Immediate Past President

[Guest Laurie]

If a Board position is "immediate past president" and the president is voted in for a second term, does the current "immediate past president" automatically continue on the Board as "immediate past president" or does the "immediate past president" Board position become vacant for the new term?

[jstackpo]

Well.... RONR doesn't discuss immediate past presidents (IPP) (and for good reason - see below) but the common meaning of the words tells me that the IPP just stays on until the current president finished his (second) term.

In my personal view, setting up an "official" Immediate Past President (IPP) position is not a particularly good idea. The most telling argument is the real possibility of a close and bitter race for the presidency, with the current president running (for a second term) against an "outsider". And the outsider - the "reform candidate", perhaps - wins but is still stuck with the thorn of the IPP on the Board in a position to snipe at the new president. And perhaps attempt to undermine the new president's plans.

If the erstwhile president is a "good guy" the new president can (usually, depending on the bylaws) appoint him to a pre-existing committee - or even have him chair one, which might put him on the Board - as the new president sees fit. That way the IPP's experience and value can be put to good use, when needed, without the danger of setting up an adversarial situation which would require a bylaw amendment to get out of.

Here's some more reasons

1) The President resigns and wants nothing to do with the organization.

2) The President simply doesn't run for election again because he's had enough, and never shows up at a board meeting.

3) The President is booted out of office for being incompetent, or for something more nefarious.

4) The President dies.

5) The President resigns and moves (wants to help but isn't around).

6) Even worse is the bylaw assignment of the IPP to chair a committee - such as nominating. Then he dies/quits/leaves town, &c. You are then stuck with an unfillable (by definition) vacancy.

[Tim Wynn]

If a Board position is "immediate past president" and the president is voted in for a second term, does the current "immediate past president" automatically continue on the Board as "immediate past president" or does the "immediate past president" Board position become vacant for the new term?

If your organization has created this position, it should have defined it. Search around in the bylaws to see if there is any clarification and to ensure that the position actually exists. Your organization will have to decide the meaning, and if there is ambiguity, you will have to do some interpreting.

For Some Principles of Interpretation, see RONR (11th ed.), pp. 588-91.

[Guest Edgar]

. . . but the common meaning of the words tells me that the IPP just stays on until the current president finished his (second) term.

And maybe even longer if the current president is elected to a third term.