Annual Meeting Minutes; Voting & Nominations

[Guest Peggy]

We are having our second annual meeting and wanted to know the best way to handle the approval of the minutes. Give all the voting members the minutes prior to the meeting to review and then vote for apporval at the annual meeting or read the minutes at the annual meeting.

 

And, do we need to have a ballot for the election of officers? What happens if there are nominations from the floor and you are unable to have the names on the ballot?

 

[Josh Martin]

We are having our second annual meeting and wanted to know the best way to handle the approval of the minutes. Give all the voting members the minutes prior to the meeting to review and then vote for apporval at the annual meeting or read the minutes at the annual meeting.

 

Either is acceptable, but it certainly saves time to distribute the minutes in advance. Also, there is no final vote on the approval of the minutes. After any corrections are handled, the chair declares the minutes approved.

 

And, do we need to have a ballot for the election of officers?

 

Only if your bylaws so provide, although a ballot vote is generally the best method anyway if the election is contested.

 

What happens if there are nominations from the floor and you are unable to have the names on the ballot?

 

You don't have to use preprinted ballots. You could just use blanks slips of paper.

[J. J.]

The previous annual meeting should have appointed a committee to approve the minutes (I have made that mistake).  Absent that, it would be permissible to distribute them prior to the meeting and approve them.  During the upcoming meeting, appoint a committee to approve the minutes of that meeting.  See pp. 474-5

 

If a bylaw or rule requires a ballot, you must have one.  The ballot can just list the office and the members may write the name of the candidate of their choice.