accepting resignations of officers and board members

[Guest joanna]

Our community association is revising our by-laws and dealing with the issue of resignations from office and from the Board.   Currently our by-laws state that a Board member may resign by sending a written resignation to the Corporate Secretary.   The issue is when the resignation is effective.   Three possibilities have been suggested.  A resignation is effective:  1. as soon as it is received and acknowledged by the Corporate Secretary; 2.  once it is accepted by the Board; or 3. when the President announces the resignation at the next Board meeting.   

 

The Association President and Board members are elected by the General Membership at the Annual General Meeting.   Vacancies that occur between Board meetings (through resignations, missing 3 consecutive meetings or death) can be filled by the Board and these appointments last until the next AGM.   

 

Any advice on considerations we should consider would be appreciated. 

[Josh Martin]

Our community association is revising our by-laws and dealing with the issue of resignations from office and from the Board.   Currently our by-laws state that a Board member may resign by sending a written resignation to the Corporate Secretary.   The issue is when the resignation is effective.   Three possibilities have been suggested.  A resignation is effective:  1. as soon as it is received and acknowledged by the Corporate Secretary; 2.  once it is accepted by the Board; or 3. when the President announces the resignation at the next Board meeting.   

 

The Association President and Board members are elected by the General Membership at the Annual General Meeting.   Vacancies that occur between Board meetings (through resignations, missing 3 consecutive meetings or death) can be filled by the Board and these appointments last until the next AGM.   

 

Any advice on considerations we should consider would be appreciated. 

 

Unless you state otherwise in your rules, the resignation would be effective when it is accepted by the board (since the board is empowered to fill the resulting vacancy). The main reason for this is in case an organization wishes to remove the member from office through disciplinary action instead of permitting the member to resign. If you put either of the other methods you've noted in your bylaws, a member could dodge that punishment by resigning, whether the board liked it or not. So you'll need to consider whether you're okay with that possibility.

 

I don't see any difference between options 1 and 3 except for a difference in how long the resigning member would have to change his mind.