Guest Madelyn Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:08 PM Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:08 PM We just elected a new board (12 members) as we do every year in May. It was my understanding that the new board inherits any unfinished business in the organziation including member issues and they can make inquiries, get details, etc. to make the best decisions but the old President is saying that she should still handle things from her year. I know this is vague but does RR address anything like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:18 PM Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:18 PM Effectively, yes. There is no such thing as "old" or "new" officers & boards.There are only current officers and a continuing Board. The Board takes up whatever business might be left over from last time -- the "old" (actually "former" or "past") president has absolutely NO say in the matter(s). Unless he/she is now a member of the Board (or something), then he has the same rights and duties as any other (current) Board member. But nothing else.The past president, if not on the board (or something), is just a member (now) like all the other regular members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trina Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:20 PM Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:20 PM We just elected a new board (12 members) as we do every year in May. It was my understanding that the new board inherits any unfinished business in the organziation including member issues and they can make inquiries, get details, etc. to make the best decisions but the old President is saying that she should still handle things from her year. I know this is vague but does RR address anything like this?If the old President is no longer President, she's out of the picture. If the board had adopted a motion that "you, Jane Doe (who only incidentally happens to be President at the moment), shall handle this piece of business for the organization"... that might be different. There is certainly no general principle that a former officer should continue to handle matters that were undertaken when that person was still in office ('things from her year'); quite the opposite. If the board requests a former officer to do a certain job, that would probably be OK (depending on exact circumstances); but the former officer cannot assume such authority herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:26 PM Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:26 PM We just elected a new board (12 members) as we do every year in May.You might want to consider amending your bylaws so that the entire board is not up for grabs at the same time. Many organizations "stagger" their board members' terms so that in your case, for example, each year there would be four three-year seats available. That way there's the possibility of injecting some new blood while retaining some consistency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David A Foulkes Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:34 PM Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:34 PM You might want to consider amending your bylaws so that the entire board is not up for grabs at the same time. Many organizations "stagger" their board members' terms so that in your case, for example, each year there would be four three-year seats available. That way there's the possibility of injecting some new blood while retaining some consistency.Fair point, although this really isn't germane to the pending question, is it? Whether elections are held for one office or all offices, there is only one board (no "old" or "new" board or officers), and previous members/officers no longer sitting on it have no inherent claim to business pending when they were in office, particularly the President. Just didn't want Madelyn to have the idea that this was a kind of solution to her problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:42 PM Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:42 PM Fair point, although this really isn't germane to the pending question, is it?No, it's not. But this is a discussion forum and I thought I'd add to the discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Marie Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:56 PM Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 at 03:56 PM But I will thank you for the clairification on the position of a past president. The ladies auxiliary that I recently joined, can really use this information. It's amazing what some people think they know and what others actually know . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 11, 2012 at 06:19 PM Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 at 06:19 PM And if folks pronounce on "What Robert's Rules Says", ask them to show you the rule in the book.Don't let them get away with "Oh, I know it is there somewhere." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RROONewBee Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:00 PM Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:00 PM I have a question please help.I'm new to Robers Rules of Order and being on a board.Question: If for say you have a 15 person board and 4 people are leaving the board. Do the people leaving the Board get to vote the new members on?Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:08 PM Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:08 PM Probably not. There are no vacancies on the Board until the 4 have left, so there is nothing to vote on until they are gone.And once gone (off the Board) they, clearly, cannot vote on Board matters, such as filling vacancies.Your bylaws may have special rules about this, which is why I said "probably". If so those rules supersede RONR's rules. Read your bylaws with care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:10 PM Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:10 PM Do the people leaving the Board get to vote the new members on?If they're still on the board they can vote. If they've left the board they can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:10 PM Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:10 PM And by the way, Mr or Ms NewBee, it is a good idea to pose new questions in new "Topics" -- you'll get more answers that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:13 PM Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 at 06:13 PM you'll get more answers that way.Although two within ten minutes ain't chopped liver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 14, 2012 at 07:58 PM Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 at 07:58 PM Just because you, Edgar, and I have nothing better to do than keep clicking over and over, doesn't mean the others don't also.;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David A Foulkes Posted May 14, 2012 at 09:05 PM Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 at 09:05 PM Question: If for say you have a 15 person board and 4 people are leaving the board. Do the people leaving the Board get to vote the new members on?How are these 4 leaving the Board? End of term? Resignation? Is there an upcoming election at which they will not be re-elected, for whatever reason? I wonder if we're talking about mid-term vacancies or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RROONewBee Posted May 15, 2012 at 12:18 PM Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 at 12:18 PM Are byLaws are very vague,I would say its an End of Term,Thanks for all the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 15, 2012 at 12:28 PM Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 at 12:28 PM I sure hope your bylaws are NOT "vague" on the length of your elected officers' terms.If so, amend them promptly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David A Foulkes Posted May 15, 2012 at 02:31 PM Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 at 02:31 PM Are byLaws are very vague,I would say its an End of Term,So, is there an election coming up at which these 4 will most likely not be re-elected? Is that why they're "leaving the board?" If so, and if your bylaws (vague though they may be) specify that officers/board members take their offices upon adjournment of the meeting at which they're elected, then I'd expect these 4 departers would be able to vote in the election for their "replacements." Much of this depends on what your bylaws actually say (and please don't post them here, we can't interpret them for you). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RROONewBee Posted May 15, 2012 at 03:42 PM Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 at 03:42 PM We started tring to add term limites a few years ago sounds like, but know one was ever put on the clock saying in blank years you'll have to be voted back on orre-elected. The people leaving don't want back on the board there done. but they want to vote people off they don't like just to prove a point and to try and hurt the organization, we've never voted people off before, but there saying people that have been on for X amount off years have to be revoted in. (that would be all but like 2 people). Then in a couple of years everyones time would be up at the same time. We don't want that either. in are bylaws it say we can only change the bylaws at a curtain time of year. Well that passed and now we have to elect new members.....how to we elect new members when the bylaw are messed up to the point that know one knows what the mean or how long of a term they would have.....Ideas? Can we make a motion to suspend the bylaws with a 2/3 vote and make corrections? so the new members know whats going on and so we don't loose all are members at once and stager the officers terms so there not all up at one time? Sorry for the book. Thanks everyone for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted May 15, 2012 at 03:57 PM Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 at 03:57 PM Can we make a motion to suspend the bylaws with a 2/3 vote and make corrections?No, you have to live with the bylaws you have until they can be properly amended. If they're unclear you'll have to do the best you can to make sense out of them.But don't confuse "term limits" (i.e. the number of terms an officer can serve) with the length of a term (i.e. how long each officer serves when elected or re-elected). All offices should have terms of office (e.g. one year or two years or four years) but not all offices have term limits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RROONewBee Posted May 15, 2012 at 04:31 PM Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 at 04:31 PM What if we don't have enough people show up at the meeting to make a quorum? Are bylaws state a curtain meeting to elect members. If we don't have enough people make the meeting does that mean we can't elect new members? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted May 15, 2012 at 04:37 PM Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 at 04:37 PM What if we don't have enough people show up at the meeting to make a quorum? Our bylaws state a certain meeting to elect members. If we don't have enough people make the meeting does that mean we can't elect new members?No. Simply adjourn (in this case it means "continue", not "end") the meeting to a more convenient time. Doing this is one of the very few things you can do without a quorum. Keep doing this until you have a quorum and can hold the election. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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