Guest Laura Posted September 28, 2012 at 12:17 AM Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 at 12:17 AM Do the by laws have to state the number of board members or can the by laws simply state the number is to be determined by the board? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Harrison Posted September 28, 2012 at 12:20 AM Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 at 12:20 AM You can make the bylaws say what you want them to say provided that they don't conflict with a superior rule or law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted September 28, 2012 at 12:21 AM Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 at 12:21 AM Either way, but it is far far better to put a number in there. If you don't, how do you know if there is a vacancy, for example? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted September 28, 2012 at 11:25 AM Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 at 11:25 AM . . . can the by laws simply state the number is to be determined by the board?So you'd let, say, a nine-member board vote to reduce its size to six members, thereby getting rid of three members it doesn't like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted September 28, 2012 at 11:33 AM Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 at 11:33 AM Which also introduces the sticky question of which three go, and how does the Bord select them.Don't do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Laura Posted September 28, 2012 at 09:15 PM Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 at 09:15 PM We are a very small club. Just about every year we have to amend the by-laws to adjust for who actually wants to be on the board. Nine board members would be overkill for us. This year we have seven (which is the biggest board we've ever had) and one person is not renewing and no one is stepping forward to take his place. So we either amend the by laws again (which takes a vote of the all of the club members) or we have a vacancy, which according to the by laws I don't think is allowed. Our board does not select or appoint board members, they are nominated and voted for at our general club meeting in December of each year by the members. We don't have much politics going on in our club - if you want to be on the board basically you'll be on it as the vote is usually unanimous by the members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trina Posted September 28, 2012 at 09:23 PM Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 at 09:23 PM We are a very small club. Just about every year we have to amend the by-laws to adjust for who actually wants to be on the board. Nine board members would be overkill for us. This year we have seven (which is the biggest board we've ever had) and one person is not renewing and no one is stepping forward to take his place. So we either amend the by laws again (which takes a vote of the all of the club members) or we have a vacancy, which according to the by laws I don't think is allowed. Our board does not select or appoint board members, they are nominated and voted for at our general club meeting in December of each year by the members. We don't have much politics going on in our club - if you want to be on the board basically you'll be on it as the vote is usually unanimous by the members.You can make the bylaws say what you want them to say provided that they don't conflict with a superior rule or law.Review Chris' answer again -- you can do what you want; but think through the possible consequences very carefully (and consider what might happen if things are less harmonious in the future in your organization). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted September 28, 2012 at 09:24 PM Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 at 09:24 PM Well, you could (by amending the bylaws of course) reduce the size of the board to five or even three members. Or you could eliminate the board entirely.Some bylaws state a range of numbers for the size of the board (e.g. "no less than three and no more than nine"), though I'm not too fond of this idea. But it beats the idea of letting the board decide for itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnR Posted September 29, 2012 at 12:19 AM Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 at 12:19 AM We are a very small club. Just about every year we have to amend the by-laws to adjust for who actually wants to be on the board. Nine board members would be overkill for us. This year we have seven (which is the biggest board we've ever had) and one person is not renewing and no one is stepping forward to take his place. So we either amend the by laws again (which takes a vote of the all of the club members) or we have a vacancy, which according to the by laws I don't think is allowed. Our board does not select or appoint board members, they are nominated and voted for at our general club meeting in December of each year by the members. We don't have much politics going on in our club - if you want to be on the board basically you'll be on it as the vote is usually unanimous by the members.This is backwards. The board is a deliberative body, not an expandable work party. It has the important responsibility of making decisions on behalf of your whole club. So figure out how many board members you really need to do the best job, put that number in your bylaws, and elect the best candidates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Laura Posted September 30, 2012 at 08:40 PM Report Share Posted September 30, 2012 at 08:40 PM This is backwards. The board is a deliberative body, not an expandable work party. It has the important responsibility of making decisions on behalf of your whole club. So figure out how many board members you really need to do the best job, put that number in your bylaws, and elect the best candidates.While I agree with that - it doesn't happen in our club. We can't force someone to be on the board if they don't want to be. Can't make a member accept a nomination. We have very active members, but they don't want to be on the board. We have a position to fill now and no one is stepping forward. What do you do when there is a vacancy that can't be filled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted September 30, 2012 at 08:44 PM Report Share Posted September 30, 2012 at 08:44 PM What do you do when there is a vacancy that can't be filled?Keep trying to fill it or eliminate the office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnR Posted September 30, 2012 at 09:01 PM Report Share Posted September 30, 2012 at 09:01 PM While I agree with that - it doesn't happen in our club. We can't force someone to be on the board if they don't want to be.Of course not. But in my opinion, it's really a bother amending your bylaws every year to accommodate whoever happens to feel like being on the board. So why not reduce to the number you can reliably recruit and be done with it? If members think it's too "political" to run against each other for office, they can still contribute by joining board committees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted September 30, 2012 at 09:30 PM Report Share Posted September 30, 2012 at 09:30 PM We can't force someone to be on the board if they don't want to be. Can't make a member accept a nomination.Actually some organizations do. They include among the duties of membership, that a member will serve in any office to which they are elected. I guess you could say that they don't have to accept the nomination, but if they're elected anyway, they have to serve (or resign from the organization). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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