New Organization Interest Form

[Guest Karen]

We are developing an interest form for the start up a new orginization. The form will include a space for propsective members to indicate their interest in serving on specific committees. Is it appropriate to also provide a space for people to indicate they would like to serve as an officer on the Executive Board. Each officers position would be listed. I understand that officers must be nominated and elected by members once the Bylaws have been adopted. We will do all of that at our mass meeting.

[jstackpo]

Sounds like you are on the right track. See RONR p. 536 ff. for all the details.

[Guest Karen]

That section in RONR does not really speak to my question. Is it appropriate to also provide a space of the interst form for people to indicate they would like to serve as an officer on the Executive Board? If so, then what is propoer to be written on the form? Is "Please check here if you are interested in being elected to serve as an Officer of the Executive Board."? Maybe then we can contact those people and explain the Nomination and Election process for the upcomiong Organizational meeting.

[hmtcastle]

Is it appropriate to also provide a space of the interst form for people to indicate they would like to serve as an officer on the Executive Board? If so, then what is propoer to be written on the form? Is "Please check here if you are interested in being elected to serve as an Officer of the Executive Board."?

These are all questions on which RONR is silent but which you seem perfectly capable of answering for yourselves.

Believe it or not, many organizations are started without an "interest form" at all. So you're either ahead of the pack or engaging in overkill.

[David A Foulkes]

That section in RONR does not really speak to my question. Is it appropriate to also provide a space of the interst form for people to indicate they would like to serve as an officer on the Executive Board? If so, then what is propoer to be written on the form? Is "Please check here if you are interested in being elected to serve as an Officer of the Executive Board."? Maybe then we can contact those people and explain the Nomination and Election process for the upcomiong Organizational meeting.

It's a good idea to know in advance if a member is willing to serve if elected to a position on the Board. That way, if he is not present at an election at which he is elected, once notified of his election he can decline and you have an incomplete election, meaning you have to hold another election and do it all over again. I don't think there's anything wrong with what you're doing, but I think it's safe to say no rule in RONR would be violated by doing so.

[Tim Wynn]

We are developing an interest form for the start up a new orginization. The form will include a space for propsective members to indicate their interest in serving on specific committees. Is it appropriate to also provide a space for people to indicate they would like to serve as an officer on the Executive Board. Each officers position would be listed. I understand that officers must be nominated and elected by members once the Bylaws have been adopted. We will do all of that at our mass meeting.

Keep in mind that there are no standing committees and there are no permanent officer positions until the bylaws are adopted. That being said, there's nothing wrong with asking nonmembers of a nonexistent organization to fill out a questionnaire.