Suspended membership

[Guest Jennie]

A board member (a) serving a 3 year term was suspended from club membership for 6 months

The board considered it a vacancy and filled the slot until the next annual meeting when an election would take place per the club bylaws

(a) after completing the 6 months suspension believes they are automatically restored to the board given the fact that the 3 yr term is not yet up

which is accurate

[jstackpo]

Here is a (boilerplate - sorry) response to your question...

In Good Standing:

RONR/11 defines the term "member in good standing" on p. 6 in the footnote as referring to a member whose membership rights are not in suspension, either as a consequence of disciplinary proceedings (Chapter XX) or by operation of some specific provision in the bylaws of the organization.

So if you use the phrase "in good standing" in the bylaws, be sure to define exactly what you mean: what causes a member not to be in good standing, what he has to do to get back into the good graces of the association, &c. Also, you should specify which membership rights, duties, privileges, &c. are lost or suspended (or retained) by a member as a consequence of his being in "bad standing" as distinct from his being in good standing or ceasing to be a member at all.

Obviously I haven't answered your questions. But I think you will have to dig any answers out of your own bylaws.

[Guest Nancy N.]

... But I think you will have to dig any answers out of your own bylaws.

You think they're there?

[David A Foulkes]

A board member (a) serving a 3 year term was suspended from club membership for 6 months

The board considered it a vacancy and filled the slot until the next annual meeting when an election would take place per the club bylaws

(a) after completing the 6 months suspension believes they are automatically restored to the board given the fact that the 3 yr term is not yet up

which is accurate

Some helpful reading in RONR (11th Ed.):

p. 3 ll. 1-9

p. 660 (ll. 20-24 particularly)

p. 662 (ll.25-31 particularly)

Section 63, in general

It could be understood that suspension of membership for six months means that after that period, the membership is fully reinstated without any requirement of re-qualification or re-application to be a member. Such reinstatement would occur automatically with no further action needed. If suspension of membership precludes the holding of a board position, I'm not sure, nor would I myself think, that such reinstatement to the board occurs just as automatically. But I suppose that is a decision to be reached by the society through interpretation of its bylaws and disciplinary procedures.

[Josh Martin]

A board member (a) serving a 3 year term was suspended from club membership for 6 months

The board considered it a vacancy and filled the slot until the next annual meeting when an election would take place per the club bylaws

(a) after completing the 6 months suspension believes they are automatically restored to the board given the fact that the 3 yr term is not yet up

which is accurate

So far as RONR is concerned, there are no qualifications for office. Thus, if the rules of RONR are controlling, both the board and the member are wrong - the individual is still a member of the board, and he is not removed temporarily or permanently. Your Bylaws may provide otherwise, of course, and then this will be a matter of Bylaws interpretation. See RONR, 11th ed., pgs. 588-591 for some Principles of Interpretation.