Application of committee rules to ex officio members

[dmeyers3]

The name of an ex officio member of my association's Nominating Committee has been submitted to the committee for consideration for an office outside the association (the association elects some members of that outside, but related board). Our bylaws state:

 

• Ex officio members may attend and participate in meetings of the Alumni Council and its committees, but they shall not vote nor be counted toward a quorum.
• During their appointed terms on that committee, members of the Nominating Committee may not be nominated for any office being nominated by said committee, nor may they be nominated for any office by any member of the Nominating Committee in open nominations.

Does the second bullet apply to ex officio members, or can they still be nominated for office?

[Bruce Lages]

Because your rules differ from those in RONR, your organization will have to decide their application to your question. RONR has some principles of interpretation that may be useful on pp. 588-591 of the 11th edition.

 

All we can say is that, under the rules in RONR, an ex officio member of a committee has all the rights and responsibilities of any other committee member except in very limited circumstances that do not appear to apply in your situation.

[dmeyers3]

Thank you for the information.

[Gary Novosielski]

Also, there is no restriction in RONR about members of the nominating committee being ineligible for nomination themselves.

[Guest Guest]

In a case like this, the bylaws should be changed so that they are clearer. I would expect that the reason for the second rule is that some people thought the Nominating Committee had too much power and wanted to restrict the ability of the members to put themselves in charge. However, because the ex officio members are not permitted to vote, and the committee may be meeting without them in attendance, there is little reason to think that the ex officio members are putting themselves in office. Because the ex officio members are not permitted to vote, they are members in name only. Though the bylaws state they are members, they appear to be advisors or observers only.

[Guest Edgar]

If "Guest_Guest" is the same person who has recently posted several times, please have the courtesy to give yourself a consistent identity. It can be pseudonymous but it shouldn't be anonymous.

[Dan Honemann]

If "Guest_Guest" is the same person who has recently posted several times, please have the courtesy to give yourself a consistent identity. It can be pseudonymous but it shouldn't be anonymous.

 

Actually, we prefer that all persons responding to questions use their real names, "Guest Edgar."

[Edgar Guest]

Actually, we prefer that all persons responding to questions use their real names, "Guest Edgar."

 

In the online world I'm afraid that's an unrealistic, if admirable, preference.

 

Just ask, J.J.

 

Or Rev Ed

 

Or Nancy.

 

Though you might at least require that something be entered so the post doesn't default to "Guest".

[Dan Honemann]

In the online world I'm afraid that's an unrealistic, if admirable, preference.

 

Just ask, J.J.

 

Or Rev Ed

 

Or Nancy.

 

Though you might at least require that something be entered so the post doesn't default to "Guest".

 

Unrealistic or not, real names should be used if responding to questions with any regularity, or, at a minimum, we should be made aware of the responders identity, as is the case with J.J., Nancy, and Edgar.