When is a resignation executed?

[Alexis Hunt]

The rules don't always match the intuition. A resignation is a Request to be Excused from a Duty, a type of motion. Motions cannot be withdrawn after they are adopted (do not have the Book on hand, but if someone can provide a citation to the contrary, I will relent!). So it seems to me that, procedurally, there is no way to withdraw, rescind, or otherwise annul a resignation once it is accepted (and the resignee informed) regardless of effective date.

[Guest Who's Coming to Dinner]

Let's say a person sends a letter of resignation to the secretary, who presents it to a meeting. Is this letter a motion? I don't think so. What is moved is the acceptance of the resignation.

[Alexis Hunt]

See pp. 289-291, which explain a resignation as a manner of request to be excused from a duty. See also FAQ 18 (http://www.robertsrules.com/faq.html#18).

Now that I have a copy of the book handy, page 297, ll. 8-10 say "A request for permission to withdraw a motion... can be made at any time before voting on the question has begun." So I don't believe it is the case that a resignation can be withdrawn after it's accepted.

[Dan Honemann]

13 hours ago, Alexis Hunt said:

See pp. 289-291, which explain a resignation as a manner of request to be excused from a duty. See also FAQ 18 (http://www.robertsrules.com/faq.html#18).

Now that I have a copy of the book handy, page 297, ll. 8-10 say "A request for permission to withdraw a motion... can be made at any time before voting on the question has begun." So I don't believe it is the case that a resignation can be withdrawn after it's accepted.

Yes, if a motion to accept an officer's resignation is adopted, it is too late to make a request to withdraw that motion which has been adopted. 

However, if the resignation which has thus been accepted does not become effective until some future time, nothing in RONR prevents the officer from making a new and different request, this time a request that he be permitted to withdraw his resignation which has previously been accepted, and nothing in RONR prevents the assembly from allowing him to do so.

[Alexis Hunt]

Why does that request not conflict with a motion previously adopted, namely to accept the resignation?

[Dan Honemann]

10 hours ago, Alexis Hunt said:

Why does that request not conflict with a motion previously adopted, namely to accept the resignation?

Well, I suppose because I just don't think that it does. 

When an assembly grants a member's request to resign it is simply granting him permission to do what he wants to do, and if he changes his mind before his proffered resignation becomes effective and requests permission to withdrawal his request, the assembly, once again, is simply granting him permission to do what he wants to do.