Combining Secretary & Treasurer Officers

[Guest Jenny]

I am a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Our bylaws state "The office of Secretary may be combined with that of the Teasurer and called "Secretary-Treasurer." Our past president said (in an Executive board meeting) that according to our bylaws it says that the office of Secretary is appointed and that of Teasurer is elected and that we can't combine the offices. She also said that the Secretary would have to resign. Is this true or false? I feel that the past president was blind siding the new president in order to get the person elected to office that she nominated. Would this meeting be out of order?

Thanks, Jenny

[dglynch]

Unfortunately we don't have a copy of your bylaws and so can't really answer any questions about them. Can you re-frame your questions to be about Robert's Rules of Order?

[Robert B Fish]

Your organization must decide the exact meaning of this section of your bylaws, especially in the context of the rest of your bylaws.

I don't see anything to support the past-president's assertion i the snippet you posted. The problem with your bylaws that I see is that you did not indicate a mechanism to decide when the offices are combined and when they are not.

Finally, note that no rule in RONR says that one person cannot hold two offices.

-Bob

[Guest Gary c Tesser]

Take note also that nothing that Guest Jenny described would make the meeting out of order. (whew!)