stop paying one's dues and/or stop showing up at meetings. Since a resignation is "a request to be excused from a duty", I always wonder what the "duty" a mere member is requesting to be excused from. I've stopped being a member of several organizations without ever giving a thought to "resigning". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:06 PM Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:06 PM I always wonder what the "duty" a mere member is requesting to be excused from. I've stopped being a member of several organizations without ever giving a thought to "resigning". Your duty was paying your dues, you shirker! And showing up at meetings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:08 PM Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:08 PM Your duty was paying your dues, you shirker! And showing up at meetings. That's my point. Can't I just stop paying dues and stop showing up at meetings? Do I have to request permission to do so? And what if that permission is denied? Will I be kicked out? Will my dues keep accruing? To paraphrase Marx (Groucho, not Karl), I'd never join an organization that wouldn't let me not be a member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:18 PM Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:18 PM That's my point. Can't I just stop paying dues and stop showing up at meetings? Do I have to request permission to do so? And what if that permission is denied? Will I be kicked out? Will my dues keep accruing? To paraphrase Marx (Groucho, not Karl), I'd never join an organization that wouldn't let me not be a member. Interestingly, a lot of bylaws I have seen do not have "escape clauses" to automatically remove someone from membership who doesn't pay "timely" dues (or show up x number of times, &c.). Thus, technically, such organizations have an ever-growing membership roll. The RONR bylaws (p. 584) does have such an escape ("drop from membership") clause. You might well be a member of far more associations than your are aware of. Just because they have forgotten about you, doesn't remove you from membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:21 PM Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:21 PM You might well be a member of far more associations than your are aware of. Just because they have forgotten about you, doesn't remove you from membership. Thanks, now I've got one more thing to worry about. In addition to two feet of snow on the roof and temps below zero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:24 PM Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:24 PM Celsius or Fahrenheit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:28 PM Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 at 02:28 PM Celsius or Fahrenheit? Real American degrees (i.e. Fahrenheit). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielEHayes Posted February 14, 2015 at 12:57 AM Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 at 12:57 AM The chairman acted properly and in accordance with what Robert's, it's the rest of y'all that need to be taken to the RONR woodshed. RESIGNATION FROM MEMBERSHIP. A Member in good standing with his dues paid cannot be compelled to continue his membership so that additional obligations are incurred. HIS RESIGNATION SHOULD BE ACCEPTED IMMEDIATELY, AND IF IT IS NOT, HE INCURS NO OBLIGATIONS AFTER HIS RESIGNATION HAS BEEN SENT IN, provided he does not avail himself of the privileges of membership. (RONR 11th ed. pg. 291-292,ll. 27-1)What do you bylaws lay out for the duties of the President?How often does the Board meet? Do you conduct business by email?Ultimately it's a matter of style and preference on how to handle things. MAYBE the President knows something the rest of y'all don't? This is once again one of those matters that we really don't have enough information to really give a definitive answer on. Going totally speculative and Reading between the lines, SO this Member and the President Don't get along... The member intentionally did NOT send the letter to the President and resigned because of friction between the both of them. Upon being forwarded the letter, the President acted in accordance with Robert's and accepted the letter immediately which the rest of you guys did not.In general as it's not exactly practical to get the whole board together just to accept someone's resignation, and often the President has Executive authority to act on behalf of the Society, it is a matter of practical application that the President would accept the resignation on behalf of the organization...but hey..its y'alls group.**Gee I forgot to hit send for 12 hours on this...maybe I was subconsiously fearing the "wrath"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielEHayes Posted February 14, 2015 at 12:59 AM Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 at 12:59 AM Real American degrees (i.e. Fahrenheit).European or African? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted February 14, 2015 at 05:38 AM Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 at 05:38 AM A member of our group sent a letter to the president of our group and all of the board members. However, the president of the group did not receive the letter, by email, but the rest of the board members did. A fellow board member sent the letter to the president a day or two later upon finding he did not receive the original letter. Upon receiving the letter, he addressed the resignation from the member and accepted her resignation. Some members of the board feel he acted out of order and believes that RRONR says he should have conducted a meeting with the board to address the resignation. Did the president act "out of order"? While several members contacted the resigning member and asked her to reconsider, the president did not. Was anything done incorrectly? I concur that, unless the bylaws provide otherwise, the board should determine whether to accept the resignation, although I see little need to call a special meeting for the purpose. It can likely be handled at the board's next regular meeting. The President cannot act alone to accept the resignation. Whether members individually decide to ask the member to reconsider is up to them. The President is under no obligation to do so unless the board adopts a motion ordering this. In general as it's not exactly practical to get the whole board together just to accept someone's resignation, and often the President has Executive authority to act on behalf of the Society, it is a matter of practical application that the President would accept the resignation on behalf of the organization...but hey..its y'alls group. I am in complete agreement that if the member is in good standing and his dues are current, the board should accept the resignation as soon as possible, but I do not agree that a general "Executive authority to act on behalf of the Society," if the President even has such a thing, includes the authority to unilaterally accept the member's resignation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted February 20, 2015 at 05:04 PM Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 at 05:04 PM ... and temps below zero. Celsius or Fahrenheit? Real American degrees (i.e. Fahrenheit). And, therefore, both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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