We have a President Elect, so what do I do the next meeting?

[Guest MJ]

I am the current President, and doing my best at following the rules. At our next meeting, am I done, or is there some kind of process to install the President Elect?

Thank you for your help.

MJ

[jstackpo]

Check your bylaws, but I suspect you are "done" (a harsh word for taking on the BEST parliamentary position of all: "Past President" -- all the glory, none of the responsibility).

RONR doesn't require any installation but a little "passing the gavel" ceremony (toward the end of the meeting) might be nice.

I presume your "next meeting" is the (annual-?) election meeting where you elect a new President Elect.

[Guest Edgar]

. . . toward the end of the meeting . . .

Assuming the elections take place earlier in the meeting (as I believe RONR recommends) wouldn't any "gavel passing" have to take place when the new president-elect is elected (thereby replacing the existing president-elect who then, if not earlier, becomes the president)?

Or, to look at it another way, if the election for the new president-elect is incomplete, wouldn't the current president-elect, and therefore the current president, remain in office?

[Note: I started replying to this question earlier but then had second thoughts as it didn't seem clear to me just when a term ends if the successor has been elected a year (or more) in advance. Assuming the bylaws aren't specific, of course.]

[jstackpo]

P. 457 says the pres-elect's term "ends" (and I presume he becomes president right then) "at the end of his full term". The "or until..." clause is notably missing which clouds the issue substantially. But, I suppose the "or until..." phrase, if in the bylaws at all, would cover the president-elect's term as well as the other elected officers.

But when does the pres-elect attain "his full term"? Book doesn't say, but I'll bet if any of the A-Team was pressed on the issue (I plan to do so) he'd say that it is when his successor, the new president-elect is elected - and, of course, declared elected by the then presiding officer.

[g40]

Aren't there, basically, two types of President-Elects (opr Presidents-elect)?

One would be the situation where the organization's bylaws/constitution provides for the President to take office at a specific later time. In this case, the President-elect has that designation from the election until he/she takes office. [This would be similar to what Mitt Romney would have been for a time if he had won yesterday's election]

The second type is where an organization has some kind of selection of a future President , perhaps, a long time before becoming President and there is no added election, but that person just becomes the current President. In these cases, the organization might have actual prescribed duties for the President -elect.

[Guest Edgar]

Aren't there, basically, two types of President-Elects (or Presidents-elect)?

Yes, but that doesn't answer the question. Which is when, precisely, does the second type takes office if the bylaws are silent?

[sMargaret]

If the bylaws are silent, wouldn't the president-elect take the office of president once that term has been served? Some bylaws will be specific about the term of office, and some will just have the term of office start when new elections are held at the AGM.

I would suggest, that if the bylaws really have no information in them on the term of office, that upon the election of the new president-elect it would be assumed that this means that the old president-elect has taken office as president. Mind you, that suggestion is worth what you just paid for it...