Leave of absence

[Guest Kathy]

If a board member is on a temporary leave of absence, may they still attend board meetings and place votes?

[jstackpo]

Since "Leave of Absence" is not defined or described in RONR, any questions about what it means will have to be found in your rules that define it and state what it means.

In RONR-land, you are either a member or not a member -- nothing in between.

[Edgar Guest]

In RONR-land, you are either a member or not a member . . . 

 

And you're either present or absent.

[Rev Ed]

RONR does not define a 'Leave of Absence', so if the organization wants to be able to grant a 'Leave of Absence' to a member, it has to create a By-law to allow for it.

 

However, 'common sense' would suggest that if a member is on a 'Leave of Absence' then he/she would not be able to attend meetings.  If the member is able to attend meetings then the member should not be on a 'Leave of Absence.'

[Edgar Guest]

However, 'common sense' would suggest that if a member is on a 'Leave of Absence' then he/she would not be able to attend meetings.  If the member is able to attend meetings then the member should not be on a 'Leave of Absence.'

 

What if he has to be out of town for four months but happens to find himself temporarily back in town on the night of the monthly meeting. Are you saying he shouldn't attend? Are you saying he should have foreseen this unexpected possibility?

[Rev Ed]

What if he has to be out of town for four months but happens to find himself temporarily back in town on the night of the monthly meeting. Are you saying he shouldn't attend? Are you saying he should have foreseen this unexpected possibility?

 

Basically, you would have a good idea if this is going to happen or not.  Yes, the member should attend if he is around and is available.  But on the other hand if you think there is a chance you might be around for a meeting, then why go on a 'Leave of Absence'? 

 

'Leave of Absence' is not defined in RONR, and things can change over a course of time.  Either a member can send regrets for a meeting he/she will be out of town for, or simply resign if the member knows for certain that he/she will not be available for several months.

 

I guess what I am saying is that RONR does not define the term with good reason.

[Edgar Guest]

I guess what I am saying is that RONR does not define the term with good reason.

 

Yes, I think that's the best (and the most) we can say here.

[Guest Norma Lewis]

If a member took a one year leave of absence should he/she submit a letter prior to that year to be resumed to the organization?

 

Next question how much time should be granted if that time is up and no letter has been received from that member requesting to resume in the group?

[Gary c Tesser]

If a member took a one year leave of absence should he/she submit a letter prior to that year to be resumed to the organization?

 

Next question how much time should be granted if that time is up and no letter has been received from that member requesting to resume in the group?

 

Ms Lewis, RONR does not define or describe leaves of absence, so we here on the Robert's Rules website forum can't answer your questions.

 

(I would bet that these are questions that every organization will have to decide for itself, although, say, local kennel clubs might have their answers prescribed for them by their parent organizations, and, say, volunteer fire departments might look around and what other fire departments have done, what works well and what doesn't.  Robert's Rules has said for over a hundred years that nothing can replace good common sense, so if you use that, you generally won't go far wrong.)

 

(Ooo, almost a citation!)