Jump to content
The Official RONR Q & A Forums

Who can make a motion at an Executive Board meeting?


rfthrstn

Recommended Posts

Organization of ~3,000 members used RRONR per the Bylaws.  The Bylaws do not differentiate between "regular" and "special" Executive Board meetings.

 

Scenario:  for the first time in the organization's 60+ year history, there is a contested election.  The Bylaws give scant attention to a contested election.  The president called an ExBoard meeting to establish procedures for sending out ballots and whether the organization will facilitate candidate campaigning (i.e., furnish the member e-mail address or send a mass e-mail with both candidate bios included).  Both candidates are ExBoard members.  

 

The agenda of the meeting was sent out 1 hour before the meeting.  One candidate made a motion providing a solution to the campaigning issue.  The motion was seconded.  It passed 6:2 with both candidates voting in favor.  Even if both candidates abstained from the vote, the motion would have passed.

 

Questions:  

(1) Is the motion valid if one of the candidates, who is an ExBoard member, makes the motion about campaigning (seeing as how the issue directly affects the candidate's campaign)?

(2) Also, does it matter if no objection to the procedure was raised during the meeting but raised after the fact in relation to another vote that occur during the same meeting?

 

Thank you!

 

Robyn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Questions:

(1) Is the motion valid if one of the candidates, who is an ExBoard member, makes the motion about campaigning (seeing as how the issue directly affects the candidate's campaign)?

(2) Also, does it matter if no objection to the procedure was raised during the meeting but raised after the fact in relation to another vote that occur during the same meeting?

1.) The fact that the motion was made by a candidate would not make the motion invalid.

2.) Generally speaking, a Point of Order must be raised at the time, but there are exceptions.

These issues aside, I don't think the Executive Board has the authority to adopt a motion regulating the elections, unless so authorized by the society or its rules.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Assuming that the board has the power, the procedure seems correct to me.  It doesn't matter that a candidate makes the motion; one doesn't lose one's rights thereby.  Ordinarily, elections are conducted at a meeting of the society, such as an annual convention, rather than by mail--unless this is a national or international society.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all for your input and responses.

 

Additional information:  Bylaws -  "Section 3:  In the case of a contested race(s), a ballot will be prepared and sent to all voting members by mail, facsimile or electronic mail.  Voting shall be by secret ballot.  The Executive Director shall prepare the ballot and shall send one such ballot to each member in good standing.  The records of the Executive Director shall be conclusive in determining the members entitled to receive such ballots.  The ballots shall be sent my mail, facsimile, or electronic mail no later than May 15.  Only voted ballots received by the Executive Director by June 1 shall be counted or tabulated by the Executive Director."

 

The organization does not have a system in place to conduct a contested election.  The Bylaws allow only 20 days between the close of nominations (additional nominees must be put forth by signed petition) and distribution of the ballots.  Announcement of the additional nominee has not happened and we are 7 days out from distribution of the ballots.  Because the most efficient and timely system involves e-mail, the Exec Board met to authorize the expense of using an online ballot box.

 

I would agree that, at the time of the ExBoard meeting, the Board didn't have authority to regulate the campaigning - there are no pre-existing rules/policies governing that.  However, there was talk about limiting campaigning and what and how much we could say.  The motion made by the candidate was an effort to head that off and to create a cohesive environment going forward.  Both candidates voted in favor of the motion that was made.

 

 

 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would agree that, at the time of the ExBoard meeting, the Board didn't have authority to regulate the campaigning - there are no pre-existing rules/policies governing that.  However, there was talk about limiting campaigning and what and how much we could say.  The motion made by the candidate was an effort to head that off and to create a cohesive environment going forward.  Both candidates voted in favor of the motion that was made.

If the board doesn't have the authority to regulate campaigning, then the motion is clearly invalid - but if both candidates have agreed to abide by the motion anyway, I'm not sure it matters whether the motion is valid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...