the Presidency of a small service club

[Guest Lynn Levin]

True or false? As the current president of a small service club, I am being told that because no one will run to replace me, Robert's Rules state that I must stay on.

[Rev Ed]

Nothing stops you from resigning.  However, the wording of the By-law pertaining to the Officers will depend on whether or not you could continue.  If the By-laws state that the President shall "serve a term of x years AND until a successor is elected" then you would continue as President unless someone else is elected or you resign.

 

So exactly what does the By-laws state about your term of office?

[Guest Nancy N.]

Ed, will you please just tell him whether it's true or false?

[jstackpo]

I'll answer for Ed:  "Yes, it is indeed true or false."

 

Anything more precise will, as noted, depend on the details in the bylaws.

[Guest Guest]

(Hint, O Ed.  "True" will get you more flak than you really want.)

[Guest Nancy N.]

True or false? ... Robert's Rules state that I must stay on.

 

I'll answer for Ed:  "Yes, it is indeed true or false."

 

Anything more precise will, as noted, depend on the details in the bylaws.

 

Doctor.  What does her question have to do with anything in the bylaws?

[jstackpo]

Whether the term in office is automatically just extended if no replacement candidates step forward for election.  p. 578, line 33ff.

[Guest Nancy N.]

578 of what book?

[jstackpo]

Oops, p. 573.

[Guest Edgar]

 . . . you would continue as President unless someone else is elected or you resign.

 

Well, the resignation would have to be accepted. If not, you're stuck. Of course you can't be forced to do the job, but you'd still be the president.

[Gary Novosielski]

True or false? As the current president of a small service club, I am being told that because no one will run to replace me, Robert's Rules state that I must stay on.

False.

[Guest Nancy N.]

Lynn Levin, on 14 Apr 2014 - 9:37 PM, said:

True or false? ... Robert's Rules state that I must stay on.

 

Whether the term in office is automatically just extended if no replacement candidates step forward for election.  p. 573 [Edited -- Nancy], line 33ff.

 

I was thinking that maybe Gary Novosielski was on to something, unencumbered (I presume) by pesky doctorate thinking.

 

But you're so tenacious about it.  She wants to know what Robert's Rules states, not what her bylaws say -- so is it your contention that, since Robert's Rules says that the extended-term business should be in the bylaws, we therefore must look in the bylaws to see what Robert's Rules says?

 

Novosielski probably wishing he'd gone to doctorate school back when.  I'm getting tempted mylsef.

 

Trial 2.

[jstackpo]

 

 

But you're so tenacious about it.  She wants to know what Robert's Rules states, not what her bylaws say -- so is it your contention that, since Robert's Rules says that the extended-term business should be in the bylaws, we therefore must look in the bylaws to see what Robert's Rules says?

 

 

What RONR says, p. 573ff.,  (in effect) is "Here are some options:  pick the one you like and put it in the bylaws."

 

If no "option" is included, and the officer's term(s) are just stated as "X years" and nothing more, then the president is out of office at the end of the term.

[Josh Martin]

I was thinking that maybe Gary Novosielski was on to something, unencumbered (I presume) by pesky doctorate thinking.

 

But you're so tenacious about it.  She wants to know what Robert's Rules states, not what her bylaws say -- so is it your contention that, since Robert's Rules says that the extended-term business should be in the bylaws, we therefore must look in the bylaws to see what Robert's Rules says?

 

What RONR says, p. 573ff.,  (in effect) is "Here are some options:  pick the one you like and put it in the bylaws."

 

If no "option" is included, and the officer's term(s) are just stated as "X years" and nothing more, then the president is out of office at the end of the term.

 

The OP's question was whether it is true or false that Robert's Rules provides that the current President must stay on if no one runs for President. The answer to this question is obviously "False." As several posters have noted, the President may or may not remain in office depending on what the bylaws say about the term of office.

 

Even if the bylaws provide that the officers remain in office until their successors are elected, however, the President could resign. Strictly speaking, this resignation must be accepted in order to be effective, but this is primarily for the possibility of removing someone from office instead of letting them resign. As a practical matter, the society cannot force someone to continue serving in a voluntary position. Sure, the assembly could reject the resignation, but if the President refuses to perform the duties of office, what's the assembly going to do about it? Remove her from office?

[Guest Edgar]

 . . . if the President refuses to perform the duties of office, what's the assembly going to do about it? Remove her from office?

 

There might be future implications. The bylaws might, for example, prohibit someone who was removed from office from ever holding office again and this might not apply to someone whose resignation was accepted.

[Guest Nancy N.]

...

 

... him ...

 

(Sheesh. I just noticed.  Sorry, Ms. Levin.)