Chair nominating

[Guest Ann]

With the knowledge that a chair or president should not be a member of a nominating committee or appoint the members of one, should the chair nominate people for office either from the floor to to the nominating committee? I don't see anything that would bar it but it seems to go against the neutral attitude a chair must adopt.

[Guest Edgar]

With the knowledge that a chair or president should not be a member of a nominating committee or appoint the members of one, should the chair nominate people for office either from the floor or to the nominating committee? I don't see anything that would bar it but it seems to go against the neutral attitude a chair must adopt.

You're right. There's nothing in RONR that outright prohibits it but the chair should avoid doing it. It should be easy enough for the chair to find another member to make the same nomination.

[Chris Harrison]

With the knowledge that a chair or president should not be a member of a nominating committee or appoint the members of one, should the chair nominate people for office either from the floor to to the nominating committee? I don't see anything that would bar it but it seems to go against the neutral attitude a chair must adopt.

I agree that making a nomination would seem to show partiality and if the Chair wishes to do so he should turn over the chair to someone else.

[Guest Ann]

Thanks folks. We have an inexperienced chair who continues to want to 'help' in all processes but this will help him settle in a little more.

[David A Foulkes]

Since the chair's impartiality must only be protected while presiding, could he in fact at least provide the nominating committee with his suggested name for consideration outside of a meeting? Perhaps he just lets the committee (or just the NC chairman) know who is selection is?

[Guest Edgar]

. . . could he in fact at least provide the nominating committee with his suggested name for consideration outside of a meeting?

Well of course he could but if he wants to present his suggestion to the committee he'd have to do it at a meeting of the committee and I think it's best if, as we say, the chair has nothing to do with the nominating committee. Of course he could simply mention it to one of the nominating committee members but, again, why cross, or even approach, that line when it should be easy enough to have some other, non-committee member, make the nomination from the floor. I think that, when there are several options, one should take the least troublesome.

And of course none of this prevents the chair from "campaigning" for this candidate. Depending on the size of the organization, who is supporting whom is often a well-known fact. So, for example, it may come as no surprise to any member that President Henry Robert is supporting Hank Bob Jr for the office of Vice-president.

[Tim Wynn]

A nomination is, in effect, a proposal to fill a blank in an assumed motion. The chair should not offer a nomination* any more than he should offer a proposal to fill the blank in a motion to determine what color to paint the fence.

Just to be clear, the principle of the president not serving on the nominating committee refers to the permanent officer, not an individual who happens to be presiding.

*except, of course, when nominations by the chair is used as the method of nomination, with the exception of the nominating committee.