Richard Brown

Guest Donna, I agree with Mr. Huynh. Why isn't your vice president taking over as president? Unless your bylaws specify otherwise, he automatically becomes president the instant the vacancy occurs.

Guest GW, it is ultimately up to your organization to interpret its own bylaws. However, based on what you posted, I would think that if the meeting is called by the members, the members calling the meeting may determine what shall be the subject of the meeting and set the agenda. Edited to add, I also think the person or members calling the special meeting may set the time and place of the meeting.

Only if that is an express provision in your bylaws. Your bylaws will have to define what it takes to not be "in good standing".

Yes, there are several ways to "revisit" an adopted motion. The most frequent method is by a motion to "rescind something previously adopted" which can be made at any subsequent session. Under certain circumstances, it can be "reconsidered". Both motions are subject to special provisions and/or vote requirements. Can you provide a bit more information?

Guest Jimm, please get over this notion that the board can arbitrarily "unappoint" officers or board members that it appoints to fill vacancies. It cannot.

Well. The bylaws provisions that Guest Jimm just posted certainly shed a different light on some aspects of this discussion, but I am on my cell phone and will have to elaborate later .

I agree with Mr. Martin's post and particularly with the bolded paragraph, which seems to be the subject of some degree of disagreement among those who have responded in this thread.

RONR provides that all members have the right to vote, but since bylaws supersede RONR , no rule in RONR is being violated if that is what your bylaws say.

Even when a motion has been submitted in writing, any member may demand that the motion be read aloud. The chair was probably within his rights to require that the motion be read aloud if that is what happened. And he was correct to ask if there is a second if one was not made quickly, although asking for one is not required.

A resignation must be accepted by the body which elects the officers or which has the power to replace them unless your bylaws give the board this power either explicitly or by implication, such as by giving the board authority over the affairs of the organization between meetings of the members. RONR p.467.

Unless your bylaws specify otherwise, a resignation is not effective until it has been accepted and it may withdraw prior to being acted on.

Three comments here. First, I still believe this is largely a matter of bylaws interpretation. Second , although the president may make an initial ruling on a point of order (which he himself can raise), it is the assembly, not, the president, that has the final say on a bylaws interpretation issue. Third, and we have said this repeatedly, in a situation like this, YOU CANNOT JUST UNAPPOINT a member from an office to which he has been appointed. Period. I am at a loss as to why you keep bringing this up.

I agree with Mr. Huynh's one word answer directly above. Making a motion is not considered a speech .To that extent, I believe I disagree with Mr. Novosielski's response.

An installation ceremony and taking an oath if office are strictly optional and ceremonial in nature unless your bylaws specifically provide that an officer (or board member) does not take office until participating in such a ceremony and taking the specific oath. I suspect this ceremony and oath is just custom and not at all required in order to take office. Edited to add: I agree with Joshua Katz that this is probably a matter of bylaws interpretation, something only your organization can do.

I would say no, the board cannot remove the appointee at will the way it might be able to remove a committee member who serves st the pleasure of the board. The member selected to fill the vacancy is not serving at the pleasure of the board. I agree that he could probably be removed through disciplinary action or, depending on the wording in the bylaws, through the removal process described in FAQ 20 pointed out by Mr. Huynh. That would likely have to b done by the membship, not the board. It depends on the powers of the board. Edited to add: in a case like this, the board cannot"unappoint" an officer selected to fill a vacancy.

It seems to me that we don't know enough to know what kind of "meeting" this was. We are speculating.

Not unless the bylaws give the board that power. Such a provision would be very unusual. Having the general supervision or management of the organization's affairs is not enough .

If there was an official meeting with the board and the member's wife, the member is entitled to see the minutes. Was it an official board meeting? If so, why wasn't he at the meeting? Was he notified of it? Perhaps I don't understand what happened.

Yes.

Well, I see that Guest Sue's question got moved to the General Discussion forum from the "Questions about the Message Board" forum. Sue, I was hoping you would add more information. I am not able to figure out exactly what is going on based on your description. Perhaps someone else can figure it out, but I'm at a loss and need more information.

Sue, please re-post your question as a new topic in the General Discussion forum. This particular forum is for questions about the technical aspects of the message board itself, not for questions about parliamentary procedure.

Agreeing with jastackpo, I have another question for guest Heidi: do your bylaws say anything at all about resignations? If not, s resignation is normally effective until it is accepted. Can you get your president who wants to resign to at least call a special meeting? It can be for the purpose of accepting her resignation and selecting someone to fill the vacancy.

It seems to me that a rule prohibiting "debate" or discussion on nominees, even if contained in the bylaws, is in the nature of a rule of order and could be suspended by a two-thirds vote.

The answer mostly depends on your bylaws. RONR has no provisions regarding a past president. However, it is my opinion , and I believe the opinion of most of the regular contributors to this forum, that a "past president" is anyone who has ever held the position of president, regardless of why, when or how the person left office. Using that rationale, the "immediate past president" would be the most recent person to have held the office regardless of why, when or how he left office and regardless of whether he served a full term. If your organization has a position of past president or immediate past president, it is ultimately up to your organization to interpret that provision. Consider our past U.S.Presidents: Don't we consider every one of our former presidents to be a past president regardless of how long he served or why he left office? Has Richard Nixon been stricken from the history books? I don't think so!

First, regarding the agenda: exactly what do your bylaws ssy about providing an agenda with the notice of the annual meeting? Please provide the exact wording of the relevant provision. Don't paraphrase. Second, regarding the motion, point of order and debate: based on the information you provided, nothing that you described affects the legitimacy of the outcome. Even if mistakes were made, they are the type that would require a timely point of order or are waived.